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Desserts: ...Custards Worldwide...

We all have our memories of custard: some good, some bad. Here is a desert recipe which I think goes to show how tasty and useful custard can be. It only takes a little effort.

Baked Custard

You'll Need

2 cups milk
3/8 cup sugar, you can use about 1/3 cup Honey too
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks, one whole egg, and one egg white (or egg replacement)
3/4 tesp _good_ vanilla extract, also you can use some nutmeg or such

Mix and blend the milk sugar/honey and salt. Add and beat well the
eggs. You should add the egg white, beaten to firm peaks, last.
Finally add the flavorings, vanilla extract and/or nutmeg. Don't use
much nutmeg it is quite stong in the custard. Also don't beat it too
much or you will kill the egg white.

When it is all incorporated, pour it into a baking pan (for individual
servings use individual custard cups) Place the pan in a pan of warm
water and bake at 300-325 degs for about an hour.

Testing custard is abit tricky. after about an hour slip a knife
between the edge of the custard and the pan. It should be clean. The
center should still be soft. It will continue to cook for a bit after
you take it out. If you suspect that the center is done too much put
the pan in a pan of cold/ice water to stop the cooking process. You
can use the knife test to see if it is too doine in the middle.

Bread And Custard Pudding

This is guaranteed to bring back childhood memories - but it is still a great desert

Make a custard according to size of pudding required.

1 pint of custard will fill a mediumsized dish.

Cut slices of thin bread and butter, to suit the dish, and over each layer throw currants, sugar, and finely cut candied lemon, and a little nutmeg.

Pour the custard over by degrees so that the bread may be well saturated, and let it stand an hour before putting it into the oven.

Just before it is put in, throw over the last of the custard, and bake in a moderate oven for half an hour.

Blackberry Jam Custard

4 eggs
1 cup sugar
cup blackberry jam
½ cup butter

Bake in pastry, cover with meringue If yolks only are used spread cream icing on top Raspberries and strawberries may be used the same way

Traditional Caramel Custard

3/4 cup sugar divided
1 1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup mashed silken firm tofu
3 lrg eggs
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

This one requires a little effort but the taste will repay you.

nonstick cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
This recipe will serve about six.

Heat a medium saucepan of water over medium heat
.
Meanwhile, lightly coat six 1/2-cup custard cups or ramekins with the cooking spray. Place the cups in a large shallow baking pan; set aside.

In a small, heavy-bottom skillet, place 1/2 cup of the sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar melts and caramelizes to a golden color, about 10 minutes.

Immediately and quickly, pour about 1 tablespoon of the sugar mixture into each custard cup.

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process the soy milk and tofu until smooth.

In a medium mixing bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. Whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, orange zest and vanilla extract. Then whisk in the soy-tofu mixture.

Evenly divide the custard mixture among the custard cups. Pour the hot water into the baking pan until it comes about halfway up the sides of the custard cups.

Bake for 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the center of the custard comes out clean. Carefully remove from the oven and remove the cups from the water. Cool on a wire rack about 1 hour.
At serving time, gently loosen the edges of the custard with a knife.

Place a dessert plate upside down on top of a custard cup and invert the custard onto the plate. Drizzle any remaining syrup over the custard.

Makes 6 servings.
Cook's note: If desired, substitute skim milk for the soy milk and use 3/4 cup cholesterol-free egg substitute for the eggs.

Basic Vegan Custard

5 oz silken Tofu (I use tubs of Nasoya organic)

1 block of tamarind, about 2 x 2 x 1 inches

plenty of soymilk

2 T arrowroot powder

Puree that tofu until smooth.
This is the dangerous step:
add broken off pieces of the block of tamarind, trying to avoid adding seeds, and process on and off until the tamarind is worked into the tofu.
There are preprocessed tamarind jellies that would be a lot safer, I just have not found them yet.
The flavor of using this stuff is so intense, that I wonder if substituting in preprocessed tamarind is going to have the same effect.
Anyway, you risk dulling your processor blades if it hits a seed.
Start adding soymilk and blending, until the stuff makes a nice soft thick mass (I think I used about a cup of soymilk).
Add the arrowroot powder and blend in.

Bake 400 F in a small custard pot, which possibly has been oiled and dusted with flour.
Remove from oven when the skin has formed.