Showing posts with label simple desserts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label simple desserts. Show all posts
If you’re looking for a simple, soothing dessert that feels like a warm hug in a bowl, this Get Well Custard is exactly the kind of recipe you’ll want to keep close. Made with just a handful of everyday ingredients, it creates a silky, lightly sweetened custard that’s gentle on the stomach and comforting to the soul.
Whether someone in your home is under the weather or you’re simply craving something soft, warm, and nourishing, this old‑fashioned custard delivers pure, uncomplicated comfort. It’s easy to make, beautifully creamy, and the kind of recipe that has been passed down for generations because it always makes people feel cared for.
This recipe I am sharing today is a very simple one and yet in its simplicity it is completely delicious. The simple things in life truly are the best! It comes from my Big Blue Binder, which is a recipe binder that I have been saving recipes in for most of my life. It has travelled all the way across Canada and back again, and then across the Atlantic Ocean and the length and breadth of that country also, and then finally back to Canada to where I live now.
It is filled to overflowing with faded newspaper and magazine clippings, handwritten pages and notes copied and gifted to me by friends and family through the years. It is truly a treasure trove and a source of not only tastiness, but a history of my culinary journey from childhood on up to where I stand now as a 70 year old elderly woman.
I can't tell you what the source of this recipe is. It is hand-written on a page of foolscap paper along with another custard recipe for a simple Cup Custard . . . Get Well Custard . . . how could you NOT fall in love with something with that for a name?
Only five ordinary simple ingredients . . . . nothing fancy or out of the ordinary . . . whole milk, single cream (light cream), sugar (just a tiny bit), gelatin and vanilla . . . that's it. Simple things. Simple to make and not too sweet, it is delicious just as it is . . . which makes it perfect for the sick room and for appetites and tummy's that may still be somewhat tender and recovering from illness . . .but, we like to add a few berries to the top. Its fabulous!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
TO MAKE
GET WELL CUSTARD
There is nothing too out of the ordinary here.
- 1 TBS powdered gelatin (the equivalent of 4 gelatin sheets)
- 2 TBS sugar
- 1 cup (240ml) single cream (coffee cream, half and half)
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
NOTES ON INGREDIENTS
- They did not have powdered gelatin in the U.K. Instead they used leaf gelatin. Both work very well.
- As you can see this is not a really sweet dessert. I used Kirkland organic granulated sugar. In the U.K. I would use caster sugar.
- Single cream is the equivalent of what we call half in half or coffee cream here in North America.
- Whole milk or 3% is what you need to give this delicate dessert it's proper rich flavor. Low fat milk will not be the same.
- Use pure vanilla extract.
HOW TO MAKE GET WELL CUSTARD
This is really a very simple dessert to make. Simple ingredients put together in the most delicious way.
- Soften the gelatin in the milk in a saucepan for 5 minutes. (If you are using leaf gelatin, soak in cold water for 5 minutes, then remove and squeeze out any excess water. Add the softened sheets to the milk in a saucepan.)
- Add the cream and sugar. Heat over low heat, stirring until the gelatin and sugar have dissolved completely. (It should no longer feel gritty in the pan. Do not allow to boil.)
- Whisk in the vanilla.
- Pour into dessert cups and chill in the refrigerator until firm. (I pour it into a large measuring cup before pouring it into the dessert cups to prevent any spillage.)
This is truly wonderful. Get Well Custard . . . good for the soul and whatever else might ail you.
HINTS AND TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- Read through the recipe several times prior to beginning to help familiarize yourself with any ingredients.
- Assemble everything you need to make this dessert before you begin.
- Follow the instructions with exactness.
- Make sure the gelatin is perfectly softened.
- Heat the mixture gently to dissolve the sugar.
- Leave overnight or for at least several hours to allow it to set up properly.
- If serving with fresh fruit, make sure you wash the fruit thoroughly and pat dry with some paper towels.
