Baked Custard

And you thought I was done for the day. Nope, here's another one of my favorites. It's adapted from my mother's old Joy of Cooking book from the 1970s. The book has no binding left, the pages are everywhere, and I started getting sick of looking in the index for the page number for baked custard. (Yes, a bookmark would be nice, wouldn't it?) It's a recipe that needs more press anyway, so I thought I'd share.

I love eggs, especially the yolks. I love milk, but only the raw stuff. They are the bulk of my diet in various forms (kiku, kefir, yogurt, cheese, omelets, egg salad, egg drop soup, and the ever popular soft boiled egg). They are both so good for you. This baked custard has been my go-to dessert in late pregnancy as I try to maximize my nutrients and enjoy my food. I look forward to my little ramekin every night! The best part? The recipe is so easy and uses what you have on hand. Can't beat that.

Ingredients
2 cups of milk

• If you use raw milk, supposedly the custard will be runnier unless you heat it to 160 degrees. I have never done that, and still have a great consistency.

1/4 cup maple syrup

• honey or sugar may also be used, but maple syrup yields a flan-like flavor

pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla (homemade is easy!)
sprinkle of nutmeg if you wish

2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks
OR 4 egg yolks
OR 2 eggs

The more whites to yolks, the stiffer the custard. I like using 2 eggs and 2 yolks. Save the whites for macaroons.


Method
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Blend milk, salt, maple syrup together. Add eggs. Blend well. I use my KitchenAid stand mixer.
3. Pour into individual ramekins (4 or 5 will do the trick).
4. Fill 9x13 dish with 1-2" of water.
5. Place ramekins in the dish.
6. Sprinkle nutmeg on each of the cups.
7. Bake for 20-50 minutes. If using raw milk, it will be more like 50. If using pasteurized milk, it will be closer to 20. A toothpick will be your best gauge of doneness.
8. Remove ramekins from dish and cool before refrigerating.
9. Eat for breakfast, snack or dessert!