Caramel Milk Pudding

I love the month JULY!!!! All my favorite days fall on this month....The word July itself makes me so exuberant. One fine day while I was enjoying one of those exuberant moments this delicious caramel pudding crawled in to my mind...This simple pudding requires simplest of ingredients. This taught me the use of vanilla essence.

 

Last year without the vanilla essence I made this pudding, the taste was fine....but I was getting the strong smell of egg....which I couldn't take it...So I ended up wasting it....When I talked with my mother she told me, vanilla essence will remove that smell and will give a good aroma for the pudding....and it sure did it's magic when I used it....Moving on to the recipe...:).

Recipe:

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For the caramel

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Sugar - 1/2 cup

Water - 1 tbsp or enough to wet the sugar.

a.b. c.d.

1. Heat the sugar and water in a pan. 
2. Water should be just enough to wet the sugar.(ref a)
3. Don't stir it, the sugar will crystalize, just shake the whole pan slightly when required.
4. Once it starts boiling don't leave its side...(ref b)
5. Within seconds the color will start to change to light brown.(ref c)
6. Once it attains this light golden brown color remove from heat really fast. It burns really fast and will give a sour taste. If it happens start from step 1 again...:) 
7. Let the caramel cool off slightly but do not let it get harden.
8. Pour the caramel in to the baking dish. 
9. Swirl the dish quickly to get a even coating on the bottom and little on the bottom sides and leave it aside.(ref d)
   

One Big bakeware dish or few ramekins can be used.

* I used my three 4 cup pyrex glass bakeware for making this. 

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

For the custard

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Egg                  -  3 nos

Milk                  -  2 cups

Sugar               -  3/4 cup 

Vanilla essence  -  1 tbsp 

1. Boil the milk and let it cool.
2. In a blender or using a whisk, mix together egg and sugar until the sugar dissolves.
3. Once the milk is cooled, add milk and vanilla essence to the egg-sugar mix and blend it.
4. Pour this mix equally in to the dishes/ dish accordingly. If you are concerned about the air bubbles formed inside, pour the mixture through a clean strainer in to the bakeware.
5. This step is optional. Place the bakeware in larger tray filled with water.
6. Bake at 350 F for 50 - 60 min or till the stick inserted through the center comes out clean.
7. Once done, let it sit and cool.
8. Refrigerate it for 3 or 4 hours.
9. Before serving run a knife through the edges. Place the serving dish on top of the bakeware and quickly turn the whole upside down. The pudding will drop on the serving plate.
10. Grab a spoon and enjoy...:)