Baked Custard
Smooth baked custard cooked gently in a pan of hot water.
Ingredients
- 4 cups scalded milk
- 4 to 6 eggs
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Few gratings nutmeg
Steps
Step 1. Beat eggs slightly, add sugar and salt, pour on slowly scalded milk; strain in buttered mould, set in pan of hot water.
Step 2. Sprinkle with nutmeg, and bake in slow oven until firm, which may be readily determined by running a silver knife through custard; if knife comes out clean, custard is done.
Step 3. During baking, care must be taken that water surrounding mould does not reach boiling-point, or custard will whey. Always bear in mind that eggs and milk in combination must be cooked at a low temperature.
Step 4. For cup custards allow four eggs to four cups milk; for large moulded custard, six eggs; if less eggs are used custard is liable to crack when turned on a serving dish.
Where this recipe comes from
The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book by Fannie Merritt Farmer, Little, Brown, and Company, 1910. License: Public domain. No one owns a copyright in it, so it's free to use. The wording is the original, with typos fixed, a few steps split, and references to recipes that aren't shown here left out. View the original (opens in a new tab)
These recipes were written in 1910, when ovens had no dials. A slow oven is roughly 250 to 325°F (120 to 165°C), a moderate oven roughly 350 to 375°F (175 to 190°C), and a hot oven roughly 400 to 450°F (200 to 230°C). Old advice on eggs and meat can differ from today's food-safety guidance, so cook until done.