Friday, April 25, 2014

Dried Cranberry Custard

I love custard and have lately been playing with various flavors.  Lemon, honey, ginger.  Yum! Vanilla, honey - tasty but boring.  Dried cranberry. Yummy!

The main thing with this one is there is some planning - since you want to soak the cranberries in the custard mix.  I let it sit in the fridge for about 2 days and it worked out brilliantly.  I think this would make a good holiday desert.

I know, it kind of looks like grapes!  Or olives. :)



Dried Cranberry Custard


Ingredients:
- 8 eggs
- 3 cups milk
- 1 cup cream
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup (give or take) dried cranberries

Special equipment:
- roasting pan or deep baking pan where you can put your cups/ramekins.
- ramekins (6 or so) or oven safe cups/glasses

Directions:
 In a large bowl, mix eggs, milk, cream and vanilla.  Blend well.  Add cranberries, place them in a container in the fridge for about a day or two.

I don't worry about adding sugar as the cranberries tend to be sweet.  But, if you feel the need for sugar - you can add some with the cranberries.

A few days later.  preheat oven to 350 F.  Bring a nice size pot of water to boil.
Stir up the custard mixture.

Once the oven comes to temp, place the roasting pan in the oven.  Fill your ramekins/cups about 1/3 way up - making sure to have cranberries in all the containers.  Place the ramekins in the roasting pan.  Then slowly put the water in the roasting pan, making sure not to get water in the custards.  Pour the water to about 1/2 way up the sides of the ramekins.

Cook in the oven for about 1 hour.  Check at about the 45 min mark, to see if the custards have set.  Once it's set, pull it out of the oven and set to the side.  You can serve it warm, at room temp or straight out of the fridge.