Recipe - Maple-Sugar Creme Caramel

MAPLESUGAR CARAMEL
1 cup Maple Sugar
1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
Maple Sugar Custard
4 Whole Eggs
2 Egg Yolks
2 One half cup Milk
1 cup Maple Sugar
Sweetened Whipped Cream; For
Serving
Chocolate Shavings; Optional

1. Set out six 6ounce custard cups or ramekins. Combine One half cup water and
1 cup maple sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until the syrup looks dark and
shiny and is thick enough to cover the spoon. Remove from the heat and whip
in the butter. Spoon evenly into the bottom of each cup. Allow to cool; the
syrup will thicken.

2. Preheat oven to 325. Fill a teakettle with about 1 qt water and bring to
a boil for the bainmarie (waterbath). Combine the eggs, egg yolks, milk
and maple sugar. Mix very well so that the sugar dissolves completely.

3. Spoon about 2/3 cup of the custard into each cup. Place to cups in a
baking pan and and fill with enough water to come up about halfway on the
cups. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for about 35 minutes or
until set. Check to see if the custard is done by inserting a toothpick
into the center; it should come out clean.

4. Chill thoroughly. Loosen the custard with a knife and unmold onto a
colorful plate. Be sure to serve all the sauce from the bottom of the cup.

NOTES : Maple sugar (NOT SYRUP!!) is substituted for the sugar in both the
caramel and the custard Maple sugar is a powder made from maple sap; it is
more useful than syrup for most baking and cooking. It can be found at
gourmet or health food stores
Recipe by: Jasper White's Cooking From New England. p. 304 Posted to
MCRecipe Digest V1 #735 by Sue suechef@sover.net on Aug 10, 1997