- If serving with tinned fruit, make sure you drain the fruit very well.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
CAN THIS RECIPE BE HALVED?
Yes you can very easily cut the recipe in half. Simply divide all of the ingredients amounts by 2. Conversely this recipe can also be doubled to feed a larger group of people.
CAN THIS RECIPE BE MADE AHEAD?
Yes, the very nature of this recipe is that it be made ahead of time.
CAN THIS DESSERT BE FROZEN?
I do not recommend freezing this dessert.
HOW LONG WILL THIS DESSERT KEEP?
This dessert will keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. I would cover it with plastic cling film if storing it for very long to help prevent it from absorbing any other flavors from the refrigerator.
WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND SERVING WITH IT?
As you can see we enjoyed it with fresh berries. You can enjoy this with any kind of cut up fresh fruit spooned on top, or even plain or with just a dollop of whipped cream on top.
A FEW OTHER
VINTAGE STYLE DESSERTS TO ENJOY
I love vintage recipes as you know. I think they still hold a lot of value in todays world. Here are a few more favorites!
SPANISH CREAM - A light wobbly, old-fashioned delight. is the kind of dessert that feels like it stepped straight out of a cherished handwritten recipe notebook — simple, silky, and wonderfully nostalgic. It starts with a gently cooked custard, sweetened just enough and perfumed with vanilla, then lifted into something airy and cloud‑soft with a fold of whipped egg whites. Once chilled, it sets into a delicate, wobbly spoonful of comfort that tastes like childhood memories and quiet Sunday suppers. What makes it truly special is how beautifully it pairs with fruit. Serve it with crushed strawberries in summer, or with a spoonful of jam — cherry, raspberry, blueberry — when the weather turns cool.
OLD FASHIONED CUP CUSTARD - There’s something magical about a dessert made from almost nothing — just eggs, milk, sugar, and a whisper of vanilla — yet it delivers pure comfort with every spoonful. This Old Fashioned Cup Custard is exactly that kind of recipe: silky, lightly sweet, gently wobbly, and baked until just set under a fragrant dusting of nutmeg. It’s the kind of simple, wholesome treat our mothers and grandmothers made without a second thought, and it still tastes every bit as lovely today. The custard comes together in minutes: warm milk whisked into eggs and sugar, poured into little cups, and baked in a steamy water bath until tender and trembling.
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Yield: 4 servings
Get Well Custard
Quite simply delicious. Serve with fresh berries or tinned fruit. A dollop of whipped cream on top is also really nice.
Ingredients
- 1 TBS powdered gelatin (the equivalent of 4 gelatin sheets)
- 2 TBS sugar
- 1 cup (240ml) single cream (coffee cream, half and half)
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Soften the gelatin in the milk in a saucepan for 5 minutes. (If you are using leaf gelatin, soak in cold water for 5 minutes, then remove and squeeze out any excess water. Add the softened sheets to the milk in a saucepan.)
- Add the cream and sugar. Heat over low heat, stirring until the gelatin and sugar have dissolved completely.
- Whisk in the vanilla.
- Pour into dessert cups and chill in the refrigerator until firm.
This content, written and photography, is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
Thanks for visiting! Do come again!!
If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing/following me on Grow. You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right-hand side of the screen.
Peanut Butter Cup Ritz Crackers. Have you seen these around the WWW? I would be very surprised if you hadn't. As soon as I saw them, I think it was on Pinterest, I knew that they were something I wanted to make.
Peanut Butter Cups? Ritz Crackers? Where do I sign up! Two simple ingredients, put together in the simplest and most delicious way!
These amazing little treats are a delicious combination of salty and sweet. With a crisp buttery salty cracker coating, top and bottom, and a sweet, melt in the mouth moreish peanut butter cup filling. Could a treat get much better than this?
I REALLY THINK NOT!!
It couldn't get much easier either! I picked up the stuff to make them a couple of weeks ago and made them yesterday. Why had I waited so long! These were amazing!
