A Southern Grace: richer than the richest gold

January 9, 2013

richer than the richest gold

Yum


While I claim to be proud of my Southern roots, it seems that I rarely post about truly Southern cuisine. However, every now and then I'll feature something that's foreign to my friends outside the southern chunk of the US, and I suspect this one may fall into that category.


Imagine, if you will, the melted vanilla ice cream that's left in your bowl after about 10 minutes of sitting out. Do you turn up the bowl and drink it? Do you love it? Boiled custard is kinda like that, but even thicker and even more flavorful and satisfying.


Custard isn't something you want to be drinking every day; it's more of a special occasion treat. My grandma used to make it every Christmas and we all got so excited about it. She doesn't go to the trouble anymore, and since I can attest that the store-bought version that we tried one year doesn't hold a candle, I thought I'd make a batch and surprise her with it.


Custard is pretty easy to make, but it does require patience. If things go awry, they go horribly awry--smooth, luscious, thick custard just isn't the same with bits of cooked egg floating around in it. If that happens, I think a simple straining at the end of the process would be a good idea.

Incidentally, I'm not a glutton--this is a wee, half-cup jar glass. :)

If you want to get fancy, you can skip the vanilla extract and cook the milk with a vanilla bean and the seeds you've scraped from it. If you choose to do this, it's probably a good idea to strain the custard regardless of the presence or absence of scrambled eggs.

One more thing--you might see some recipes that include flour in the ingredients. I do NOT recommend this unless you intend to use the custard as some sort of sauce. There's thick, and then there's THICK.


This may not be everyone's cup of tea--it definitely coats your mouth with its thick richness and some people might not be into that. If you do like decadent things, though, give it a try! It might become a new tradition for you!

Boiled Custard
Copied exactly from my Granny Frannie
Ingredients:

  • 1/2 gallon (8 cups) milk (or half-and-half, if you really want to spoil yourself)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
  • 7 large egg yolks
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
Directions:
Pour the milk into a large pot (some insist on using a double boiler, but I haven't found it necessary) and whisk in 1/3 cup granulated sugar. Cook over medium heat until a thin skin forms on the top--do not boil.
Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining sugar and the egg yolks until well-blended and pale yellow in color.
When the skin has formed on the milk, remove it from the heat and scoop out about a cup and pour it into the bowl with the yolks and sugar. Whisk to combine, then add another cup of milk and mix it in. Now that the eggs are tempered, pour that mixture into the pot of milk and whisk until fully combined.
Return the pot to the heat and cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until it coats the back of a wooden spoon (that is, you can run your finger over the back of the spoon through the custard and the indentation remains). This will take around 20-25 minutes. Once you've achieved the proper thickness, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Let the custard cool in the pot for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, then pour it into a two quart jars or whatever container you have on hand. Keep refrigerated! Some people drink this warm, but I like it best when it's well-chilled. (Talk about gilding the lily--when we had this at Christmas, many members of my family would opt to add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to their cup of custard! Oh, the decadence!)

82 comments:

Alicia Foodycat said...

And this is a drink? My lord! It looks amazing (possibly better spiked with rum though).

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Divine!

Cheers,

Rosa

Leslie said...

Wait, you drink this????OH>MY>WORD
this could be dangerous!

April @ PolkaDots n' PinkySwears said...

Just...yum!!!!!

lisa is cooking said...

This is foreign, or unfamiliar at any rate, to me. It sounds divine. Yes, I drink the melted ice cream, and yes, I'd like a glass of this--with the scoop of ice cream!

Sue/the view from great island said...

This is completely new to me! I wonder if it's related to the British custard sauce that they pour over so many of their desserts?

Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic said...

I've never heard of boiled custard but I think I would love this! It sounds so decadent and delicious :)

pam said...

I have never had this, but I can tell it would totally be my thing!

Anonymous said...

It's called plain ol' custard here in the UK(moved last Christmas), and they use it as a sauce with every kind of dessert imaginable; crumbles, cobblers, steamed puddings, cakes....you name it, they do it.

I can't tell my husband about drinking it, though....I'd be making it evry night! *lol*

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

My mom used to serve custard on our Christmas pudding. As a child I would just eat the custard.

Lisa-Marie said...

So. Boiled custard is the same as decent British custard! I'd never have thought of drinking it though - we have it with cake or pie.

I tend to remove the vanilla pod but leave the seeds in. YUM.

Anonymous said...

