Crema Caramela (Custard)

At a recent #Tweetea meetup an introductory question was asked of discussion participants, “What is your favorite pudding?” I knew instantly that I would confess my guilty pleasure is Crema Caramela.

When I was a little girl, my YiaYia made Crema Caramela for me. It was my all time favorite dessert and still is. I looked in my Greek cookbooks for a recipe and I found this one in Hellenic Cuisine by Sts. Constantine and Helen Ladies Society of Detroit.

1 qt scalded milk
12 eggs
1 – 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Combine eggs, salt and one cup of sugar. Add milk slowly, stirring constantly. Add vanilla and mix well. Melt or caramelize 1/2 cup of sugar in a heavy skillet and glaze the bottom of a large Pyrex tube pan. Pour custard mixture over caramelized sugar glaze and bake in a water bath at 350 degrees for one hour or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.  Important: Place tube pan in pan of hot water to bake. Unmold upside down so that caramel glaze frosts custard.