Like most old-fashioned desserts, this vanilla spiked, creamy dessert is simple, uses the basics, and is delicious! Brought to you from Dina-Marie from Cultured Palate.
I recently visited my mother who still lives in the middle Georgia town of Macon, where I grew up. What a special time we had together. Besides just spending time talking, we visited several restaurants that are still in business from my younger days. One restaurant was a special favorite and Boiled Custard was the favored dessert served. In fact, it was my all-time favorite dessert! Seriously, I ordered it every time we went to that particular restaurant. And, would you believe, the menu was much the same and they still have Boiled Custard!
I have made a lot of healthy changes to my diet since the days of childhood. One of those changes is the greatly decreased amount of processed sugar in my diet, in fact, none while on the GAPS diet! So, when faced with the question of ordering Boiled Custard, I chose to say, ” no”. First , I did not want to splurge with the sugar. Second, I was afraid the taste of the Boiled Custard would not measure up to the delicious childhood memory!
But, as I thought about the Boiled Custard, I wanted some! There had to be a healthy alternative without sacrificing the taste. So, my experimenting began and the following recipe for Old Fashioned Custard is the result. A result that I hope you will enjoy.
Old Fashioned Boiled Custard can be sweetened with honey, Rapadura, Sucanat or processed sugar. If you are not familiar with Rapadura, it is a whole food varying in color from batch to batch. The molasses is not separated out of Rapadura, it is not heated to high temperatures and therefore retains its vitamins and minerals. However, Rapadura is expensive. So, in an effort to balance health and budget, I chose Sucanat. Sucanat is heated to higher temperatures, the molasses is separated but then re-blended to make a consistent product. Sucanat also adds a delicious hint of molasses. If your budget does not allow for Rapadura, Sucanat may be an alternative for those special treat times!
Old Fashioned Boiled Custard can be cooked either in a double boiler or a heavy boiler. I used my Le Creuset enameled cast iron pot which I had purchased at an outlet store. Check out How to Save Money When Buying Le Creuset for ideas on purchasing at discount prices. Le Creuset allows for even heating and there was no problem with the custard sticking during cooking.
Now, on to the recipe…
- 1 qt. plus ¼ cup whole milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 c. Sucanat, Rapadura, raw sugar or ¾ c. honey
- ¼ c. unbleached flour or sprouted flour
- 2 tsp vanilla
- In a double boiler or heavy boiler, heat 1 qt of the milk to scalding - just before boiling.
- Cream egg yolks and Sucanat, Rapadura, honey or raw sugar thoroughly. Stir in the flour then add the remaining milk. Cook stirring constantly until the custard thickens and coats the spoon.
- Remove the custard from heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Pour the custard through a sieve or wire mesh strainer into a large bowl. Whip vigorously for a few minutes.
- Chill and Enjoy!
Hi, I am Dina-Marie, the mother of 10 children, 7 of whom are still at home. I live in West Texas with my husband who also happens to be my best friend. We decided to make a lifestyle change in 2008 and left the corporate world of southern Alabama and moved to West Texas. We now have 27 acres of grapes, 2 family milk cows, chickens and raise our own beef. Working the vineyard together as a family is hard work but very rewarding.
Moving to West Texas to begin a vineyard has brought many changes including a return to health through the GAPS diet, learning about “real” food and becoming a chapter leader for the Weston A. Price Foundation.
Cooking REAL food for a large family has been challenging and fun. I love trying new recipes and sharing them with others. I have a passion to spread the healing potential of real traditional food, as well as, to encourage others with a nutrient dense diet and simple family living.
I would love to have you follow our adventure in real food and vineyard life at my blog, Cultured Palate.
Latest posts by Dina-Marie Oswald (see all)
- Old Fashioned Boiled Custard - September 20, 2013
- Frugal & Delicious Italian Pasta Salad (plus 10 other pasta and pasta sauce recipes!) - August 2, 2013
- How a mother of many uses meal planning to keep food costs down dramatically - May 30, 2013
I’m wondering if this would be a good way to use raw milk that has begun to sour. Any thoughts on that?
Thank you!
Pam, I have not done it but it certainly would be worth a try!
Instead of flour, can one make this gluten-free without other changes? The recipe sounds so good but my friend needs gluten-free. Thank you.
Karen,
I wonder if some sort of starch, such as arrowroot, would work? That is what I use to make pudding. 🙂
I think arrowroot should work just fine – I have seen it used in recipes for pudding!
This sounds great but the steps are a bit confusing. Do you mix the sugar, eggs, flour, and milk together and then add to the pot?
Yes, I mix them together in a separate bowl and then add them to the pot.
Where do you find sucanat for cheaper than rapadura? I haven’t ever found a very good deal for sucanat.
I can get it in the bulk section of my natural food store. Perhaps you could check at a nearby one?
I have also found it in bulk through Azure Standard – if they are in your area.
This looks so delicious!! Would there be a way to add a bit of flavoring or fruit to change things up a bit?
Laura, I would add flavorings when you would normally add the vanilla. For fruit I would probably add in step #2 so it cooks and softens.
Advice in making this into a banana pudding? Such as might be put into a banana cream pie?
I wonder if you could cook the dairy/sweetener/egg mixture together, and then
add high quality gelatin instead of flour to thicken?? I know you can do that for chocolate pudding, don’t see why this wouldn’t work the same…
thoughts?
I would definitely give it a try!
Could you add high quality gelatin to the cooked milk, egg, sweetener to make it more of a custard pudding instead of using the flour?
Tina, I would try it – if you do, let me know how it works, please! I always love new ways to add grass fed gelatin to recipes!