Baked Custard is an old-fashioned dessert that deserves modern attention. Lovingly made decadence.
Baked custard is an old-fashioned dessert that has a history even back to Roman times. But I think it is still a worthy dessert that is fantastic for a modern dinner. This simple yet, I think, sophisticated dessert has been baked in tarts and stuffed into cream puffs and brioche. Custard is the base for Crème Brule, which is still one of my favorite desserts to order in a restaurant. Even my mom used to make a custard sauce that she poured warm over Jello when we were sick as children to make us feel better. Don’t knock that until you try it! It is fabulous. But I sometimes think the best way to eat custard is just simple individual ones baked in their own little ramekins.
Really baked custard is quite simple and can actually be wonderfully delicate. I love the smooth texture and the scents of vanilla and nutmeg that are the quintessential custard. It only takes a few minutes to put together. Though it takes around an hour to bake, it is not really any trouble to make, and I think everyone should make custards when they want just a good dessert.
I will say, though, that whole milk and fresh eggs make a big difference. This is one dessert where using low-fat milk wouldn’t give you the same results. You could use ½ and ½, however, for an even richer version. I used these ramekins I got from World Market. But if you want some great ramekins, there are these on Amazon from Emile Henry that are fabulous.
Please be mindful of others and think about your actions and desires for things to be back to normal before making decisions. What we choose to do will make getting back to normal easier. We are almost there. if we all just can hang on. Use patience, be safe and healthy. That’s all for this week. I hope you have a fantastic day. I’ll be back at it next week!
- 2 large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ heavy cream
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 pinch salt
- Freshly grated nutmeg for the top
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Preheat the oven to 325°
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Place 4, 6-7 oz ramekins into a shallow baking dish with enough room to fill with water up to ¾ of the sides of the ramekins.
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Heat a kettle or pan of water to a simmer with enough water to fill the baking pan up to 1 ½ inch or so with the ramekins.
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In a separate pan, heat the milk and the cream to just a simmer.
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Beat the eggs, yolks, sugar, vanilla, and salt until well beaten.
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Slowly pour the hot milk into the beaten eggs, constantly whisking to not cook the eggs.
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Pour the custard into the ramekins in the baking dish.
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Grate nutmeg lightly or generously, depending on how much you like nutmeg, over the tops of the custards.
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Place the baking dish onto the oven rack and carefully pour the hot water around the ramekins until the water is ¾ of the way up the sides of the custard-filled ramekins.
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Bake for 45-60 minutes until the custard cups are just barely jiggly and a knife inserted just off-center comes out clean.
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Carefully remove the baked custard from the oven in the baking pan and then carefully remove the ramekins from the baking dish to a cooling rack. This is the most challenging part, so be careful.
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Let cool until just warm or let chill in the fridge for an hour or more.
This custard can be made the day ahead and served cold or room temperature.
