Stand up ovation! Caramel custard / Home-made Danette

There are many food products that we miss from France when we live here in New Zealand.
Remember, two days ago, I opened a can of evaporated milk for the first time of my life. And when I tasted it, it reminded me one of those missed French pudding: the famous Danette - and now all my French followers are singing 'On se lève tous pour Daaanette, Daaanette!...", from the famous TV ad where everybody stand up for this pudding, creating a stand up ovation for this humble custard.
After more than two years in NZ and one can of evaporated milk opened, I finally decided to give it a go and experiment my home-made Danette. I still wonder why I did not try earlier.
It is actually very easy, easier than I'd thought, and very quick to make. Today, I chose the caramel flavour and it was delightful! And it is gluten-free!!! I may go for another serve right now...

Ingredients (5 servings)

Caramel:

- 150g white sugar

- 1/2 tsp lemon juice

- 5 tbp evaporated milk

Custard:

- 500ml milk*

- 100g white sugar

- 2 eggs, size 7

- 40g cornflour

- 1 1/2 tsp gelatine powder

- caramel (see ingredients above)

Instructions

1. Measure all the ingredients before you start.

2. For the custard, put the milk in a pot on medium heat.

3. For the caramel, put the sugar in another pot* on high heat. Do not stir. Just leave until the sugar caramelise. Always keep an eye on it though. Reduce the heat or take off the heat before it gets too dark.

4. Mix the eggs and the sugar together until the mixture gets white and frothy and until its volume has doubled. It helps if you slightly heat your bowl on the top of the milk pot while mixing briskly.

5. Add the corn flour to the egg mixture.

6. By then, in the caramel pot, the sugar should be entirely melted, turning into a nicely coloured caramel. Reduce the heat to minimum. Drop the lemon juice while stirring. Then the evaporated milk.

7. The milk should be now warm, stir briskly in the gelatine powder until it completely dissolve. 

8. Pour and stir the hot milk in the caramel. Leave on low heat for 1 minute.

9. Then gradually stir the caramel milk in the egg mixture.* Stir briskly to avoid the eggs to scramble.

10. Pour the custard preparation back in the pot; cook and stir for 5 minutes.
11. Pour the hot custard in a jar or container, and cool by soaking the jar or container in cold water. The custard will thicken when cooling down.
12. Rest in the fridge until set.*

Tips

* I used fat-trimmed milk because if has less calories, but lite or full-fat milk will work too.

* Take a large pot - 2 liters - if you want to pour back the custard in for the final cooking.

* Don't do the reverse! Do not pour the egg mixture in the hot caramel milk or it will cook and scramble.

* If you've got lumps, no panic! blend it when it has set and it will be perfectly smooth. Allow for 2 to 3 hours rest in the fridge before it is set.