I believe that each recipe has a story to be told. The words may be spoken out loud or written down to tell future generations about the origins of the recipe. Perhaps not just the recipe is passed down, but also memories of creating and/or tasting it for the first time.
I love recipes that have a family history, ones passed down from generation to generation. This custard recipe is one such recipe. It comes courtesy of Marilyn Eddy Siperek via the Project Egg cookbook. (The cookbook was put together by Janie of Hedgecombers.com) Marilyn’s recipe was one of the 25 yummy recipes included in the cookbook, and also one that jumped out at me immediately.
Marilyn describes her baked custard as follows, “This recipe has been handed down from my great-grandmother who lived on a farm and had ingredients at hand. Now I have a small farm and continue the tradition. My young grandchildren (ages 3-7) love to make the custard and know the recipe!”
Isn’t that wonderful, a recipe that has been in her family for 7 generations — or perhaps even longer. That’s amazing! I don’t know if there are such recipes in my family, what about yours?
Reading the description had me fantasizing of an old fashion farm kitchen in which Marilyn’s great-grandmother stood preparing this special treat for her family. I wondered did she create the recipe, was it handed down to her from previous generations, and what did their faces look like upon tasting the first spoonful of custard? And what about Marilyn, when did she first taste the custard?
Besides the family history what also appealed to me was that her family’s recipe is healthier than others I have seen. It doesn’t use cream but rather milk. The ingredients list is short, simple and I’m sure we all have them at hand at all times. So it is my pleasure to share with you this lovely recipe.
- 6 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup (225g) sugar
- 1 quart (946ml) milk
- Dash of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 dash of cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Preheat oven to 300 or 150c or Gas 2.
- This dish bakes in a hot water bath. Choose an oven-safe casserole dish and a larger pot that is large enough and deep enough to allow insertion of the casserole dish. I use a cast iron chicken fryer to create the water bath.
- Mix eggs and sugar together. Add milk, salt, vanilla and cinnamon and mix. Pour into greased oven-safe casserole dish. Shake nutmeg so a small coating covers the mixture. Place casserole dish into hot water bath. Bake for about 1 hour until a knife inserted into centre comes out clean.
I’ve never made baked custard before so I was a tad nervous about the results. I followed Marilyn’s instructions with the only exception being that since there are only 2 of use I had to cut down the recipe. The results were phenomenal! It was creamy, tasted like vanilla and hints of nutmeg. My husband who doesn’t normally like custard stated that it tasted like eggnog — one of his favorite drinks. I would go as far as saying that this was one of the very best custards I have ever tasted. This dessert will definitely be put on our rotation.
Thank you Marilyn for sharing the recipe and Janie for including it in your Project Egg.
If you would like a FREE copy of Project Egg ~ 25 Cracking Recipes simply go here to download your copy.
It’s a great book, I wrote about it a couple months ago.
Mmmm, Nancy that looks delish!
Marilyn’s story is lovely isn’t it, a real piece of family history.
Janie x
PS as always, your photos do it great justice x
Thanks so much Janie! I hope you tell Marilyn how much I enjoyed her family’s recipe.:)
Exquisite! This is a wonderful recipe.
Cheers,
Rosa
It really is, thanks Rosa!
The custard looks fantastic. Loved all the shots :)
Thank you Nandita:)
The idea of just milk is perfect. Looks delectable! I can imagine how great it must be with farm fresh ingredients.
It was delectable! Thanks Paula:)
Beautiful as always, Nancy! I love the traditions behind this custard too. There aren’t many recipes that go back that far on my side of the family, but my husband’s family has quite a few. I just need to work on my Portuguese so I can read them!
I hope you can master them and share them with us, Rochelle. Thanks so much!
Wow very nice pics and custard. Love the fact that is uses milk instead of cream. Looks wonderful
Me too, thanks Evelyne!
I believe that’s the whole point of history with food, just makes you travel in time and imagine what and how it was.
Beautiful story and the dessert looks delicious. I remember I was around 8 when I started writing in a diary, I have some recipes my grandmom narrated and that’s about how back my recipes go…Thanks for sharing Nancy.
Wow, that is wonderful Ash — I wish I had a journal like yours. Thanks!
I love recipes with history, beautiful custards!
Aren’t they just great. Thanks Laura:)
Oh Nancy, this custard looks awesome, such a delicate texture…beautiful pictures…as always.
Hope you are having a wonderful week :D
Thanks so much Juliana, it is thanks to Marilyn’s fab recipe. Have a great Thursday:)
I imagined Marilyn’s great-grandmother in her kitchen wearing a flowered apron. You know the old fashioned kind that go around the neck and with flowers on it of course. Your beautiful pictures completed the image for me. It looks delicious!!
