Vanilla Custard With Prunes Poached In Lemon Verbena And Maple Caramel Food

BAKED VANILLA CUSTARD WITH BERRIES

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Have a 2-quart oval baking dish and a roasting pan large enough to hold the baking dish ready.
• Prepare the berries: Combine the strawberries, cherries, sugar and salt in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat without stirring, until the fruit has softened a bit and released lots of juices, about 5 minutes. Transfer the fruit and a scant 1/4 cup (59 milliliters) of the juices to the baking dish. Discard any remaining juice.
• Make the custard: Combine the sugar and egg yolks in a large mixing bowl and beat vigorously with a whisk until very light and creamy looking. Add the mascarpone and beat just until combined; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the cream and vanilla on medium speed to soft peaks, about 3 minutes. Gently fold the cream and vanilla into the mascarpone mixture until no streaks remain.
• Carefully dollop the custard on top of the berries. Place the baking dish in the roasting pan and place the roasting pan in the oven. Pour hot but not boiling water into the roasting pan so it comes two-thirds of the way up the sides of the baking dish.
• Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the surface is lightly golden, the edges are set and the center is slightly jiggly. If it starts getting too dark too quickly, cover with foil.
• Remove the pudding from the roasting pan and let it cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Cover the custard and chill for 6 hours or overnight. Serve chilled, topped with a dusting of confectioners' sugar and sliced strawberries.

PRUNES POACHED IN RED WINE

Steps:

• Place prunes in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 5 minutes, then drain.
• Meanwhile, combine wine and honey in a medium saucepan. Using the tip of a paring knife, scrape seeds from the vanilla bean halves into wine and add pods. Add cinnamon stick and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes.
• Add prunes to wine and bring back to a simmer. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add zest. Remove cinnamon stick.
• Cover and let sit for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve warm, room temperature or chilled. Prunes will keep for 1 to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

BASIC VANILLA CUSTARD

Steps:

• Have eggs ready in a bowl, and set aside where it will be within reach.
• Using a whisk, combine milk, sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan over medium heat on stovetop. Allow milk to scald (heat to the point when tiny bubbles form around edges of pan). Whisk occasionally to prevent cornstarch from clumping on bottom edges of pan.
• Remove milk mixture from heat, preferably to a burner that's turned off.
• Mix about 2 tablespoons of scalded milk mixture into eggs using whisk, then introduce eggs into milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking milk mixture constantly.
• Immediately return pan to heat and whisk gently until custard thickens, another two or three minutes. Do not allow to boil. (If you find that you have egg white strands in custard, feel free to pass it through a fine-mesh sieve into a different bowl now.)
• Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla.

RED WINE POACHED PEARS WITH VANILLA BEAN CUSTARD

Steps:

• For the pears: Remove a large strip of peel from the lemon and set aside. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into a medium bowl filled with water. Peel, halve and core the pears, adding the pears to the lemon water as you work (this will prevent them from browning).
• Combine the wine, sugar, vanilla, cloves, cinnamon stick and reserved lemon peel in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar dissolves.
• Remove the pears from the lemon water and add to the wine mixture. Boil the pears until tender, 8 to 10 minutes on each side. Remove the pears from the poaching liquid to a wire rack to cool. If desired, continue to boil the poaching liquid until syrupy, about 10 minutes.
• For the vanilla bean custard sauce: Combine the cream and milk in a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the cream mixture along with the scraped bean. Place over medium heat until bubbles form around the edges, then remove from the heat and remove the vanilla bean.
• Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until combined. Gradually add a little of the hot cream mixture, whisking constantly until combined. Gradually add the remaining cream, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 6 minutes. Remove the custard from the saucepan and cool slightly.
• To serve, spoon some of the custard sauce onto serving plates and top each with a pear half. Dollop with whipped cream and sprinkle with candied pecans, if desired.

VANILLA CUSTARD

Steps:

• Combine the dry ingredients: In a medium, heat-proof mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
• Whisk in the egg yolks: Add the egg yolks and whisk until the mixture is pale and smooth, about 1 minute. If your mixing bowl doesn't have a non-slip bottom, place the bowl on a damp towel so it doesn't slide in the next step. Keep your bowl close by the stove.
• Bring the milk and cream to a simmer: In a heavy-bottomed, medium saucepan over medium-low heat bring the milk and cream to a simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent the milk from scorching. The milk and cream should just come to a simmer with small bubbles along the edges of the pan. Don't let it reach a rolling boil.
• Temper the egg yolks: As soon as the milk and cream come to a simmer, take the pan off the heat. With one hand, slowly pour the hot milk into the yolk mixture a splash at a time, while whisking constantly with your other hand. The damp towel under the mixing bowl should prevent it from sliding around while whisking.
• Cook the custard: Pour the custard back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the custard begins to simmer and thickens, about 5 minutes. Once it begins to gently bubble, continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds longer to cook out the starch.
• Whisk in the butter: Remove the custard from the heat. Whisk in the butter until melted and completely incorporated. Stir in the vanilla extract.
• Strain and chill: Pour the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard. Refrigerate until cool, at least 2 hours.
• Stir, serve, and store: Whisk the custard until smooth before serving. Try serving this creamy homemade custard alongside a slice of pound cake , baked apples or apple crisp , fruit cobbler , or simply with fresh fruit like berries or banana slices. Vanilla custard will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator, stored in an airtight container covered with plastic wrap directly on the surface. Did you love this recipe? Give us some stars below!