Just on a side note, have you seen how many kinds of peanut butter cups there are out there now? I was amazed when I went looking. You can get giant ones. You can get giant ones filled with potato chips and peanut butter.
You get teeny weenie ones to use in making cookies. You can get little one inch sized ones, perfect to pop into the mouth all at once. You can, of course, get these thin ones that I am using here today and then naturally there are the old fashioned regular ones.
There may even be more than those. I just haven't seen them yet. Who knew!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER CUP RITZ CRACKERS
Two simple ingredients. That's it. And an oven, which will only be on briefly.
- 16 plain ritz crackers
- 8 peanut butter cup thins
I am sure we are all familiar with Ritz Crackers. I know they were readily available in the U.K. as they are here in North America. Just make sure you buy the plain ones and not the cheese ones. I am sure you could also use a good quality no name or generic brand.
Make sure you buy the Peanut Butter Cup thins. They will be in the candy aisle of the grocery store. They are only about as thick as a toonie coin. About 1/3 of an inch at most. They come 8 in a package.
Use your leftover crackers to make Butter Chicken another day. You won't be sorry. It's amazingly delicious!
HOW TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER CUP RITZ CRACKERS
These are such a simple, quick and easy thing to make. They are what I call a real "doddle". If you follow the photos from the top left down and then across the bottom, you will see what I mean! The hardest part of making these is waiting for them to chill!
Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Line a small baking tray with baking parchment.
Unwrap your peanut butter cups.
Lay out 8 crackers, top side up, on the lined baking tray. Top each one with one peanut butter cup, top side up.
Pop the baking tray into the oven and heat for about 90 seconds. You just want the chocolate to soften and start to melt. You do not want them to melt altogether, so keep a watch.
Remove from the oven. Place one ritz cracker, top side up, on top of each softened peanut butter cup.
Place into the refrigerator and chill for 15 minutes, until firm, before eating. Store any leftovers in an airtight container. (Depending on who is in the house you really shouldn't have any leftover!)
I should not have been but I was really surprised at just how delicious these were. They had that moreish sweet and salty thing going on. That buttery crunchy salty cracker, with the sweet melt in the mouth chocolate and peanut butter inside were a beautiful combination.
I can't wait to make these when my grandsons are over next! I am sure they will love them! If you are a fan of delicious and easy, then you will quite simply love LOVE these!
If you like quick and easy, with not a lot of cooking when it comes to treats then you might also enjoy the following!
NO BAKE LEMON COCONUT BALLS -Two of my favorite things are lemon and coconut! To have them both combined in one delicious snack is just great. For them to be as quick and easy to make as these are is just the icing on the cake! No bake. No fuss. No muss. Fairly healthy, and using only a few simple ingredients? Where do I sign up!!!! These melt in the mouth.
CANDY BAR DATES - Sweet Toffee-like dates, stuffed with peanut butter and dipped in chocolate. Such an easy make and incredibly moreish. These delicious treats taste just like one of your favorite candy bars. Best you can't eat just one!
Yield: 4 servings
Peanut Butter Cup Ritz Crackers
Prep time: 3 MinCook time: 2 MinInactive time: 15 MinTotal time: 20 Min
The perfect blend of salty and sweet. These delicious crispy, salty, sweet, melt in the mouth dessert snacks are really simple to make and oh so popular! Using only two ingredients, I'd call them a delicious doddle.
Ingredients
- 16 plain ritz crackers
- 8 peanut butter cup thins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Line a small baking tray with baking parchment.
- Unwrap your peanut butter cups.
- Lay out 8 crackers, top side up, on the lined baking tray. Top each one with one peanut butter cup, top side up.
- Pop the baking tray into the oven and heat for about 90 seconds. You just want the chocolate to soften and start to melt. You do not want them to melt altogether, so keep a watch.
