Star Anise Crème Caramel

Chinese cuisine, indeed oriental cookery in general, has never featured sugar-sweetened desserts and, as I grew up in a Chinese household, I was not familiar with desserts. During my school days, I used to succumb to the temptations of cake, candy and ice-cream but it was only when I lived in France that I discovered the wonders of true western desserts. I especially remember how charmed I was when I experienced my first crème caramel. The silky texture of the custard and the contrasting ca