Comforting honey custard: ‘Zen for within’ this winter

The hectic holidays are over, and after packing up and putting away boxes of glittery gee-gaws for another year, quiet simplicity is what you crave. Tammy Algood recommends that while you’re transcending the clamor of the recent holiday season, go ahead and get back to basics with food, too.

“You know those Zen gardens, where there’s nothing but a flat area of pebbles to contemplate and to rake into neat, soothing, connecting lines? Well, my honey custard is Zen for within,” says Algood, spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s “Pick Tennessee Products” campaign. “This dessert is the soul of simplicity. It is just a smooth, creamy-colored circle of subtlety – and deeply satisfying.”

“Pick Tennessee Products” is the statewide promotion developed by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture to help consumers identify and choose food products grown or processed in Tennessee. Algood develops recipes that feature Tennessee farm or processed products and highlights seasonal products that can be purchased directly from the farm or farmers market.

The trick to creating a successful custard, says Algood, is understanding the difference between custard and its bolder, more substantial cousin – pudding.

“Custard is very soft. When you pull it out of the oven, the custard will be wiggly; you cook it only until it just sets,” notes Algood. “Forget the toothpick test – it does not apply.”

Placing ramekins in a water bath during cooking assures that the dessert will cook evenly, instead of crusting or hardening along the sides of the custard cups.

“Pull it out of the oven and let it cool to tepid right in the water bath, then take out the custards and set them in the refrigerator uncovered.” says Algood. “You want the custard to film over.”

“Honey is not just a minor ingredient in this recipe,” says the food professional of her latest recipe. “It’s the personality of the dish. You can really taste the honey.”

Algood says that Tennessee honey is available on farms, at farmers markets and in several retail stores throughout the state. Tennessee honey producers can also be found at TDA’s Market Development web site: www.picktnproducts.org.

The flavor of a particular honey primary depends on the nectar source, says Algood, who adds that as a general rule, the darker the honey, the more flavorful it will be. Honey which has not been heated as part of the extraction or purification processes will still contain pollen, propolis, honeycomb and live enzymes. This “raw” honey is gaining popularity with some who see local honey as sort of a natural way to treat environmental allergies. Honey which has been heated and strained produces a clear, amber-colored product ready for the table or to smoothly mix with other ingredients.

“All honey will eventually crystallize,” says the food expert. “That doesn’t mean it’s spoiled. Simply place the container in some warm water, or just microwave it on low, checking and stirring often. The honey will reclaim its liquid gold properties in no time.”

Honey Custard
3 cups half and half
6 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In large bowl, whisk together half and half and eggs. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Divide custard among six 8-ounce ramekins. Set ramekins in a shallow roasting pan and fill the pan with enough hot water to reach about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Carefully set pan in oven. Bake for 50 minutes or until custards are just set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove ramekins from water bath. Let cool until tepid, then refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours. Serve cold with sugar cookies or gingersnaps. Yields 6 servings.

Caremelized Onion and Mushroom Triangles
2 tablespoons Purity butter
1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped onions
3/4 cup chopped Monterey mushrooms
1/3 cup chopped Moody Dunbar roasted peppers
2 tablespoons chopped black olives
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package puff pastry dough
1/2 cup Purity butter, melted
1/2 cup spreadable garlic and herb cream cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a 10-inch skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden and caramelized, around 7 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, peppers, olives and salt. Continue cooking until heated through and set aside. Cool at least 10 minutes.
Place one sheet of puff pastry dough on a dry work surface. Brush with melted butter. With a sharp knife, but dough into 4-inch squares. Repeat with remaining sheet of dough. In the center of each square, place one heaping teaspoon of onion mixture. Top with 1 teaspoon of cream cheese. Pull corners together to form a triangle. Repeat with remaining squares. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Yield: 24 appetizer servings.
Note: Filling can be made one day ahead and refrigerated.
Serve with Odom’s Tennessee Pride Sausage Balls, a tray of Strickland’s fresh cut carrots, celery sticks and broccoli and cauliflower florets with O’Charley’s Bleu Cheese Dressing, Brimhal Foods pretzels, Chips and Big S Farms salsa, Miss Daisy’s Orange-Poppyseed Creme Cake and Beachaven Champagne for an unforgettable Super Bowl, Valentine party or other special gatherings with friends.