dessert

Jamaica Crème Custard

Name: Jamaica Crème Custard
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 8–10 ramekins
Cuisine: dessert
Ingredients: 10 egg yolks; 300 g (1.5 cups) sugar; 1.9 L (8 cups) heavy whipping cream; 720 ml (3 cups) flor de Jamaica (dried hibiscus flowers); 1/2 tsp salt; 6 vanilla beans, split and scraped

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Prep

20 minutes

Cook

30 minutes

Total

50 min

Serves

8–10 ramekins

Silky, floral, and deep pink-red, this hibiscus custard bakes in a water bath into something between a flan and a crème brûlée. The Jamaica gives it a tart, cranberry-like note that cuts through the richness of the cream.

Ingredients

10 egg yolks
300 g (1.5 cups) sugar
1.9 L (8 cups) heavy whipping cream
720 ml (3 cups) flor de Jamaica (dried hibiscus flowers)
1/2 tsp salt
6 vanilla beans, split and scraped

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 165 °C (325 °F).
2
Whisk the egg yolks with half the sugar until combined. Set aside.
3
Heat the heavy cream, Jamaica, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat until it just starts to simmer. Stir in the vanilla bean seeds and pods.
4
Strain and remove the solids. Scoop out about 120 ml (1/2 cup) of the warm cream and whisk it slowly into the yolks. Then pour the yolk mixture back into the rest of the warm cream in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly.
5
Divide the custard between ramekins, filling halfway. Place the ramekins in a deep baking pan and fill the pan halfway with hot water.
6
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the custard registers 77 °C (170 °F) and barely jiggles at the center.

Cook's Note

Temper the yolks before adding the hot cream, pour a small ladle of the warm cream into the yolks while whisking first, then pour the yolk mixture back into the pan. If you pour all the hot liquid in at once, you scramble the yolks.

Best Served With

At room temperature or slightly chilled. A small amount of whipped cream on the side.

Why This Recipe Works

The water bath keeps the temperature around the ramekins gentle and even, without it, the sides would set too fast and the custard would curdle or develop bubbles. The eggs set slowly and evenly in the humid heat, which is what gives you a smooth, silky result.

Make It Yours

Serve with a drizzle of hibiscus syrup on top.
Add a strip of orange peel to the cream while it heats.
Top with fresh raspberries.

Leftover Strategy

Keeps refrigerated for 3 days. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.

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Pairing

A glass of light Rosé or a hibiscus agua fresca, the floral notes echo each other.