Old-Fashioned Custard

Feeding up the ill

There was once a whole section in the cookbook, whichever one it was, devoted to feeding the invalids. This is largely gone and replaced by the books full of various fad diets. Still, the best way to help the body heal is to provide it with the building blocks for strength: plenty of proteins, fats, and sugars in moderation.

Nice little eggy custards:

• 2 c whole milk

• 5 eggs

• 1/2 c powdered sugar

• 1/2 tsp ground mace or nutmeg

Beat well. Pour into ramekins in a baking dish. Fill the dish halfway up the sides of the ramekins with hot water from the teakettle. Bake at 325F for about 40 minutes, until the center is just jiggly when the pan is moved slightly. Remove from oven and allow to cool mostly. Very good with a bit of berries or jam on top for tartness.

If you worry about the sugar, or plan to serve with jam, simply reduce the sugar in the custard or eliminate it entirely.

These are so very simple, and can be made up a half-dozen or more at a time, chilled, and eaten when your loved one is feeling like they can. The amount this recipe makes depends on the sizes of your ramekins (or small oven-safe dishes, teacups work well) and how high you will fill them.

If they seem like they might be bland, well, that is part of the point. When someone is not feeling well they likely don’t want to challenge their stomach with lots of spices and flavors. If you will be eating these alongside your loved one, simply add flavors to it! Toasted nuts or coconut, dried fruit, whatever you can think of.

And of course you could easily make these savory by leaving out the sugar, adding in a bit of cheese, snipped chives, or crispy bits of bacon… they are highly flexible, like so many of my recipes. If you want them to be low-carbohydrate, use cream rather than milk, although this will be very rich indeed, so keep that in mind if you are feeding someone of indifferent digestion.

Custard is so easy, and so neglected in the modern kitchen. There’s no reason it should be! In my case, with the backyard hens laying regularly, I like to find recipes using up eggs. And as I am tempting the appetite of someone who is healing, this fills the bill of fare after a dinner or perhaps as breakfast when I’m too busy to cook a more elaborate meal.

Belinda the Brave lives up to her name and doesn’t rush off the nest when I come to collect eggs.

For more eggs recipes, see