Cinnamon Crème Caramel (with Poached Apple)

Course: Baked Desserts, Desserts

Cuisine: American, European, North American

Prep Time: 45

Cook Time: 1 20

Overnight chilling: 8

Total Time: 10 5

Servings: servings

Calories: 483kcal

Author: Dini Kodippili

This Cinnamon Creme Caramel with Poached Apple (or Apple and Cinnamon Flan) is a delicious twist on the classic! A silky-soft custard infused with cinnamon, and then topped with apple flavored caramel sauce and poached apple slices. How amazing does that sound?

INTERMEDIATE - This recipe is more suitable for an advanced beginner, or to anyone who has already made creme caramel or flan, and wants to experiment with other flavors.

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Ingredients

Poached apple

2 honeycrisp apples cut in half, cored and sliced thin
50 g sugar ¼ cup
480 mL warm apple cider / juice 2 cups. Can be warmed in the microwave.

Cinnamon Creme Caramel (Cinnamon Flan)

480 mL half n half (10% fat) 2 cups. OR use 1 cup / 240 mL each of milk and heavy cream
1 cup heavy cream 35% fat. You can use half n half here too but that would make the custard slightly less creamy
2 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
½ tsp ground cinnamon
133 g sugar ⅔ cup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Apple Caramel

200 g sugar 1 cup
60 mL apple juice ¼ cup
2 tbsp corn syrup

Instructions

Poached apple slices

Place sugar in a dry, medium saucepan, and heat over medium heat until the sugar caramelizes to a dark amber color.
50 g sugar
Add warm apple cider and stir until the caramel is melted.
480 mL warm apple cider / juice
Add sliced apples and simmer until the apples become soft, take on the caramel color and become slightly translucent. Set aside to cool. Drain the "juice" and place the poached apple slices in an air tight bottle and store in the fridge until needed. Don't throw away the poaching liquid. Add this to your next batch of Warm Apple Cider.
2 honeycrisp apples

Creme caramel

Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and have a baking tray (large enough to hold 8, 4 ounce ramekins) and boiled water ready.
Lightly grease the ramekins with a thin layer of butter.

For the Caramel

Add the sugar into a saucepan and pour apple juice along the side of the saucepan. Add corn syrup and let it heat gently over medium heat. Do not stir. When the sugar starts to dissolve, gently swirl to mix the water and sugar. To avoid crystallization, dip your pastry brush in cold water and brush the sides of the pan to wash down the sugar that's stuck to the sides.
200 g sugar, 60 mL apple juice, 2 tbsp corn syrup
When all the sugar is dissolved, swirl the saucepan occasionally to mix the caramel. Keep an eye out for the caramel changing color and immediately remove from the heat when it starts to turn dark amber in color.
Carefully pour this into the 8 ramekins and swirl them to spread the caramel on the bottom. Set aside.

For the Custard

Whisk eggs, yolks and vanilla together in a bowl until everything is mixed well and is lightly frothy.
2 large eggs , 4 large egg yolks, 1 tsp vanilla extract
In a separate small saucepan, combine the sugar, cinnamon and half n half/cream and heat gently until the sugar completely dissolves and starts to steam.
480 mL half n half (10% fat), ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 133 g sugar, 1 cup heavy cream
Whisk a little of the heated milk mixture into the egg mix in a slow stream while whisking the eggs to temper them. Strain it back into the milk mixture and mix well.
Pour this mixture into your ramekins and bake in a hot water bath for about 15-17 minutes till done. The surface of the custard should still be wobbly and not runny. They will continue to cook and set even after being removed from the oven.
Remove from the water bath and let them cool to room temperature, and then chill in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours, Overnight is better.
When ready to serve, run a flat knife around the sides of the ramekin to release/unmold the custard. Invert this onto a serving dish/plate.
Serve with some poached apple slices on top.

Nutrition