If you use vanilla in place of the cinnamon and omit the caramel (step 2), you can call these pots de crème. No matter how you make them, though, be careful not to overcook, or the eggs will curdle instead of becoming silky and creamy.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　2 cups milk, cream, or a mixture

　　1 cinnamon stick or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　1 cup sugar

　　2 eggs plus 2 yolks

　　Pinch of salt

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 300°F and put a kettle of water on to boil. Put the milk in a small saucepan with the cinnamon; turn the heat to medium. Cook just until it begins to steam, then cool a bit.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup of the sugar with 1/4 cup of water in a small, heavy saucepan. Turn the heat to low and cook, shaking the pan occasionally (it’s best not to stir), until the sugar liquefies, turns clear, then golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately pour the caramel into the bottom of a large heatproof bowl or 4 ramekins.

　　

Step 3

Beat the eggs and yolks with the salt and remaining 1/2 cup sugar until pale yellow and fairly thick. Remove the cinnamon stick (if you used it) from the milk and add the milk gradually to the egg mixture, stirring constantly. Pour the mixture into the prepared bowl or ramekins and put it/them in a baking pan, adding hot water to within about 1 inch of the top.

　　

Step 4

Bake for about 30 (for the ramekins) to 40 (for the bowl) minutes, or until the center is barely set. (Start checking after 20 minutes or so and remember that cream will set faster than milk.) Serve warm or at room temperature or cover and refrigerate for a day or so.

　　From Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times by Mark Bittman Copyright (c) 2007 by Mark Bittman Published by Broadway Books.Mark Bittman is the author of the blockbuster Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.