This post has been sponsored by Dragon Glassware. All opinions expressed are my own.

Today’s custard is simple enough to be prepared on busy weeknights, while being satisfying and rich enough to serve as weekend treat or as part of a holiday dessert spread.

Why You’ll Love Today’s Custard

1) Super Simple. Today’s custard couldn’t be simpler to prepare as far as homemade desserts go. The process essentially boils down to scalding some milk mixed with cornstarch and sugar, whipping eggs, combing the two, and then stirring in vanilla. Simple.

2) Satisfying. One of the things I love most about today’s dessert is just how satisfying it is, without being overly heavy. Instead, while remaining light and approachable, the dessert manages to remain hardy and satisfying, meaning it’s light enough for ‘something sweet’ after lunch, but hardy enough to serve after dinner.

3) Only Basic Ingredients. Using just eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar, and cornstarch, today’s dessert couldn’t possibly be more pantry friendly.

Prep Tips

1) Have Everything Ready to Go. Timing is important here, especially the parts of the recipe involving the eggs. My advice, therefore, is to have everything prepped and measured out beforehand so that it’s all ready to go as you need it. Not only does this help with timing, but also serves to make the process even simpler.

2) Don’t scramble the eggs. To start, after the you introduce a portion of the scalded milk to the eggs, whisk them quickly for no more than thirty seconds, and then begin slowly pouring the eggs into the milk mixture in a slow and steady stream. In other words, keep the eggs moving until the eggs and milk mixture are thoroughly combined.

3) Thickening. The final step of the process is thickening the custard over medium-low heat. You want to be careful not to let the custard boil, but at the same time you want to maximize the custard’s time over the flame – whisking the entire time – to ensure that the custard thickens properly. Remember, you ‘will’ see the custard begin to bubble towards the end of this process.

Serving Suggestions

1) Keep It Fancy. From the Diamond Whiskey Glasses that I used for serving my no churn ice cream, to the Double Walled Brandy Snifters that I served this year’s apple cider in, Dragon Glassware has something for every occasion. Affordable yet gorgeous, Dragon Glassware can add a hint of charm and class to any occasion without breaking the bank. Today, I’m serving my custard in their Cereal and Soup Bowls, which beautifully elevates the presentation into something truly special. For more info or to order, be sure to check them out here.

2) Butter-Rum Sauce. In my opinion, the butter-rum sauce simply ‘makes’ today’s custard. Sweet, decadently rich, and with luscious background notes of ‘rum,’ you’ll be looking for things to put this sauce on well after the custard’s been devoured.

More Holiday Favorite

1) Mulled Wine. Combining citrus, honey, and warming spices, mulled wine encapsulates the flavors and ‘heart’ of the season. And as a nice bonus – it quite literally could not be easier to prepare.

2) Homemade Hot Chocolate. Homemade hot chocolate is a decadently thick, lusciously rich chocolate beverage that’s absolutely delicious – and shockingly easy to prepare.

3) Apple Cider Old Fashioned. The classic ‘Old Fashioned’ is a given holiday makeover with apple cider and cinnamon.

4) Canelazo – Warm Tea Cocktail. This Ecuadorian tea, lemon, and cinnamon cocktail is officially one of my favorite cold weather cocktails. Combining some of my favorite winter flavors, this warming cocktail is the perfect end to a wintry day.

Vanilla Pudding with Rum Sauce

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• Author: Living the Gourmet
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 2 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the custard:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 tbs. cornstarch
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 2 eggs - beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• Serve with fresh whipped cream

For the sauce:

• 6 tbs. butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 3 tbs. rum
• 1 tsp. vanilla

For the topping:

• 1 slice of bacon cooked until crisp - optional
• 1 tbs. butter
• 1/2 cup of sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup of raisins
• 1 tbs. brown sugar

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Instructions

For the custard:

1. Combine the milk, sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan over a medium heat.
2. Let the milk heat to a scald, the point where bubbles form around the edges.
3. Gently, whisk while heating the milk mixture to prevent clumping.
4. Remove the milk from the heat. Add two tbs. of scalded milk to the beaten eggs and whisk. Slowly, add the eggs into the milk mixture, whisking the milk constantly.
5. Return the pan to the heat and whisk gently until the custard thickens, three to four minutes. DO NOT BOIL.
6. Remove the custard from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

For the sauce:

1. In a small sauce pan (or skillet), melt six tablespoons of unsalted butter.
2. Once the butter has fully melted (be careful not to let the butter brown), add in three quarters of a cup of brown sugar, and whisk until the sugar has dissolved into a thick liquid.
3. Whisk in the heavy cream, followed by the rum, and finally the vanilla.
4. The mixture thickens significantly as it cools.

For the topping:

1. Cook the bacon until crisp.
2. Heat a small frying pan with the tbs. of butter.
3. Add in the sliced almonds, raisins and brown sugar.
4. Cook until the almonds are slightly golden. Turn the heat off and crumble in the bacon.
5. Set aside to cool.

Assembly:

1. Place a bit of the almond, bacon mixture at the bottom of a bowl.
2. Top with a dollop of fresh whipped cream, follow by spoonful or two of the custard, followed by the rum sauce.
3. Again, layer the almond mixture, followed by the whipped cream, followed by the custard, followed by the rum sauce.
4. Repeat this until all of the custard is used.
5. Top a cherry and serve!

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1

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