Karydopita Creme Caramel - Walnut Cake Creme Caramel

From: New York’s 25: Taste Of Greece – Oct 16-Nov 18, 2006 "At Avra, we mainly serve ‘nostalgic’ Greek cuisine, explains chef Fermin Chavez, "the kind of food you might find in a Greek village or on an island. “But we allow ourselves creative license, just enough so that we are always considered Greek” adds manager Reno Christou." - Chef Fermin Chavez of Avra. Prep time is a guess, Cook time includes chill time.

• Ready In: 6 hrs 50 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• For the caramel

• 3  tablespoons water
• 1  tablespoon lemon juice
• 1  cup sugar

• For the Creme

• 8  eggs
• 1  cup sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 4  cups  warm milk

• For the Karydopita

• 6  eggs, whites separated from yolks
• 1  cup sugar
• 1  cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 3⁄4 cup  fine breadcrumbs
• 1  teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon clove, ground
• 2  teaspoons baking powder

Directions

1. Make the caramel: Place water, lemon juice, and sugar in a saucepan. Do not stir the liquid.
2. Bring to a boil until the syrup takes on a darkish-brown color.
3. Pour a layer of the syrup into a large cake mold or into small individual aluminum containers and allow to cool.
4. Make the cream: Bring the milk to a boil. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs and the sugar adding in the salt and the vanilla.
5. Continue to beat the mixture while slowly adding the warm milk.
6. Pour the mixture into another bowl, passing it through a sifter to filter out any clumps.
7. Skim out any foam left on the surface.
8. Layer the cake mold or evenly distribute into the individual forms.
9. Place molds into a deep pan and place in a water bath.
10. Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes.
11. Make the Karydopita: Beat eggs and sugar until lightly frothy.
12. In a separate bowl, mix the walnuts, bread crumb, cinnamon, cloves, and baking powder.
13. With a wooden spoon mix into the egg-sugar mixture, folding in all the ingredients.
14. Distribute evenly into the molds of the half-baked crème slowly in order not to disturb the consistency of the crème and continue to bake for another 35 minutes.
15. Remove, cool to room temperature and chill for 5-6 hours.
16. To serve, place the molds into hot water to loosen and invert the mold onto the service plate. If only one large mold was used, pour half a cup of water into it and bring the remaining sugar syrup to a boil and pour over the cake.