Baked Custard

I make these single serves of delicious custard, in 150ml ramekins. You'll need six to accommodate the amount in this recipe, plus a large baking dish they can all sit in, for cooking in a water bath.

INGREDIENTS:

4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups milk
nutmeg


1.   Preheat oven to 180 degrees C or 350 degrees F
2.   Beat 4 eggs, sugar and vanilla together.
3.   Heat milk in saucepan and almost bring to the boil, but do not boil.
4.   Slowly pour heated milk into egg-mix while continually stirring.
5.   Pour combined liquid in 6 x 150ml ramekins.
6.   Sprinkle with nutmeg.
7.   Place ramekins in a large baking dish, then place inside heated oven.
8.   Pour boiling water into  baking dish, until 3/4 way up sides of ramekins.
9.   Bake for 30 minutes.
10. Remove cups from water bath immediately.

Serve warm (at least 15 minutes out of the oven) or chilled (at least 2 hours in the refrigerator).

TIP: it helps to use a glass jug for pouring liquid into the ramekins.

Choc-Chia pudding

With spring on it's way, it's time to start thinking cold desserts. I've adapted my own recipe for Chia seed pudding. It makes about 900mls so select the appropriate sized individual servings. I used 6 x 200ml custard cups.

INGREDIENTS:

600mls almond milk
200mls choc soy milk
1/3 cup chia seeds
1/2 tablespoon maple syrup


1. Combine all the ingredients in a pouring jug.
2. Stir every 15 minutes for 1 hour.
3. Pour into individual bowls and refrigerate.
4. Best eaten several hours later or leave overnight, to thicken.


Chia seeds don't really have a flavour, they are used to thicken the pudding as they swell and absorb the liquid. So if you're considering adapting your own recipe, consider the combination of liquid ingredients.

I found the almond/soy milk blend a good combination. On it's own, almond milk can be quite thin and choc soy can be quite thick - but together, they make a very silky, flavoursome blend.

The first time I made Chia pudding with just almond milk, I remember it being quite bland. I wasn't impressed enough to make it again. With a large bag of Chia seeds left over however, I explored different combinations of liquids. The 200mls of chocolate soy milk, makes all the difference to the plain old gloop I made before.

I know Chia seeds are healthy, but without a enticing liquid flavour, they aren't worth the effort.