Lychee Creme Caramel

Lychee fruit caramelized with sugar for a creme caramel!
    
     I have cooked flan or creme caramel that was flavored with fruits, liquors, bay leaves or spices in the past.  I have varied the custard texture by adjusting the egg to cream proportion in the past.  This lychee creme caramel has a soft custard texture.  I will post a recipe for the light firm textured French or Italian creme caramel style sometime soon.
     When adding fruit to a creme caramel, the fruits juices will alter the texture of the custard when baking.  A few less tablespoons of milk or cream will make up the difference.  The fruit will sink to the bottom and become part of the caramelized sugar.  Lychee adds a very nice flavor to the caramel!
   
     This recipe makes two medium size lychee creme caramels or 1 large lychee creme caramel that can be shared!
    
     Caramel:
     Heat a sauce pot over high heat.
     Add 3/4 cup of water.
     Add 3/4 cup of sugar.
     Boil and reduce the liquid.
     When the sugar starts to enter the syrup stage, keep a close eye on the sugar.
     Cook the sugar till it caramelizes to a light amber brown color, pour a 1/4" thick layer of the caramel into 2 custard cups or 1 souffle dish that is 4" to 5" wide.
     Set the custard cups or souffle dish aside.
    
     Lychee Creme Caramel:
     Peel, seed and chop 5 or 6 lychee fruits.
     Place the chopped lychee fruit in the custard cups or souffle dish.
     Mix 1/2 cup of cream with two egg yokes in a bowl and set it aside.
     Heat 1/2 cup of cream gently over medium low heat in a sauce pot.
     Add 3 drops of vanilla extract.
     Add 1 tablespoon of sugar.
     Add 1 ounce of brandy.
     Add 1 pinch of nutmeg.
     Bring the cream mixture to 145 to 150 degrees.
     Slowly pour the hot cream mixture into the cold egg yoke and cream mixture in the mixing bowl, while constantly gently whisking.
     Pour the custard mixture over the caramel and lychee fruit in the custard cups or souffle dish.  Fill the custard molds, so the custard is about 1/4" from the top of the mold.
     Place the custard cups or souffle dish in a high sided baking pan. 
     Add enough water so the water is half way up the sides of the custard molds.  (Bain Marie.)
     Place the bain marie into a 325 degree oven.
     Bake till you can place a tooth pick in the custard and it comes out clean. 
     Remove the bain marie and custards from the oven and let it cool.
     Refrigerate the lychee creme caramels for 4 hours.
    
     Plating:
     Run a paring knife against the inside edge of the sides of the custard cups or souffle dish.
     Heat a little water over medium heat in a saute pan.
     Place the custard cups or souffle dish in the hot water so the bottom of the cup warms up.  (This step will loosen the caramel and make it easy to plate the custard.)
     Invert the custard cup on to a dessert plate.
     Tap the custard cup against the plate and the creme caramel should pop out onto the dessert plate.  The caramel sauce will flow around the custard on the plate.
     Garnish with fresh lychee fruit.
    
     Lychee and cream go so well together.  The lychee sinks to the bottom of the custard and becomes part of the caramel.  Lychee Creme Caramel is an elegant tasting dessert that is easy to make!  Yum!  ... Shawna