Simply The Most Delicate Dessert

Recently we have needed comfort food, something simple, delicate, slightly sweet and delicious. Somehow the image of baked egg custard appeared in my mind. Egg custard is crème caramel (French) or flan (Spanish) without the caramel. I've made it twice this week and we still aren't satisfied, which shows how bad things have been. I made some more this morning.

Baked Egg Custard

2 large eggs

1/3 cup sugar

pinch of salt

2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (if desired)

1/8 teaspoon pure almond extract

nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350º.

Scald the milk. To do this, pour the milk into a saucepan and heat it on medium low without stirring until a slightly wrinkled skin forms on the surface. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, then beat in the sugar and salt. Pour the scalded milk into the egg mixture and add the vanilla and almond extracts. Stir to mix. Pour the mixture into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish and generously sprinkle the top with nutmeg. Set the dish in a baking pan and add an inch of hot water to the pan. Set the pan on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 50 minutes. Immediately remove the custard from the pan and set aside to cool.

The custard will serve four to six people. It's even better served with a crisp cookie.

If you're lazy like me, you can skip the mixing bowl and mix the ingredients directly in the baking dish.