Vanilla Bean Custard With Sour Cherry Sauce Recipes

VANILLA BEAN CUSTARD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Place an oven rack one-third of the way up from the bottom. Choose a small roasting pan large enough to hold four 6-ounce custard cups, and fill it with enough water to go halfway up the sides of cups. Place pan without cups in the oven. Meanwhile, combine cream, milk, and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan; bring to boil.
• Whisk together the yolks and sugar in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Slowly whisk in the hot milk until completely combined, then pour into custard cups, and place them in the pan of hot water. Bake on the lower shelf until the custard has set and is no longer liquid when lightly touched in the center, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove pan from the oven, remove custard cups from the water, and place on a wire rack to cool. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

VANILLA CUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Place half and half in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep 30 minutes.
• Whisk yolks and sugar in medium bowl until thick. Gradually whisk half and half with vanilla bean into yolk mixture. Return mixture to same saucepan. Stir custard over low heat until thickened enough to leave path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 6 minutes (do not boil). Pour into bowl. Chill uncovered until cold, at least 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Discard vanilla bean before using.

VANILLA BEAN CUSTARD WITH SOUR CHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F Heat milk to a low simmer in a small saucepan. Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, sugar and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Gradually whisk hot milk into egg mixture. Stir in vanilla and Kirschwasser.
• Pour custard mixture into 6 ramekins. Place ramekins in a large baking pan, and fill baking pan with water almost to ramekins' rims. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until custards are set but still quivery when shaken. Let cool, then shake on chocolate sprinkles. Garnish also with mint leaves and fresh cherries if desired.
• For a pretty presentation, ladle Sour Cherry Sauce onto 6 dessert plates, dividing evenly. Place a ramekin in center of each. Place whipped cream in a zippered plastic bag, and snip a corner to make a piping bag. Pipe dots around each plate, and drag a toothpick through dots, making them into hearts.
• For Sour Cherry Sauce: Place sour cherries, sugar and cinnamon in a blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher before dividing among plates.

VANILLA CUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Place whipping cream in heavy medium saucepan.
• Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean: add pod.
• Bring cream to a simmer.
• Whisk egg yolks and sugar in medium metal bowl to blend.
• Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture.
• Return mixture to saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens and finger leave path when drawn across the back of a spoon, about 4 minutes (DO NOT BOIL).
• Strain.
• Cover and refrigerate custard sauce until cold, about 3 hours.
• Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.