Sandra, I love your vision! Thanks so much.
G’day and ABSOLUTELY stunning photo Nancy, true!
LOVE the stories behind the foods…to me, the history is priceless too!
Cheers! Joanne
Hi Joanne! I couldn’t agree more, thanks:)
What a lovely custard! Extraordinarily photographed too!
xo
Roz
Thank you Roz:)
Hello,
First time here and came across this custurd recipe which is my hubby’s all time favourite :) awesome presentation and pics ….bookmarked the recipe
Hi Sushma and welcome! I hope you make him a special custard treat today. Thank you:)
What a great looking dessert. And your photography makes me want to learn more. You’re amazing.
Thanks so much Marta!
I’m the same way – recipes with a history are so much more appealing to me! 7 generations is absolutely incredible. This custard looks delicious and your photos are breathtaking, Nancy!
That’s great that you are too! Thanks, Faith:)
How delicious! Great photos.
Thank you:)
This is exactly how I make my baked custard and it’s exquisite. You’ve told this story beautifully. Lovely images too!
Thank you so much Lizzy! It really is a fantastic way to prepare custard.
I never appreciated custard desserts when I was a child… now I adore them!! It’s one of my favorites. This looks creamy and divine!
I was the same way Ramona. Thanks!
What a lovely story. I love eating and making custard. Anything that thickens as it cooks always fascinates me.
Isn’t it? Me too, though eating it has to be the best part.:)
I downloaded this book the last time you wrote about it, then forgot about it. Thanks for bringing it back up. Love the custard recipe and the fact that it uses milk makes it quite appealing. But then the big selling point is that it’s passed down through 7 generations! I don’t even have recipes from my grandmother. Wonderful post Nancy!
Hi MJ,
I’m glad you downloaded the book. It is a wonderful recipe with, I can imagine, so many memories. Did I mention how yummy it tastes too?:) Thanks MJ
The custard look so silky and delicious. Your first photo (cover) looks like it came from a food magazine, Nancy! I’m really impressed with your talent! Always enjoy reading your posts!
Thank you so much Nami:)
Well done as usual Nancy, love your work as always. Thanks to Marilyn for sharing. It going to be cold here in South Australia this weekend so this recipe will be welcome.
Thanks so much Robert! I hope you enjoy Marilyn’s recipe as much as we do. Enjoy!
Would I be able to use skim milk?
Hi Barbara,
I have personally never used skim milk in this recipe, I’ve always used full fat. You could try it out but be aware that I don’t know how well the custard will turn out. My initial thinking is that skim milk won’t set, or taste, aw well as regular milk because it is missing the fat and thickness.
Good luck and if you test it out with the skim milk let us know your results. ~Nancy
I certainly will. Maybe I’ll try 1/2 skim & 1/2 full fat. I’ll let you know.
That sounds like a good plan. Thank you Barbara!
Could I use skim milk?
Hi there, I am going to try this recipe today and wondering how does the cooking time change if I cook it in individual glass cups (as pictured) vs. just one big casserole dish? Also, if I should cook it in a casserole dish – what size is best for this exact recipe? Thanks!
Hi Rachel,
I’m sorry for the delayed response, but due to the Holiday celebrations I was not available sooner.
By now you’ve already cooked the custard and have seen the results. I typed the recipe exactly as it was in the free cookbook that I got it from (the link
is this
) I honestly cannot remember exactly how long it took to cook the custard in the small bowls pictured — I would guess some where around 40 minutes, but I did keep checking on them.
Thanks!
My Arcoroc bowls look the same as the ones in the pictures. I assume they are oven safe. I am getting ready to try this recipe !!
Hi Wen,
I don’t recall what the bowls were, I no longer have them, but I do remember that mine said oven safe so hopefully yours are too! Enjoy
Thanks. This recipe looks delicious and I am in the process of making it right now. I just have a question. Can you give an idea of what size casserole dish one should use, as the cooking time varies the deeper or more shallow the casserole dish. I have three: two round, one nine inch and two inches deep, one seven inch and three inches deep and one oval that’s one and half inch deep. Also, I know you specified milk in the dish and not cream, but again, if using a lower fat version of milk, it, too, affects the outcome. Skim and one percent would require a bit less milk and an added binder, two percent less milk and whole milk as is. Just thought I’d mention since people use different types. Thanks!
Lovely on every level!
Based on a recipe I made two days ago, I cut the sugar in half. This is what you make when you have an abundance of milk and a plethora of eggs. Thank you so much!