Wow! That drinks looks and sounds wonderful,Grace!I have never had it, but I would love to try it. I usually like to drink melted ice cream......I put one cup of ice cream in the microwave for 30 seconds and it is delicious :)

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella said...

It sounds like it would be similar to egg nog in texture? Not a bad thing at all! :D

Food Gal said...

Never heard of boiled custard before. But my, oh my, it sure looks rich and satsifying.

jillian said...

I love these regional things I have never heard of! Sounds super rich. :) I would love to see more southern things!

Von said...

Wow....that's a huge serving! haha..
Looks really decadent though! Definitely perfect for a cold winter's night ;)

Choc Chip Uru @ Go Bake Yourself said...

Indulgence city :D

Cheers
CCU

grace said...

@Von: no, no! it's the tiniest of tiny jar glasses--4 ounces worth, at best. :)

Joanne said...

I've never thought to just have boiled custard as a dessert...but it does just sound amazing.

vianney said...

lip smacking goodness~

Pam said...

I've never heard of it but I know I would LOVE it!

Anonymous said...

what a nice thing to do for your granny. how thoughtful of you. was she surprised and delighted to have it?

Beth said...

Yup, it's new to me, but it looks yummy!

Erica said...

This drinks looks creamy and delicious!
Love melted ice cream,so this is perfect for me!

Jackie@Syrup and Biscuits said...

Gurl, you did us proud! Boiled Custard is a most supreme Southern delight. I agree with you that you shouldn't use flour or cornstarch if you expect to have a drinkable consistency.

Blond Duck said...

I'll drink this with derby pie!

I Wilkerson said...

You are right--I hadn't heard of this before, but I am positive I'd love it!

Lynda said...

Can't believe that I've never heard of this Grace! We love custard and to be able to drink it would be heavenly........my husband would certainly be in line for ice cream too.

Kerstin said...

I hadn't heard of this before either but I can see why it's a family tradition to serve it each year because it sounds like such a decadent treat (especially with ice cream in it too!)!

Audra said...

This is a family tradition for us - we pour it over peppermint ice cream in a meringue shell. Fabulous!!

Gloria Baker said...

ah Grace look delicious!!

Angie's Recipes said...

If it is better than the softened ice cream, then it must be divine, Grace.

Amy (Savory Moments) said...

You are correct that I have never heard of this before, but I think it sounds really decadent and quite delicious!

Tulips1776 said...

Sounds wonderful and reminds me of the Floating Island Custard my southern Granny would make for my dad's birthday....yours without the island of course. Love your site.

vanillasugarblog said...

isn't that just clever of you!
fabulous!

Mimi said...

I'll have mine with ice cream please!
Mimi

Marjie said...

I do this, but with a teeny bit of cornstarch, so I can eat it with a spoon. Decadent!

Unknown said...

Ahhh! I had no idea this existed and now I feel like my life has been so terribly incomplete. I LOVE custard, and the thought of drinking a liquid version of it just delights me. I have to make this!

Jeff @ Cheeseburger said...

This boiled custard looks very delicious. Perfect for special occasions.

wakanetwork said...

I'm in love with this creamy custard. This looks really good!

Katerina said...

I love custard and this boiled one looks so smooth and rich in flavor!

Becki's Whole Life said...

I have been in the south for 6 years now and I haven't heard of boiled custard - how is that? This sounds like it would definitely be a holiday treat - kinda like homemade eggnog. I love custard though so I would love this. Have you ever tried it with some bourbon?

My Kitchen Stories. said...

Definitely would be quite delicious. bUT YOUR RIGHT NOT AN EVERYDAY TREAT

Simply Life said...

I had no idea this what was to do!

Jaime Tyson said...

I just tried this recipe but mine didn't thicken. Any tips?

grace said...

@Jaime Tyson: I'm truly baffled! Did you use the yolks from large eggs? It could be that it just didn't cook long enough--the mixture has to reach about 160 degrees F before it will start to thicken. It does thicken up more when it's cool. I'm really sorry it didn't work for you and that I don't have a better answer!

Jaime Tyson said...

Yes - I wonder if I messed something up during the original milk cooking stage? I stopped cooking it right after the milk got a thin film - maybe I should have waited a bit longer? After everything was combined, I cooked it for a good 30 minutes at least and no thickening. My husband and daughter still loved it, so it must have tasted right, just wasn't thick. Guess I'll have to try again!

grace said...