- Remove from the oven. Place one ritz cracker, top side up, on top of each softened peanut butter cup.
- Place into the refrigerator and chill for 15 minutes, until firm, before eating. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
This content, written and photography, is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
Thanks for visiting! Do come again!!
If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing/following me on Grow. You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right hand side of the screen.
Raspberry Shortcake is a delicious summer dessert that will have your family gushing with praise. Nor surprise there. Its not only a very pretty dessert, but is also incredibly delicious.
And there is no better time to make it than the summer during raspberry season when these lovely berries are much more affordable and abundant!
Its a simple dessert, having only three components. Fresh berries. Crisp buttery biscuits. Whipped cream. Easy peasy.
Once you have all of the components assembled, it goes together in a flash.
.JPG "Raspberry Shortcake")
My sister and I went to the Spurr Brother's Farm yesterday on our way home from Walmart and I picked up some lovely fresh raspberries. There is a huge difference between the berries you buy in the supermarket and those you get at a farm market.
In most cases they have been freshly picked that morning and are so delicious. I haven't had such beautiful berries since I left the U.K.
Of course I never eat raspberries without thinking back to the summer that I turned eleven years old. We had just moved to Nova Scotia from Manitoba and were staying in the apartment on top of my grandfather's house while we were waiting for our house on the base to be ready to move into.
The day finally came and my father went off to meet the moving van, telling my mother that he would be back to pick us all up soon. Thinking he would only be an hour or so my mother did not feed us lunch. We were starving.
My sister and I discovered a hoard of fresh raspberries next to the railroad tracks behind the next door neighbors. We had no idea that they were privately owned.
.JPG "Raspberry Shortcake")
We set about gorging ourselves on these lovely fresh berries until the owner yelled at us and chased us away. (I am not surprised!) And then we had to endure our mother giving us heck.
My father finally did arrive and we set out to go to our new house. As a child I was always getting car sick. I proceeded to bring up raspberries in the car on the way to our new home, and was ill for most of the rest of the day.
I think my father was vacuuming raspberry seeds out of the carpet in that car for the remainder of the time we owned the car and it was many, many years before I could look a raspberry in the face again.
.JPG "Raspberry Shortcake")
Funny how that goes. I can now quite happily eat them, although at my age the seeds do bother me a bit at times. Just one of the drawbacks of aging!
Anyways, I decided to make myself a delicious dessert with some of the berries I picked up yesterday, while they are still fresh and beautiful. Dessert doesn't get much better than this raspberry shortcake recipe.
.JPG "Raspberry Shortcake")
Freshly baked all butter crisp edged and crusted, sugar glazed biscuits. Love, love. Fresh macerated berries with just a hint of sugar. Again, love, love.
Softly whipped vanilla cream, lightly sweetened and flavored with vanilla paste (if you have it) or vanilla extract, if not.
The three together, raspberry heavenly bliss. Love. Love. Love.
.JPG "Raspberry Shortcake")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE RASPBERRY SHORTCAKE
For the biscuits:
- 1 3/4 cups (220g) all purpose plain flour
- 2 TBS granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup (80g) cold butter, cut into small bits
- 1/2 cup (120ml) half cream, half whole milk (may need more)
- Cream to brush on top
- Turbinado sugar to sprinkle on top (demerara)
For the berries:
- 3 cups (375g) fresh raspberries
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar (may need more if your berries are really tart)
For the cream:
- 1 cup (240ml) cold whipping cream
- 3 1/2 TBS icing sugar, sifted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla (can use vanilla paste if you have it. Gorgeous.)
.JPG "Raspberry Shortcake")
HOW TO MAKE FRESH RASPBERRY SHORTCAKE
First make the biscuits. Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Set aside
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a bowl. Drop in the cold butter. Cut the butter in until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Stir in the milk and cream using a fork, and mix together to a soft dough. If it seems dry you can add a bit more milk.
