Baked Custard

In July I had the pleasure of visiting my sister who recently moved to Berkeley, CA. As much as we love to cook, we enjoyed walking around town and eating in new restaurants she had been wanting to try.  One of my favorites was called Fatapple's. Yes, it is all one word. We shared the very best BLT we had ever eaten!  Thick crunchy bacon on homemade multi-grain toasted bread with juicy tomato and bib lettuce.  Joy wanted to try the baked custard for dessert.  For us, baked custard is a childhood delicacy first tasted at Grandma's house as children. The smell and taste of childhood favorites such as this dessert are indelibly printed in our brains. Fortunately, it was not a disappointment.  It was delicious, silky and fragrant with nutmeg.  I've been thinking about baked custard for a month and decided it was a good day to relive childhood once again.

Baked custard is simple to make.  A beginning cook can turn out a batch of delicious custard on the first try. My version is stepped up a notch with vanilla bean crush for a deeper flavor and freshly grated nutmeg for a fragrant aroma.  If you don't have fresh nutmeg, it's worth a trip to the market for a fresh container. I usually can't wait until it's cooled.  I like it fresh from the oven.

Baked Custard       Oven 325 degrees

4 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
Ground nutmeg
(4 cups boiling water needed for baking)

In a medium bowl lightly beat the eggs with a whisk.  Whisk in the milk, sugar, vanilla and salt.  Place six 6-ounce custard cups in a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan.  Divide the mixture among the custard cups and sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg if desired.

Place the baking pan with filled custard cups in the oven.  Transfer boiling water into a 4 cup measuring cup and gently pour the boiling water into the baking pan being careful to avoid getting water into the custard.  Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 30 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Serve warm or chilled.  You can unmold the chilled custards by loosening the edges with a spatula or knife and inverting on a serving plate.  The recipe will make 6 servings.