A rich smooth custard topped with fresh fruit or caramelized sugar is a wonderful indulgent treat and while this 5 ingredient recipe from NYT Cooking is simple to prepare, cooking it is made even easier by using the Steam Oven as no water bath is needed.

Using a water bath to temper the heat when cooking delicate foods such as custard or flan is a brilliant method for cooking delicate foods, but when cooking custard in the Steam oven no water bath is needed. Not only is the cooking process simplified, the texture of the custard is the perfectly smooth and silky.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups cream or half and half

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise OR 1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

5 egg yolks (large eggs)

1/2 cup sugar

Additional sugar for caramelizing

PREPARATION

Heat the Steam oven in the Convection Steam Mode at 195°F (90.5C)

Combine the cream, vanilla bean and salt in a heavy pan and cook over low heat until hot.  Remove from the heat and let it steep for a few minutes before discarding the vanilla bean. 

Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until light.  Stir a quarter of the cream into the mixture then pour the sugar-egg mixture into the cream and stir.

Place 6, 4-oz ramekins in the Steam oven perforated pan or onto a rimmed baking sheet and fill each one with the prepared custard.  Slide the pan into the oven and cook for 40 - 50 minutes until the custards are set.  Cool the custards before refrigerating for at least 6 hours prior to serving.

To Serve the Custard

Adjust the top rack in the oven so the ramekins will sit 2 - 3" below the heating element.

Heat the oven in the Broil Mode at 450F (232C) or on Medium for 5 minutes.

Place the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar in a thin layer over each ramekin. Slide into the oven and cook for about 5 minutes until the sugar melts.