Thursday, January 10, 2013

Pressure cooker creme caramel or flan or custard

I'm on a mission to go through my recipes and see which are perfectly suited to cook in my Nesco pressure cooker. I don't usually post two in one day but these are desperate times, I nailed and I mean NAILED the perfect creme caramel in my pressure cooker and I can't wait an appropriate number of days between posts.

It's similar to my standard oven creme caramel recipe here:

Today, I added an extra yolk.  I felt like some additional richness and it didn't disappoint.  I think it would be delicious either way so if you only have one egg, don't not make this!

Tracy's Pressure Cooker Creme Caramel (or Flan or Custard if you leave out the caramel)

1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp water
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp sugar
1 whole egg
1 yolk
1 tsp vanilla
pinch salt

Quick Recipe Version

Melt sugar and water in 2 cup glass measure in microwave until it's caramel (3 mins?)
Divide between 4 ramekins or small glass jars
Combine remaining ingredients and divide between jars
Pressure cook, on trivet, on LOW pressure for 3 minutes.
Allow pressure to reduce naturally.
Chill, eat.

Long, Rambling, Commentary with Pictures Recipe

Arrange your glass vessels and prepare for delight. 

Nuke sugar and water in a 2 cup glass measure in the microwave, it's safer than the stove I think because it's already in a vessel with a spout.  Pour carefully and you'll be just fine.  The nice thing about the glass cup is that you can see the color of the caramel exactly.  Take it out slightly before you think it's perfect.


In a new 2 cup glass measuring cup ((the first one is TOO HOT and will CRACK if you put cold milk in it)) combine milk (no need to scald milk for custard anymore) and some of my Chef-y vanilla bean paste or extract if you either a) don't have this stuff or b) don't want specs of vanilla in your custard.  I like it. Add one whole egg and one yolk, the sugar and salt.  Mix well but don't get bubbles.  I did get bubbles in my zeal and excitement and as a result there's dots in my custard.  Now then, dots in custard isn't the end of the world and hardly anything that will get you drummed out of the home cook ranks but if you care then don't get bubbles.  If you must be dot-less in your final product then combine the ingredients, let it sit 5-10 minutes then strain carefully and you'll be dot-free and able to hold your head high at the assembly of the I obviously took time to prepare my creme caramel not like HER in her pressure cooker excitement who didn't wait or strain and LOOK, has DOTS in her custard ((oh the shame)

Divide the custard between your caramel laden ramekins, or, if you're going caramel free, into your plain ramekins.
The mixture fills the 2 ramekins and 2 jars perfectly!  I am doing 2 sizes for experiment purposes  *both work fine!*  Place your custards on a trivet in a pressure cooker with about 2 cups of water in the bottom.  LOCK AND LOAD 3 MINUTES LOW PRESSURE.
DING!  when your timer goes off, unplug the unit and leave it to come down on it's own, I set my timer for 10 minutes and it was ready to open without any fuss.

OH look at these beauties.  I admit after I put them in I grated a little nutmeg on them.  Remove from cooker and put in the fridge to set.  Mine took a little over an hour but then I was in a hurry to blog.  Run a thin knife around the edge, and tip it directly upside down onto a plate.  Let it stand a moment before you lift the ramekin and you'll be rewarded by slightly more of the caramel yumminess.
I cannot STAND the wait... tick tick tick.  Oh, lovely!
What a thing of beauty, it's very soft and silken and creamy and smoooooooooth.  YES, there are dots in my custard, I left bubbles and didn't strain.  ::hangs head in shame::  In case you're interested, the dots are purely aesthetic and don't affect the taste or texture at all.  The specs are vanilla from the paste.
I'll sample for you now...

You loved it.  You really, truly, loved it.  THREE minutes in a pressure cooker instead of half an hour in a water bath in the oven?  Oh heck yes, I'm a solid convert!  

You're going to be delighted, go make it... quickly



  1. Just wanted to let you know, I LOVE your blog setup! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how you first post the recipe and then post your "Long, Rambling, Commentary with Pictures Recipe". I still do read your "ramblings", but it makes it SO much easier to know what I'm getting into with the recipe and to even know if it will work for me. Yours is the first blog I've seen written like that and it has instantly become my favorite because of it. Well, that and all your great food and fun sense of humor! ;) Keep it up! You now have a fan for life!

    1. yeah, I do go on but I'm delighted you found a place to park and eat :)

  2. Where did you find the cute glass ramekins?

    1. I use the mini mason jars, the other glass ramekins... i have no earthly idea, i have had them forever.

  3. Hey very nice blog!