STEP 1
Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C (300 degrees F). Bring the milk and vanilla bean to a boil. Whisk the eggs and sugar carefully. Whisk the eggs into the boiling milk. Caramelize the sugar in a frying pan until golden. Add the water and cook until golden brown. Line 3 1-liter molds with the caramel. Strain the milk mixture, then divide among the molds. Place a cloth towel in the bottom of an oven tray. Place the molds on the towel (to keep them from moving). Add hot water to reach halfway up the molds. Bake 90 minutes. Refrigerate until completely cold, then unmold.

STEP 2
Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C (300 degrees F). Caramelize the sugar in a frying pan until golden. Glaze the bottom and sides of a rectangular 2-liter loaf pan. Heat the cream, half the remaining sugar and the tiny seeds scraped from the inside of the vanilla bean, along with the bean itself to the boiling point. Beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar. Carefully whisk in the hot cream. Strain into the prepared pan. Bake in a water bath for about 90 minutes. Refrigerate until completely cold, then unfold and decorate as desired.

The Norwegian Kitchen is available for purchase, through the Vesterheim Bookstore.

Vesterheim Museumsbutikk
523 West Water Street
Decorah, IA 52101
www.vesterheim.org