Method

• Preheat the oven to 150°C.

To make the caramel, place ⅔ cup of sugar (half the sugar) in a small saucepan and wet with the water.  Place on medium heat, stirring the pan occasionally. The sugar will eventually go hard and almost crystallize – don’t panic, it will melt again and begin to go brown.  Let it boil for a while until it starts to turn brown. Once it has turned brown, remove it from the heat and immediately pour the caramel into 6 ramekins.  Set aside.

In another saucepan, heat the milk with the other ⅔ cup sugar until it reaches a boil. Stir in the vanilla paste. In a sturdy bowl, whisk the eggs for a minute or two – I used a hand whisk.  Then whisk in the hot milk, slowly at first to avoid coagulating the eggs. Whisk until it has mixed well.

Pour or ladle, if that works better for you, the milk mixture into the ramekins on top of the caramel. Place all 6 ramekins in a large oven proof dish. Fill the dish with tap water to about ⅔ the height of the ramekins.

Carefully place in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes to an hour (baking time can depend on the dishes used). The water should not boil during baking. The custard is done when it has set, which you can verify by inserting a knife.