Every workday in Japan, the lunch ladies would wheel this cart into the staff room at 10:30. If I didn't have a class that period, I would invariable plunk down some yen for what can only be compared to ambrosia. It was this custard that came in a little Jello cup. It was maple-flavored and on the bottom of the cup was a collection of maple syrupy goodness that you could gradually scoop at as you ate the cup, which I made sure to do very very slowly to stave off boredom and savor the custard. I've been searching since I came home for the maple custard, like Fivel looking for his dad in An American Tale. I came across a recipe for maple-walnut pudding and thought I hit jackpot. It's basically egg yolks, cornstarch, milk, maple syrup and a little salt. You have to boil all that together for a minute to activate the cornstarch, but there's also a danger of scrambling the eggs and clumping the milk, which is what happened when I made eggnog this year and had to strain it. After whisking, you add some butter and stir, then refrigerate.
Results: I was very happy that I managed to avoid clumping with the pudding -- my whisking must be getting better -- but the dish itself couldn't hold up to my very high expectations. I think part of the problem is that it's a pudding, not a custard, so the texture wasn't the same, but I also don't think it tasted right. Sigh! the search continues.
Casualties: 1) three egg whites that I'll probably forget about before I get around to using them. 2) my heart, which has broken. 3) the $6 that I plunked down for all that maple syrup.
On the postive side, I found out something great. The pudding calls for a maple-walnut sauce to go on top. You have to toast some walnuts in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes, or until they're fragrant. Never having toasted nuts before, I wasn't sure what this fragrance would be. Well, let me tell you, it was wonderful! Toasting made the walnuts smell like really rich popcorn, and they because crispy. I'll definitely have to try this with other nuts. I love mixed nuts, but not as much all the salt that they come with when you buy them already roasted, and I've been looking for ways to make them taste more interesting without all that sodium. I'll keep you posted.
1 comment:
KV- I saw a trick on Good Eats--when you add egg yolks to a hot liquid, whisk the yolks, then slowly add 1/4 cup of the hot stuff into the small bowl with the egg yolks and whisk the whole time. Then, slowly add the contents of that small bowl into the pot with the rest of the food, stirring the whole time. I tried it, and it works a whole lot better then just adding the yolks straight into the pot.
Sorry if you already know this trick, I just thought it was pretty darn neat-o
-Bethie
Post a Comment