Tip out onto a very lightly floured surface and knead gently a few times to bring together. Pat out 1-inch thickness. Cut into quarters and stack the quarters on top of each other. Pat out into 1-inch thickness again. Cut into rounds with a 2 1/2 inch round sharp biscuit cutter.
Gather any scraps together and repeat. (know that they won't be as pretty)
.JPG "Raspberry Shortcake")
Brush the tops of each biscuit with some cream, making sure that it doesn't drip down the sides. Sprinkle with a bit of sugar. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, until risen and golden brown. Set aside to cool.
While the biscuits are baking, stir together the raspberries and the sugar, making sure that they are all evenly coated. Leave to stand for about half an hour until the juices are released from the berries.
Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla. Whip until the cream stands up firmly, taking care not to overwhip.
To assemble split the cooled biscuits, placing a bottom half in the bottom of each of six dessert dishes. Top with a generous amount of berries and a nice dollop of the whipped cream. Place the top of the cooled biscuits on top of the whipped cream and serve. (I like to hold a few berries back to spoon over top of each serving, but its not necessary.)
.JPG "Raspberry Shortcake")
And there you have it. One of summers finest, simplest, most delicious dessert offerings. If you are looking for some other fruity desserts, you might enjoy the following:
JAM JAR TRIFLES - The nice thing about these, aside from their ease of preparation and deliciousness, is that they are adaptable to whatever fruit you happen to have in season!
STRAWBERRY AND RHUBARB CRISP - This delicious baked dessert makes the most of seasonal berries and rhubarb. Delicious sweet and fruity base, topped with a buttery oat filled crumble topping. Delicious!
SPICED SUMMER BERRY COMPOTE - One of the best uses of the summer berries. Rich and heady. Beautifully colored. Simple. Perfect with some cold ice cream, vanilla of course!
Raspberry Shortcake
Yield: 6
Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 50 Min
Simple to make and beautiful to look at, this is a delicious summer dessert everyone loves. All butter biscuits. Macerated fresh berries. Vanilla infused whipped cream. It doesn't get much better than this!
Ingredients
For the biscuits:
- 1 3/4 cups (220g) all purpose plain flour
- 2 TBS granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup (80g) cold butter, cut into small bits
- 1/2 cup (120ml) half cream, half whole milk (may need more)
- Cream to brush on top
- Turbinado sugar to sprinkle on top (demerera)
For the berries:
- 3 cups (375g) fresh raspberries
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar (may need more if your berries are really tart)
For the cream:
- 1 cup (240ml) cold whipping cream
- 3 1/2 TBS icing sugar, sifted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla (can use vanilla paste if you have it. Gorgeous.)
Instructions
- First make the biscuits. Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Set aside
- Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a bowl. Drop in the cold butter. Cut the butter in until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.
- Stir in the milk and cream using a fork, and mix together to a soft dough. If it seems dry you can add a bit more milk.
- Tip out onto a very lightly floured surface and knead gently a few times to bring together.
- Pat out 1-inch thickness. Cut into quarters and stack the quarters on top of each other. Pat out into 1-inch thickness again. Cut into rounds with a 2 1/2 inch round sharp biscuit cutter.
- Gather any scraps together and repeat. (know that they won't be as pretty)
- Brush the tops of each biscuit with some cream, making sure that it doesn't drip down the sides. Sprinkle with a bit of sugar.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, until risen and golden brown. Set aside to cool.
- While the biscuits are baking, stir together the raspberries and the sugar, making sure that they are all evenly coated. Leave to stand for about half an hour until the juices are released from the berries.
- Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla. Whip until the cream stands up firmly, taking care not to overwhip.
- To assemble split the cooled biscuits, placing a bottom half in the bottom of each of six dessert dishes. Top with a generous amount of berries and a nice dollop of the whipped cream. Place the top of the cooled biscuits on top of the whipped cream and serve. (I like to hold a few berries back to spoon over top of each serving, but its not necessary.)
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
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