Enjoy this smooth and creamy custard that’s baked to perfection with just a hint of nutmeg. Tanya (our guest blogger this week) shares her family’s favorite recipe, perfect for the holidays.
This year for the month of December leading up to Christmas, I wanted to share some special recipes with my readers and I wanted to invite guests to share some of their favorites too. Last week’s recipe for Rose & Pistachio Cake by Samantha received so much love! I am continuing in the spirit of Christmas and introducing you all to the gregarious, gorgeous and talented baker Sheri Tanya Naraine. Her love for food and her immense treasure trove of knowledge makes it a complete pleasure for me!
Thank you Tanya for agreeing to do this guest post and sharing your recipe for the Christmas Baked Custard. Its a creamy and silky dessert that comes together with just some basic ingredients. Treat yourself with this much deserved classic delight!
Over to Tanya!
Christmas is a time where we look forward to all the elements of the holiday season. The cold Winter weather nipping at our noses when we go out for a quick taste of the crisp air, all the trimmings on the lit up tree that give out a peaceful shimmering gleam as if to tell Santa, “All are asleep, you may work now.” And most important of all, the kitchen aromas. There is nothing like the smell of a home cooked Christmas meal, which was always well planned out yet a repeat of every year before, as tradition would conduct us to bring out the special dishes meant for this day only. The one dessert that stands out in my mind is mom’s baked custard.
The day starts with opening presents, the Yule log broadcasted on TV, and mom busy in the kitchen cooking up a storm. We knew that right after presents were opened, we had to head over there for our appointed “sous chef” duties.
In a West Indian household, we waited all year for the signature bakes that mom would whip up by hand as she refused to touch a machine or measuring tools to assist in her process. One of the desserts that was a Christmas repeat was baked custard. Because it was being made once a year, there’d be pans of it in the oven, we had for dessert, second dessert and leftovers and more than enough to hold us over until the next holiday. Mom was brilliant! The custard itself might seem difficult and delicate to make when you eat it but it was actually all about the mixing and baking it right. I remember accidentally making baked custard one day, that’s what happens when you forget that you have a flan in the oven. It’s what I call a “tasty oopsy”.
Baked custard is one of those holiday dishes you look forward to eating because it isn’t a heavy addition to finish the meal, it’s creamy and rich without giving you that extra holiday guilt and the nutmeg that it’s spiced with makes you feel as if you’re lost in the holiday season. It’s just right! Follow the nutmeg trail to my easy recipe for that perfect baked custard!
Christmas Baked Custard
Ingredients
- 480 ml whole milk – 2 cups
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp custard powder
- 50 g Caster Sugar – 1/4 cup
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat over to 180°C/ 350°F.
- Place 4-6 ounce ramekins or an 8 inch baking dish in a larger baking pan (this is to create a Bain Marie for the baking process).
- In a medium bowl, add all of the ingredients and whisk together.
- Pour the mixture into the ramekins, evenly divided. *If using a baking dish, pour the whole mixture into that.
- Fill the larger baking pan with hot water, creating a Bain Marie (to create a gentle and uniform heat)
- Place in the oven carefully, and let bake for 30-40 minutes. You may check if it’s done by giving the ramekins a little wiggle checking for a jiggle in the center, but firm around the edges.
A brief introduction about Tanya in her own words –
Sheri Tanya Naraine moved to India from New York with her husband and 3 children. She’s the happy homemaker, who loves to stir it up in the kitchen all day and loves nothing more than to hang with the loves of her life, her 9-year old daughter and 5-year old twin sons. All this while sporting a collection of tattoos. She believes in the balance of life where you should work as hard as you play. Life is to be lived and enjoyed, where you can serve others, whether they are family or those in need, all while making sure self-care comes into play just to keep her in good form. As a stay at home mom, who relocated to a new place to start a new life, she felt the need to find a new niche in dessert making, cake baking and decorating. This worked out as a great outlet for her love of making and sharing anything on a plate for her loved ones.
As it says in her Instagram bio @newyorkcakeshop, she’s a true Virgo, which means her heart goes into everything she does, most importantly: her food. She currently lives in Bangalore and runs her home baking business here.
