Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes
Yield: 6 Servings
Ingredients:
- 8 oz water
- 11 oz (300 gr) granulated sugar
- peel of 1 lemon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 10 egg yolks
Preparation:
Combine sugar, water, lemon peel and vanilla into a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until it forms a syrup. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Syrup Consistency Test: Dip forefinger in cold water and then in the syrup. Hold forefinger and thumb together, then separate. Syrup should form a string, but it will break immediately.
Preheat oven to 375F (190C) degrees.
Heat about a liter of water (4 cups) in a large saucepan, for the water bath.
Lightly beat the egg yolks in a bowl and strain into another bowl. Pour in cooled syrup a little at a time, while continuing to stir with a whisk. Continue to stir until all ingredients are blended.
Pour the egg mixture into a mold. A glass dish of approximately 8"x 6" (6 cups or 1.5 liters) is a good size. The pan should be small enough so that the egg mixture is 1.5 to 2-inches thick. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Put mold in water bath and bake in the oven for approximately 1 hour. Check after 40 minutes and make sure water has not evaporated.
When done, the custard should be firm. To check for doneness, poke with a toothpick or knife. When removed, it should be relatively clean.
Remove from oven and allow to cool. Place in refrigerator to chill. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the dish. then unmold the tocinillo and slice to serve.
