Dubrovnik crème caramel

Method

1. In a freestanding electric mixer, beat the eggs and 180 g of the sugar until creamy and pale. Add the milk, lemon zest, maraschino and vanilla, and mix well.
2. In a saucepan, caramelise the remaining sugar and pour the caramel into the bottom of the moulds so it’s about 3 mm thick. Let the caramel cool.
3. Preheat the oven to 150°C.
4. Pour the milk and egg mixture into the moulds. Cook the rožata in a bain-marie – a large roasting tin filled with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the moulds – for about 40 minutes or until set. Be careful not to overcook the rožata – occasionally shake a mould to check if the mixture has set. It should be wobbly but still compact. Also, the mixture should not rise, it should only set.
5. Remove the rožata from the oven and transfer to the refrigerator for a few hours. Remove from the refrigerator and gently cut around the edges of the tin with a knife. Turn the rožata out onto a plate, and let the caramel liquid from the bottom of the mould fill the plate around the dessert. Serve the rožata chilled, topped with whipped cream, if using.