Choc Nanner Nut Custards Recipes

BAKED BROWN SUGAR CUSTARDS

Steps:

• These gorgeous and very simple little desserts are somewhat like creme caramel or French 'flan'. The brown sugar adds a delicious, rich, toffee-ish flavor. You can even bake them in little espresso cups.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Whisk the eggs in a bowl. Add the brown sugar, and mix well.
• Place the milk, cream and orange zest, if using, into a saucepan and bring up to a simmer. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and gradually pour into the egg and sugar mixture, whisking continuously. Pour the custard mixture through a sieve and into a large jug, and skim off any froth from the surface.
• Place the cups or ramekins in a baking dish, or wide shallow pan, and fill them up with the custard. Pour enough hot water into the baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the cups or ramekins (known as a bain-marie) and cover with foil. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes, or until the custards are just set in the center.
• Remove the custards from the baking dish, and serve warm or allow to cool. Either way, sprinkle a little bit of extra brown sugar on top just before serving.
• These gorgeous and very simple little desserts are somewhat like creme caramel or French 'flan'. The brown sugar adds a delicious, rich, toffee-ish flavor. You can even bake them in little espresso cups.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Whisk the eggs in a bowl. Add the brown sugar, and mix well.
• Place the milk, cream and orange zest, if using, into a saucepan and bring up to a simmer. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and gradually pour into the egg and sugar mixture, whisking continuously. Pour the custard mixture through a sieve and into a large jug, and skim off any froth from the surface.
• Place the cups or ramekins in a baking dish, or wide shallow pan, and fill them up with the custard. Pour enough hot water into the baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the cups or ramekins (known as a bain-marie) and cover with foil. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes, or until the custards are just set in the center.
• Remove the custards from the baking dish, and serve warm or allow to cool. Either way, sprinkle a little bit of extra brown sugar on top just before serving.

GARLIC CUSTARDS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degree F.
• Brush a whole garlic head with olive oil. Wrap it in foil and bake for 2 hours. Let garlic cool enough to handle, then cut off the top of the garlic head and squeeze the soft cloves out onto a cutting board. Using the side of a broad knife, mash the cloves slightly. (This may be done up to a week in advance. Refrigerate roasted garlic.)
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Butter 8 (4-ounce) ramekins. Blend the custard ingredients together thoroughly. Pour into the ramekins and place them in a baking pan. Place the pan in the oven and carefully add hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, but you may leave the custards in the water bath to keep warm for up to 20 minutes. You may wish to prepare the Salsa Fresca and the Vinaigrette while the custards bake, and the Herbed Hazelnuts while the custards stay warm after baking.
• To serve, turn the custards out of their ramekins onto plates. Spoon warm Vinaigrette over each one and sprinkle with warm Herbed Hazelnuts.
• Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together in a small saucepan and heat gently. Set aside to keep warm.
• Melt the butter in a skillet and saute the hazelnuts with their seasonings until the nuts are well coated. Chop coarsely.
• Mix all the ingredients together. For best results, let salsa stand at least half an hour before serving or incorporating into recipe. Use within 24 hours. (The Vinaigrette calls for 1 cup. Enjoy the remaining 2 cups in Tortilla Soup or just with chips.)

HAZELNUT CUSTARDS

Steps:

• In a mortar and pestle or a food processor, pound the hazelnuts until finely ground.
• In a medium heavy saucepan, bring the cream to a boil over medium high heat (watch carefully that it does not boil over). Add the sugar and stir until it has dissolved. Stir in the hazelnuts, bring back up to the boil and remove from the heat. Cool the mixture almost to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg and the egg yolks together until evenly blended. Slowly pour the cream mixture in, stirring all the time, until absorbed. Add the Frangelico and then strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a large measuring cup with a lip, pressing hard against the mesh to extract all the flavor from the nuts. Pour the custard mixture into twelve 2 ounce ramekins and arrange them in a large roasting pan. Pour a little boiling water in the base of the pan, to come about halfway up the sides of the little custard pots. Bake on the middle rack until the custards are set in the center, about 35 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 1 hour. Serve 2 or 3 little custards per person and, using a vegetable peeler, shave a few small curls of chocolate over the top of each.

ONION CUSTARDS

Steps:

• Halve onions from top to bottom. Resting on the cut side slice thinly into half circles. Measure out 6 cups. Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat; when foam subsides add the onions. Cover and cook, over medium low heat, until wilted, about 15 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring often and adjusting heat so that onions brown slowly, until the onions are a dark golden brown and very tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the chopped thyme, salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Select 6 (5-ounce) custard cups; brush generously with softened butter. Arrange in a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Set a kettle of water on to boil. Combine the milk and cream in a saucepan and heat until small bubbles appear around the edges. In a large bowl whisk the eggs and egg yolks until blended. Slowly add the hot milk, whisking gently until blended. Place a strainer over a large measuring cup with a pouring spout and strain the custard. Using a tongs distribute distribute the Sauteed onions evenly among the 6 custard cups (they should be about 1/4 filled). Add the custard, distributing evenly. Run a knife through the custards so that the custard will seep through the layer of onion.
• Place the baking pan in the oven and carefully pour hot water into the pan until it is 1-inch up sides of the cups. Bake until custards are lightly browned and set, about 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and using a spatula and protecting your hand with a pot-holder remove the custard cups from the water to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Can be made ahead and reheated in the microwave or wrapped in foil and reheated in the oven.