Custard’s Creamy Charm
For some of us, our kindly old baked or stirred custard in familiar brown custard cups is just as satisfying as today’s chic creme bru^lee--and a lot simpler to prepare.
My mother was an Italian immigrant who lived with her family until she married as a young woman. She knew very little about cooking, and when she faced the task of cooking for an Irish husband, she sent away for government pamphlets on how to cook nutritious food for the family. The recommended basis for a healthy diet in those days was eggs, milk, coarse whole wheat breads and lots of meat. High on the list of desserts were custards of all flavors; they were touted as the perfect ending to a meal and also wonderful for the frail and sick.
The Baked Custard and Chocolate Pudding are the custards of my childhood and, trust me, they are very good unless you overcook them. When custards are cooked too long, they become too firm and coarse and lose all the delicate creaminess that charms us.
Each of these recipes makes a smooth, creamy custard. Which you choose depends on whether it is easier for you to measure, mix and pop the custard into the oven and proceed with your other preparations for dinner or to measure, mix and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes. The stirred custard must cool until it sets and is firm enough to eat with a spoon, which takes about an hour at room temperature. The baked custard needs to cool just enough so that you can eat it without burning your mouth.
Custards are adaptable to many flavorings. For example, eliminate the cocoa in the chocolate pudding and add 2 tablespoons of your favorite jam or jelly or 3 tablespoons of finely chopped candied ginger. The trick is to think of what you’re having for dinner and choose a flavor that seems pleasing for the end of the meal.
Cunningham’s newest book, is “Learning to Cook With Marion Cunningham” (Alfred A. Knopf), will be published in May.
Baked Custard
Active Work Time: 10 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 50 minutes * Low-Fat
Be careful not to overcook this custard. It’s better to remove it from the oven while it’s still a little “trembly” in the center so it will be delicate and not stiff.
3 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Butter for greasing dish
Nutmeg
* Beat eggs and egg yolks in bowl just enough to blend. Stir in sugar and salt. Heat milk until very hot but do not let boil. Slowly add hot milk to sugar-egg mixture, stirring constantly until blended. Stir in vanilla.
* Strain into buttered 1-quart baking dish or 8 custard cups. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg. Fill shallow pan large enough to hold baking dish or all 8 custard cups with 1 inch hot water. Place baking dish or custard cups in pan with water and bake at 325 degrees until knife inserted in center of custard comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.
8 (1/2-cup) servings. Each serving: 138 calories; 145 mg sodium; 155 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0 fiber.
Chocolate Pudding
Active Work Time: 10 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 10 minutes * Low-Fat
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sweetened whipped cream, optional
* Put cornstarch, sugar, cocoa, salt and 1/2 cup milk into 2-cup jar with lid. Screw on lid snugly and shake until mixture looks smooth.
* Pour mixture into saucepan and add remaining 1 1/2 cups milk. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with large spoon. Do not leave pan unattended; as soon as mixture becomes hot, it will thicken quickly. When pudding is smooth and thickened, about 5 minutes, remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
* Pour hot pudding into 4 small bowls. Let cool at room temperature 1 hour and serve warm with spoonful of slightly sweetened whipped cream, if desired. Or let cool and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4 (1/2-cup) servings. Each serving without whipped cream: 138 calories; 209 mg sodium; 9 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.16 gram fiber.