When winter is still hanging on and you need something cozy to get you through, baked custard is the cure. Sweet and eggy, soft and warm, scenting the house with vanilla while it bakes…baked custard can’t improve the weather, but it can make you forget it for a while. And did we mention it’s easy?
We found this recipe in the comb-binding cookbook New Brunswick Recipes, collected and edited by the New Brunswick Home Economics Association (1958). Community cookbooks like this are deep slices of regional cooking in a place, at a time. And they are reliably tasty because no one submits a recipe they know to be awful. This recipe makes 4 individual baked custard cups.
The custard mix comes together easily and even better, it’s made with ingredients and tools you probably have in your kitchen. Nothing special needed.
There’s nothing tricky about making custard. But do whisk the warm milk into the egg mixture slowly so you don’t inadvertently make scrambled eggs. (Do not ask how I know this.)
Don’t be tempted to add more sugar to the recipe. Buttering and sugaring the custard cups adds all the sweetness you need. And as a plus, the sugar creates a little caramel crust around the top edge.
Now, time to bake in your preheated oven. Put the custard cups into a lasagna or small roasting pan, nothing with high sides as it will contain too much heat. Set the pan on a middle shelf and pour warm water into the pan gently. No splashing into the custard, please. This baking set up is called a bain marie; it’s not hard to do and it works beautifully for keeping your custard moist and soft.
You don’t want to open the oven too often, but check a few times to make sure the water doesn’t evaporate off.
Testing baked custard for doneness is easy. If the knife comes out clean, the custard is done.
Serve warm or chilled with whipped cream. Don’t skip the whipped cream, you know you want it.
There were a couple of other pudding/custard recipes in New Brunswick Recipes that qualify as winter comfort food.
Banana Pudding is as much a treat as banana cream pie, without having to make a crust. We’re not sure what they mean by a “pudding dish,” but we would use a small casserole dish.
Grapenut Pudding is a regional dessert, once quite popular in New England. We love Grapenut ice cream too. This is not the Grapenut Pudding we grew up with; that is more of a custard. But we are intrigued by the notion of combining two things we love, tapioca and Grapenuts.
