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Thursday, November 8, 2018

Aunt Juanita's Fluffy Boiled Custard

Earlier this year, I was thrilled to be asked to write a short essay for Southern Living. Each author was to write about someone who had influenced their cooking. I immediately thought of my father's sister, Juanita, whom we all called "Aunt Wan." So I wrote the essay about how she taught me to cook in the 1960s. You can find it here.

Looking forward to the holiday season, I decided to share one of my favorite recipes from Aunt Wan. When she visited us at Christmas, this old-fashioned boiled custard was a special treat she made for Christmas dinner. I hope sharing this dessert with your family makes as many good memories as it did for me.

Aunt Juanita's Fluffy Boiled Custard

6 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat the egg yolks until they are thoroughly combined. Add the sugar and milk, and transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler. Set the mixture over barely simmering water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the custard coats the spoon. Remove the custard from the heat, wipe the bottom of the pan dry, stir in the vanilla extract, and set aside. Beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Fold the whites into the custard, stirring until just combined. Chill at least three hours, or overnight, before serving.

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