Cherry Custard
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a brisk oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the cherries
Combine cherries and powdered sugar in a preserving pan.
Cook until nearly done, then drain the cherries well.
Strain the syrup and boil it until it begins to adhere to your fingers.
Pour a quarter of the syrup over the cherries along with the drained juice, then heat until the mixture foams.
Make the custard
Prepare the custard as usual and mix in the drained cherries.
Bake and serve
Bake in a brisk oven at 400°F (200°C) for 45 minutes.
Garnish with remaining cherries and pour the syrup over the top before serving.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Cherries
- Provide the main fruit flavor and moisture that the custard carries through baking.
- Powdered sugar
- Sweetens the cherries and thickens the syrup as it reduces, giving it body.
The step that matters
Boiling the syrup until it begins to adhere to your fingers. Sugar syrup thickens as water evaporates. Stopping too early leaves a thin, watery syrup, while boiling too long makes it sticky and hard once it cools, so the test has to be checked carefully.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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