@Jaime Tyson: 30 minutes! Yeah, it should've thickened in that amount of time, at least some. Please do try it again and let me know if make any changes that work for you!

Unknown said...

This an old recipe. My grandmother used to use it. to make custard pies and banana pudding she also would use it if we have rice leftover to make rice pudding. also this is in Betty Crocker cookbook as soft custard. Also my mother in law said they made it when she was a little girl, she is 83 now, and they drank it. It's like ensure what they sell in the store now. I plan to make it for me, I want the extra boost to give me strength. and I think it's a lot cheaper to make then buy it.

Pam said...

Oh, yum. I love custard, but I've never even heard of a drinkable variet. I will definitely have to try this!

Aarika said...

This is so interesting! Custard makes me think of my grandma. She loved custard! I cannot wait to try this recipe. Thanks!

shotton woodworks said...

This stuff is great, from Missouri my aunt and grandmother wor Custard Connoisseurs, I grew up on this every holiday and we use the extra egg whites for angel food cake served with it. Here is my recipe. We cook big,
2 gallon whole organic milk, no gmo, taste like milk when we were kids.
2~1/2 cups of sugar
24 egg yokes, the whites for the cake.
1 cup of flour
Large modern 3 gallon pot, these dont scourch.
Mix eggs, flour, sugar, with half gallog of milk with mixer.
Put the rest of the milk in the pot, then add your mixed mixture,
Now the fun stir constantly till it starts to boil, about 30 minutes,
Then cool and add vanilla after it cools or it will evaporate if cooked.
Top with real whipping cream. And you have about 2~ 1/2 gallons of pure heaven.

Drew L. said...

I made another version of this last Christmas for my family, my dad absolutely loved it, said it tasted just like the stuff his mom( my grandma ) used to make when he was a kid. I'm going to try this recipe this year as it looks much better than the one I had last year. I plan on making enough for the entire family to try. I'll be pairing it with white chocolate and macadamia Madelines( a French cake like cookie).

Judy H said...

I grew up in the South and we did this rather than egg nog (it's much better) and I loved being able to find it in the dairy case next to egg nog at Christmas (but not as good as homemade, of course). Now I'm in Montana....sigh...I have to make my own.

Anonymous said...

Some recipes say to use whole egg, some like your recipe say use egg yokes. Have you tried whole egg before?? This recipe looks great

grace said...

@Anonymous: I've never tried whole eggs--it's my understanding that the chances of curdling are much greater if the whites are included, but if you intend to strain everything in the end anyway, it doesn't really matter. I just don't like to strain. :)

Debra said...

I'm from NC and LOVE boiled custard! Grew up on gallons of the stuff! We always spooned it up so we didn't consume it too fast. lol Also, loved putting it on pound cake, angel food cake, fruit, etc., etc. And, on special occasions we would put a dollop of whipped cream on top - so decadent! Thanks for taking me back to such wonderful memories!

grace said...

@Debra: My pleasure! :)

CampbellMater said...

Yes! Just the same. I have a little more info here:
http://www.thegraceunderpressure.com/2016/03/06/southern-boiled-custard/

Carrie D said...

Custard pie, custard over bread for Brad pudding, and just drinking it! Heavenly! If you're dealing with someone who needs a boost, this is SO MUCH Better than Ensure at tempting the taste buds. Sadly, Jell-O has discontinued their American Egg Custard, and I can't understand why!

Anonymous said...

It's great my mama made lemon flavor too great Christmas tradition

Anonymous said...

Can this be used for bread pudding? I am a northerner and while traveling in VA I found a bottle of this in the Kroger. It's delicious even though your recipe sounds even better!

I just don't know if this could be a "shortcut" for bread pudding....

grace said...

@Anonymous: I'll bet you definitely could use it in bread pudding, and it would be the definition of decadence! Custard is quite sweet though, so don't add any extra sugar... :)

Unknown said...

This recipe sounds like the one I was looking for. My brother-in-law's precious mother used to make this every Christmas and we would put it over her homemade coconut cake!!! Now THAT was heaven! Thanks so much for posting this....I can't wait to make it.

grace said...

@Reba Scott: Poured over coconut cake?!? Be still, my heart! I hope it was everything you wanted it to be. :)

Sjhokie5@gmail.com said...

So happy! My nanny used to make this exact recipe. She passed a few years back and I could not find her recipe. I'm sure this is just the same boiled custard and yes we drank it only at Christmas. I can't wait to make and serve to my kids. Merry Christmas from Roanoke, VA.

