Vanilla Rum Custard Food

FROZEN VANILLA CUSTARD

Steps:

• Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and salt together until mixture changes from dark golden to pale yellow becomes fluffy.
• Heat milk and cream in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom. Cook just until mixture starts to simmer when little bubbles begin to appear on the surface, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Whisk a ladleful of milk-cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Add another ladleful and whisk thoroughly before adding the next (this will keep the eggs from cooking). Gradually add the remaining milk-cream mixture and whisk thoroughly. Whisk in vanilla. Cool completely (you can place the bowl in a larger bowl with ice water to cool it faster).
• Pour cooled mixture into a pitcher; cover. Refrigerate until ice cold or overnight.
• Pour custard mixture into ice cream maker and process (according to manufacturer's instructions) until custard reaches the consistency of soft ice cream, about 20 minutes. Quickly transfer to a plastic container. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the surface of the custard. Cover container and freeze until custard is firm enough to scoop, at least 3 hours.

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.

RUM CUSTARD

Steps:

• Combine everything except nutmeg.
• Pour into 4 individual custard cups.
• Top with a sprinkle of nutmeg.
• Set in a pan with 1 inch of water.
• Bake at 325F for 30 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
• Do not over bake.
• Serve warm or cold with little crispy cookies.

RUM-VANILLA CREAM PIE

Steps:

• On a lightly floured work surface, roll pate brisee to 1/8-inch thickness. Fit into a 9-inch pie dish. Trim edges, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Tuck overhang under dough so edges are flush with rim, and crimp edges. Lightly prick bottom of dough with a fork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line dough with parchment, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges begin to turn gold, 15 to 18 minutes. Carefully remove weights and parchment. Bake until bottom and sides are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. (Crust can be stored overnight.)
• Combine granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk in milk and vanilla seeds, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until bubbling and thick, about 7 minutes (about 2 minutes after it comes to a boil).
• Whisk yolks in a medium bowl until combined. Pour in milk mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking until completely incorporated. Return the mixture to saucepan, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it returns to a boil, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat, and stir in 1/4 cup rum. Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until butter melts before adding next piece. Let cool in saucepan on a wire rack, whisking occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
• Pour custard into piecrust. Press plastic wrap directly on surface of custard. Refrigerate until custard filling is chilled and firm, at least 4 hours (or overnight).
• Meanwhile, place cream and vanilla pod in a bowl. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight).
• Just before serving, remove vanilla pod from cream, and discard. Whisk cream until soft peaks form. Add confectioners' sugar and remaining tablespoon rum, and whisk until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip (such as Ateco #826), and pipe whipped cream over pie. Serve immediately.

FRIED CUSTARD SQUARES WITH RUM SAUCE

Steps:

• Make custard squares:
• Butter an 8-inch-square baking pan.
• In a heavy saucepan bring milk just to a boil with cinnamon stick and star anise and keep at a bare simmer 15 minutes. Pour hot milk through a sieve into a large glass measuring cup or heatproof pitcher.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together 3 eggs, cornstarch, 2/3 cup sugar, and salt and add hot milk in a stream, beating until smooth. Return custard to saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. (Custard may look curdled as it begins to thicken but will become smooth as it is boiled and whisked.) Boil custard, whisking vigorously, 1 minute and remove saucepan from heat. (Custard will be very thick and smooth.)
• Immediately pour custard into prepared baking pan, smoothing top, and chill, surface covered with plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 1/2 hours. Cut custard into 2-inch squares.
• In a small bowl whisk together bread crumbs, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and ground cinnamon. In another small bowl lightly whisk remaining 2 eggs.
• Have ready flour in a bowl and a tray lined with wax paper. Working with 1 custard square at a time, coat square with flour, shaking off excess, and then with egg, letting excess drip off. Coat square with bread crumb mixture, transferring as coated to tray. Chill squares, uncovered 30 minutes.
• Make sauce:
• In a saucepan combine water, sugar, 1/2 cup rum, and star anise and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes. Stir in remaining tablespoon rum and lime juice and pour mixture through a sieve into a glass measuring cup or heatproof pitcher.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. and set a rack in a shallow baking pan.
• In a heavy 12- to 14-inch skillet heat 1 1/2 inches oil over moderately high heat until it registers 375°F. on a deep-fat thermometer and fry squares in 3 batches until golden, about 15 seconds on each side. Carefully transfer squares as fried with a slotted spatula to rack to drain and keep warm in oven.
• Onto each of 8 dessert plates pour 2 tablespoons sauce. Halve 12 custard squares diagonally and arrange 3 triangles on each plate. Garnish dessert with star fruit and star anise.