WOW was the TWD community up in arms over this week’s recipe! Bridget of The Way the Cookie Crumbles (click for recipe) chose Lemon Cup Custard. I was a bit nervous this week and knew my work would be ahead of me after reading the P&Q (what does that stand for?) section for this recipe. Let me give you a little taste of the adjectives that were floating around:
Eggy
Bland
Boring
Blah
Gross
Yucky
POOP
OK, no one said poop, but I like to throw that word around pretty loosely. The fact is, they may as well have. The people who had made it didn’t like it. The people who didn’t make it were scared.
The great Dorie herself had to address the TWD community to clear the air. This recipe was supposed to be similar to a flan, she informed us. A custard is, in fact, eggy. It is eggs, milk, and sugar. Eggy.
My mind got to thinking. What makes anything better? Chocolate? No. That wouldn’t work.
Bacon? Well, yes, of course, but I don’t know if I could go that far.
Alcohol?
Oh, yeah.
I liberally added some Grand Marnier to the mixture of eggs and sugar. I then juiced an entire lemon into the mixture.
I said a small prayer.
Somehow, I wanted to add some fruit to the dish. Recently, I’ve seen recipes for clafoutis all over the internet. I never knew what a clafoutis was. For a while, I actually thought it was a disease.
How bad is it, Doc?
It’s not looking good.
Is it….?
….Yes. She’s come down with clafoutis.
WHY, GOD, WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY???????
But actually, a clafoutis is a baked custard studded with fruit. I decided to add a tablespoon of flour to the boiled milk to firm up the custard. I then added a layer of blueberries to the bottom of one ramekin and topped it with the egg mixture.
To the other ramekin, I added the liquored up custard sans blueberries. To top that version, I combined ½ cup blueberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tsp Grand Marnier (I have a problem) in a small saucepan and cooked that until the blueberries released their juices. I then reduced it down for about 6 minutes and let it cool.
I wasn’t drinking on the hater-ade with this. I LOVED this. And normally, I'm not a fan of lemon. I would go as far as to say I hate lemon. And although I don’t hate custards, they don’t make me do back flips. But I did back flips when I spooned this into my mouth. Creamy. Tart. Smooth. And not boozy at all. The flavor was just subtly enhanced by the Grand Marnier. I took a spoonful. I sighed. I then took another taste. And another. It only got better. Suddenly, I looked down and saw that half of a ramekin was empty. I actually had to stop myself from eating a whole ramekin all by myself! I almost lost my willpower! I liked the clafoutis-style custard better than the one topped with the reduced berries, but that version was also delicious. Jack thought it was delicious, and actually thought the lemon and Grand Marnier mix had an interesting flavor that resembled grapefruit (I didn't get that, but to each his own!).
Clafoutis may sound like a disease, but it is one tasty disease!
Don’t drink the hater-ade until you try this version! And check out the other TWDers for their take on the misunderstood lemon cup custard!
Hilarious! I'm so glad I've stumbled onto your blog lately, I've really been enjoying your posts. You were definitely one of the few who enjoyed the custard cups but I'm glad you did. Blueberry and lemon actually sounds like a delicious combination.
Posted by: Tracey | March 10, 2009 at 12:12 AM
Yeah! So glad this worked for you! I didn't even attempt it.
Posted by: iahawk89 | March 10, 2009 at 12:15 AM
Well of course you liked this - you completely overhauled the recipe. Way to go!
Posted by: Megan | March 10, 2009 at 12:16 AM
I'm glad someone else liked this recipe too!
Posted by: Janell | March 10, 2009 at 05:36 AM
Grand Marnier sounds great!! And the berries look perfect...
Posted by: Marthe | March 10, 2009 at 08:05 AM
You went crazy on this one, my friend, and wow, what a great finished product! See, I don't have the creativity (or the talent) to do what you did here. It looks awesome, even if clafoutis really DOES sound like a dreaded disease.
Posted by: Cathy | March 10, 2009 at 08:49 AM
Im glad you liked it..I made mine into little tarts.
Posted by: Michelle | March 10, 2009 at 09:13 AM
POOP!
I did not like this custard poop. But im glad I attempted to make it.
And you my dear rocked the custard! Love the little additions!
Posted by: Sabrina | March 10, 2009 at 09:19 AM
I am glad you liked this one. Love the changes you made. I love your site look too!! So fun!
Posted by: Maria | March 10, 2009 at 09:25 AM
I love the changes you made--it looks fabulous! I'd happily eat that. Love the new site design!
Posted by: Elle | March 10, 2009 at 09:25 AM
First of all, I LOVE the new template. Tres awesome. And second, this is a great, great idea. Love the photos, and it looks like everything was delicious. And finally, I'm going to try your deconstructed eggplant this week. Looks to good to let go!
Posted by: macduff | March 10, 2009 at 10:42 AM
New template rock! So does your custard - what a great addition! Very creative - I loved the custard! Glad you liked it - I like the way you think out of the box with substitutions and "additions"! Nicely done!
Posted by: mike | March 10, 2009 at 11:08 AM
I knew I should have gone with my limoncello idea! Alcohol makes everything better! Wait, that doesn't sound right...
Posted by: Beryl | March 10, 2009 at 11:46 AM
Sounds like you had fun experimenting this week! I love the new design--great header, and all the little sporks everywhere. =)
Posted by: Di | March 10, 2009 at 12:11 PM
Oooh, pretty! They look great, and I love the changes you made!
Posted by: Amy (Sing for your supper) | March 10, 2009 at 12:18 PM
glad you liked it! i like your idea to add the grand marnier + blueberries... must have been delicious :)
Posted by: kim | March 10, 2009 at 12:47 PM
LOVE your blog layout now - I have just written them myself for a bloggy makeover!
As for your yummy disease - don't go spreading it. :)
Posted by: Susan | March 10, 2009 at 01:18 PM
Love your new look. (Will you tell me who did it, please, pretty please with some chocolate on top?!) ;)
Way to take a poopy dessert and make it delicious, disease and all. (I thought the same thing first time I heard cloufitus--I can't even spell it!)
Posted by: Katrina | March 10, 2009 at 02:12 PM
First of all, I love,love, love your new theme. It's wonderful.
Secondly, I love your changes to the recipe. Alcohol is always good. :P
Posted by: pinkstripes | March 10, 2009 at 02:34 PM
Very creative with add-ons and changes. Grand marnier was an inspired choice.
Posted by: Kelly D | March 10, 2009 at 02:35 PM