“For me, the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity.”
Henri Cartier-Bresson
A post about Caramel Custard, Mother’s Day and Sunday Stills! Also of high key photography. The recent trip down into the heart of South India opened up a new dimension to how I wanted to style and shoot food. Karaikudi meant loads more prop shopping, tons of enamelware included. Strange how it started off a domino effect. My downright dark and moody side opened up to a new love, a new light I have never chased so passionately! Love for light food props, then love for white frames, and eventually a fascination with high key photography. Light tones, pastels, loads of whites, brighter hues, sometimes edging on overexposed. The technical sense still abysmal though! I am still experimenting, still trying to build a level of patience…That was a drastic change from what I have always enjoyed shooting, dark, moody frames. Moody is still my first love, shadows, darkness, deep blacks, blocking light, all reflective of my personality, and definitely of my favourite colour, black!
Caught between yin and yang, swinging between two extremes, my sweet friend Simi asked if I wanted to join her and Dolphia for Sunday Stills. Sunday Stills meant experimenting with testing new levels of photography. That basically meant different experiments with light and techniques, new ways to push our comfort levels. While she is a workhorse, with loads of planning and in-depth research, something that reflects in her stunning styling and images, I am quite the opposite.Often impatient, no time for research, technically pretty incompetent {read pathetic}, yet we share two things. Love for food styling and photography, and food props. We are the queens of procrastination too. Oh yes, and we share a single day between birthdays, Scorpions to the core we are!
So here we go this Sunday. With my #SundayStills, thanks to this hugely inspiring lady, I share with you a little of what I’ve been shooting lately {I have to admit I am also shooting low key, dark images on the side}. Also here for you a recipe for a Caramel Custard that I did for Kitchen Aid. I did another version soon after, the Caramel Flan. Hopefully someday that recipe too will see light of day! While I have baked the custard, you can always steam it the old fashioned way like my Mum used to do. 10-15 minutes in the pressure cooker, placed on a trivet submerged in water, lid on, no cap.
Have a great Sunday, and of course, Happy Mother’s Day!
My version of the quintessential ‘Caramel Custard’ that showed up on our frugal dessert table quite often when we were young. This one is slightly more luxurious than the wobbly one we had as kids from the armed forces. It's baked, not steamed, though if you are making one large pudding, steaming it in the pressure cooker is a breeze. Quick too!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 45 minutesminutes
Total Time 4 hourshours
Servings 4people
Ingredients
Caramel
150g Castor sugar
20mlWater
Custard
2eggs
100gsugar
1vanilla bean, scraped
200mmlmilk
250mllow fat cream
Instructions
For the Caramel
Keep 4 X 8oz ramekins ready and place sugar and water in a heavy bottom saucepan, and stir over medium heat until sugar melts.
Increase heat to high, and allow to bubble away without stirring, until it reaches a deep amber colour. {This is the crucial part because the caramel can burn. Also please take extreme caution as caramel is very hot}.
Take off heat immediately, and pour into ramekins, turning gently to coat bottoms. Allow to stand for 5 minutes, while you make the custard.
For the Caramel Custard
Preheat the oven to 180C
Heat milk, cream and shell of vanilla bean in a pan over low heat until slight bubbles form on the edges. Take off heat.
Place the eggs, scraped vanilla and sugar in bowl of stand mixer. Whisk on speed 2 for 2 minutes until sugar is almost dissolved.
Reduce speed to lowest, put the splatter screen, and gently pour in the vanilla infused milk, whisking continuously for 30 seconds.
Strain the custard into a jug/saucepan, and then pour into the prepared ramekins.
Place ramekins in a 9′ X 9″ square pan. Gently pour in water into the tray to come up half around the ramekins.
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Bake for about 45 minutes until the custard begins to set, a bit wobbly in the middle.
Allow to cool, then chill covered for a few hours, preferably overnight.
To serve, run a butter knife gently around the tip to loosen it, place a platter over the ramekin, turn over swiftly, and then shake to release. Top with toasted walnuts if desired.
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Deeba @ PAB
About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.
View all posts by Deeba @ PAB
16 thoughts on “Of Caramel Custard, Mother’s Day and Sunday Stills. The Yin and Yang of life!”
Deeba, these pictures are stunning! And I dont know what you’ve done differently (technically) but the glow of natural light really makes this set stand apart from your quintessential style. So whatever it is youve done, would be nice to see more of it 🙂
I am a big fan of all your captures, each and every one is just mesmerizing. Caramel Custard is one of my all time weaknesses (anyone else in the family is not fond though).
Also thank you for the mention. Truly appreciate it. Take care and have a lovely week ahead 🙂
High key pics are really stunning Deeba. Though I love your dark and moody shots this one just brings a breath of fresh air.The backlit bottle shot is my favorite. Please keep it coming. 🙂
Hope you had an awesome Mother’s day.
Excellent photography skills. Makes me wanna crave for the food even more! I’m sure it has already caused a lot of readers a serious temptation-controlling issues.
Keep up the good work 🙂
Deeba, these pictures are stunning! And I dont know what you’ve done differently (technically) but the glow of natural light really makes this set stand apart from your quintessential style. So whatever it is youve done, would be nice to see more of it 🙂
Revati, you are the sweetest, and you just made my day!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Big hugs!!
Hey Deeba,
I am a big fan of all your captures, each and every one is just mesmerizing. Caramel Custard is one of my all time weaknesses (anyone else in the family is not fond though).
Also thank you for the mention. Truly appreciate it. Take care and have a lovely week ahead 🙂
How nice of you to say that Manidipa. Have a great week ahead too. 🙂
Gorgeous pictures, lovely post and heavenly dessert!
Cheers,
Rosa
One of my all time favorite desserts – so pretty, elegant and feminine, just right for Mother’s Day! Happy Mother’s Day to you Deeba!
Thank you my sweet friend. I can never forget all the baking supplies you mailed for me. Happy Mother’s Day to you too Suma. ♥
I love all the shots! So serene. Happy Mother’s Day Deeba 🙂
High key pics are really stunning Deeba. Though I love your dark and moody shots this one just brings a breath of fresh air.The backlit bottle shot is my favorite. Please keep it coming. 🙂
Hope you had an awesome Mother’s day.
super love all of it.
Deeba you are an amazing photographer. The images are so beautiful
Gorgeous, the new light is so beautiful.
Your clicks are awesome. The pink flowers and capturing my attention. Was staring at the photos for a long time…
Such refreshing photos…loving the white.. and the styling is beautiful. would love to raid your props one of these days!
Hi Deeba,
Excellent photography skills. Makes me wanna crave for the food even more! I’m sure it has already caused a lot of readers a serious temptation-controlling issues.
Keep up the good work 🙂
Thank you so much Anu.