Chocolate lady. said...

My ex husbands aunt made this every year at Christmas and the 1st time I drank it I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Want to try it Yum yum.

Unknown said...

Yes, it's amazing with a tiny bit of rum or bourbon. My granny called it "flavoring". Be careful though: boiled custard has a mild flavor so a little"flavoring" goes a long way!

Kaitlyn Vanderwill said...

My grandmother passed earlier this year. She made this for every christmas morning for well over 60 years. She made it from memory and never remembered exact propotions. So unless you watched her make it, there was no way to truly know how. This Christmas is already hard without her, but thanks to your wonderful recipe, I can carry on the tradition for my family. Thank you!

Tom said...

I grew up on a farm in the South in the 1940's and 50's. My mother made this regularly to serve warm over plain homemade vanilla cake. Sometimes she would add chocolate to it. We called it simply "custard and cake" dessert. I have told many younger people about this, and they have never heard of it.
This recipe is very close to the eggnog I make (with lots of Bourbon added). Also, very similar to Creme Anglaise.

Anonymous said...

My grandmother always made this. I make it now live, has an order to it so it is best not to smell. Taste like heaven. She set it out on the back porch and it would get so cols with ice in it sometimes. Yummmmm

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately and incredibly I have leftover boiled custard. Do you know of any suggestions for use besides just drinking? I love it but I would love to expand my love (waist line). Lol

grace said...

@Anonymous: I know that leftover custard is great poured over cake--it moistens it and adds some extra flavor! I know it's too late now (sorry for my delay in responding!), but try that next time!

CampbellMater said...

It was actually on two occasions in the South: to coddle someone who was ill, or to use as a base of a big bowl of Christmas Eggnog (Eggnog = Boiled Custard + "Flavoring")!

I actually wrote a b article on it last year:
http://www.thegraceunderpressure.com/2016/03/06/southern-boiled-custard/
With kindest regards, Nancy

Anonymous said...

I tried this tonight - I'm on a temporary liquid diet and remembered having it back home in Georgia when I was growing up. But I had the same problem as Jamie - it wouldn't get any thicker, even after I cooked it almost a whole hour. It finally thickened a little after it cooled for about half an hour, but it's very lumpy. By medium-low, do you mean halfway between medium and low? I kept turning it up but that didn't seem to help. It tastes great though.
Sally - Sallypurry@juno.com

Anonymous said...

Boiled custard is soooo AWESOME!! And addictive. Kroger carries it this time of year. Unfortunately it's not available in stores where I live. :(

Anonymous said...

Heya just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you know a few
of the images aren't loading properly. I'm not sure why but I think its a linking issue.

I've tried it in two different internet browsers and both show the same results.

Anonymous said...

Can you help me out, how do you stop getting the egg smell? I pour this in a container and whenever you remove the lid you're hit in the face with an awful egg smell. Store bought is not like that, but I can't find it in the store here in NC. Kentucky girl misses her boiled custard!

grace said...

@Anonymous: The smell that hits me when I take a whiff of custard is indeed eggy, but it's also sweet. I'm sorry it's unpleasant to you! I don't have a solution since the eggs are such a huge component of the recipe. Maybe try farm fresh eggs? I'm sorry! I'm also sorry you can't find it in the store. We have it in Charlotte, but it's nowhere near as tasty as homemade!

Unknown said...

Reading boiled custard comments as I prepare for Easter. I wouldn’t dream of using the store bought version of boiled custard.
Even though it is available here in Tennessee at the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, my family won’t touch it. I was brought up on the home made version ,as were my children,and now my grandchildren are having it at my house. I also make it for sick children and sick friends. It just makes folks feel better. I typically only use about 1/4 cup sugar for every cup of milk, and I have added as many as 9 egg yolks per half gallon based on how it looked.I also flavor mine with a whiff of almond extract in addition to the vanilla because that is what my grandmother did. The too eggy smell happens when the custard has been over cooked or not allowed to cool properly before being covered.Also off smells happen when the ingredients are not absolutely at their freshest. I have been making custard for the last 49 years.

grace said...

@Unknown: I'll have to try adding some almond extract--that's a delicious idea! Thanks for your wonderful comment. :)

Unknown said...

This recipe sounds real close to my Granny Nita’s boiled custard I grew up on in Tennessee. I had her recipe but can’t locate it right now. So I’m going to try this one. My great grandfather did and now my mom and myself prefer a little Tennessee whisky in it!