Muscovado Custards Recipes

MUSCOVADO CUSTARDS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 150C/Gas 2. In a small heavy-based pan warm the cream, muscovado sugar, molasses sugar and salt over a medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and slowly whisk in the hot cream mixure with the vanilla extract. Strain into a jug and then pour into 4 x 120ml ramekins,.
• Place the ramekins in a deep roasting tin, fill the tin with boiling water until it comes to about a third of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Put in the oven. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the custards are just set but still wobble slightly in the middle (they will set further on cooling) remove from the tin. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving.

MUSCOVADO COCOA CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Line a 12-by-17-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy. Add 2/3 cup of the sugar and beat until light in color and texture, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until the egg is fully absorbed and the mixture lightens in color, 1 minute more. Reduce the speed to low and gradually stir in the flour mixture just until combined (avoid over-mixing or the cookies will be dry!). Stir in the chocolate.
• Use a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon to portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets- 12 cookies per sheet, evenly spaced (the cookies won't spread too much during baking). Freeze until the dough is solid, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Roll the dough balls in the remaining 1/3 cup sugar to coat completely.
• Bake the cookies just until they are slightly puffed and the edges can be lifted off the parchment with a fingertip, but the cookies look somewhat underdone and soft towards the center, 10 minutes, being careful not to over-bake. Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheet set over a wire rack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

THE ULTIMATE MAKEOVER: SPONGE PUDDING & CUSTARD

Steps:

• Very lightly butter a 1-litre pudding basin. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Coarsely grate one of the apple quarters and thinly slice the rest. Combine the sliced apple and blackberries, toss with the 2 tbsp caster sugar and spoon half into the bottom of the basin.
• Mix together the flour and baking powder. Beat both the sugars and butter together in a large bowl with an electric hand beater until light and creamy. Break in 1 egg and beat well, then beat in the second egg (the mix will look curdled). Sift half the flour mixture over the sponge mixture and fold in gently. Carefully stir in half the milk, then repeat with the rest of the flour and milk, followed by the orange zest and reserved grated apple.
• Spoon two-thirds of the sponge mixture over the fruit mix in the basin and level off. Spread the rest of the fruit on top, followed by the remaining sponge mix. Place the basin in a small roasting tin half filled with hot water. Bake for 1¼ hrs (lay foil over the top for the last 15 mins if it is browning too quickly) until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• While the pudding is baking, make the custard. Mix the sugar, custard powder and cornflour with 1 tbsp of the milk to make a paste. Beat in the egg yolk. Pour the remaining milk into a pan, slit the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape in the vanilla seeds. Add the pod to the milk and bring just to the boil. Pour this over the cornflour mix, stir, then pour into a clean pan. Cook over a medium heat, stirring all the time, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the crème fraîche.
• Loosen pudding from the sides of the basin with a round-bladed knife and carefully invert it onto a serving plate. Serve with the custard.

SIMPLE CUSTARD

Steps:

• Cook and stir milk, vanilla extract, and butter in a saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove mixture from heat before it comes to a boil.
• Whisk eggs, sugar, and cornstarch together in a bowl until sugar dissolves.
• Set saucepan back over low heat. Pour in egg mixture slowly, whisking constantly, until custard thickens enough to coat the bottom of a spoon, 5 to 10 minutes.

BUTTERSCOTCH POTS DE CREME

Steps:

• Use 6 (4-oz) ramekins Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 300°F.
• Bring cream, muscovado sugar, and salt just to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
• Bring water and Demerara sugar to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
• Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and bubbly, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and carefully add cream mixture (mixture will bubble up and steam), whisking until combined.
• Whisk together yolks and vanilla in a large bowl, then add hot cream mixture in a stream, whisking.
• Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a 1-quart glass measure.
• Skim off any foam with a spoon.
• Divide custard among ramekins.
• Arrange ramekins in a small roasting pan and bake in a hot water bath, uncovered, until custards are set around edges but still tremble slightly in centers, about 40 minutes.
• Transfer ramekins to a rack with tongs and cool to warm or room temperature.
• Pots de crème will continue to set as they cool.
• Custard can be made, but not baked, 1 day ahead and chilled, covered, in the glass measure or a non-reactive container.