LEMON VERBENA PANNA COTTA WITH POACHED PEACHES

Steps:

• Combine the cream, sugar, crème fraîche, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and add the lemon verbena, lightly crushing the leaves before adding them to the pot. Allow the mixture to steep for about 1 hour. Keep tasting as it steeps until it has the flavor you want.
• Meanwhile, pour the milk into a bowl. Add the gelatin and whisk until it dissolves. Add the egg and beat well.
• Once the cream mixture has steeped, rewarm it over low heat until it reaches a low simmer, then pour over the milk-gelatin mixture and whisk until completely combined. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof container with a pouring spout.
• Lightly grease 10 ramekins, plastic cups, or coffee cups and line them up on a baking sheet. Divide the mixture among the ramekins and put in the fridge. Chill until set, about 4 hours. Serve with Poached Peaches.
• Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil and prepare an ice-water bath in a bowl large enough to hold the peaches. When the water comes to a boil, scald the peaches for 30 seconds. Using a mesh sieve or slotted spoon, transfer the fruit immediately to the ice-water bath to stop the cooking. Using a paring knife, peel the peaches (the skins should now slip off easily) and put the peels in a saucepan. Slice the peaches into eighths and place in a heatproof bowl.
• Add the sugar, wine, vanilla, and nutmeg to the saucepan and set over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue cooking for 5 minutes longer. Pour the boiling mixture over the peaches and set the fruit aside to cool and macerate in the spiced wine. Serve with the panna cotta.

VANILLA CUSTARD

Steps:

• Heat milk in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not boiling.
• While milk heats, whisk together yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heatproof bowl until smooth.
• Add 1 cup hot milk to yolk mixture in a stream, whisking, then add remaining milk, whisking constantly. Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and registers 170°F on thermometer, 6 to 10 minutes (do not boil).
• Immediately force custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl and stir in butter and vanilla. Chill custard, its surface covered with wax paper, until cold and thickened, at least 3 hours.

LEMON CUSTARDS WITH LEMON VERBENA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine first 3 ingredients in medium saucepan. Boil until mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 4 minutes. Add sugar; simmer until mixture is reduced to 1/3 cup, about 3 minutes. Stir in cream. Whisk yolks to blend in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture. Whisk in lemon juice.
• Strain custard through sieve into 4-cup measuring cup. Divide among six 2-cup ramekins or soufflé dishes. Cover ramekins with foil. Place ramekins in 13 x 9 x 2-inch metal baking pan. Add enough hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins.
• Bake custards until just set, about 45 minutes. Remove pan from oven; let custards cool in water in pan. Transfer ramekins to refrigerator. Chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve chilled.

VANILLA CUSTARD

Steps:

• Heat the milk in the saucepan until it comes just up to the boil, then take off the heat immediately. In a bowl, beat together the egg yolks, vanilla sugar and flours. Pour the milk slowly over the egg mix, beating well.
• Return the mixture to the pan and place over a low heat, stirring for 8-10 mins until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove and serve with the dumplings.

VANILLA CUSTARD WITH PRUNES POACHED IN LEMON VERBENA AND MAPLE CARAMEL

Steps:

• Prepare an infusion with the lemon verbena or tea bags and 2 cups boiling water. Add the prunes and let soak overnight. Drain the prunes thoroughly and pat dry. Set aside.
• In a small, heavy saucepan, heat the maple syrup to 275 degree, watching carefully to make sure the sugar does not boil over. Remove from heat and whisk in cream and butter. Pour into 6 3-inch ramekins.
• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
• If using vanilla bean, bring milk and bean to a simmer in a heavy saucepan; remove from heat and let steep 10 minutes. Strain, and discard the vanilla bean. If using vanilla extract, heat the milk and stir in the vanilla.
• Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar and pour in the infused milk. Mix gently. Place 3 prunes in each ramekin and divide the custard among them. Place in a hot-water bath and bake for 45 minutes, or until custard is set. Chill 2 hours. Unmold onto individual serving plates and serve.