Recipe Manuscript

Hard Custard

Name: Hard Custard
Prep time: PTPT10M
Cook time: PTPT20M
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 liter whole milk; 100 grams granulated sugar (or to taste); 1/2 vanilla bean (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract); 5 large eggs; 100 grams granulated sugar (for caramel)

1903

From the treasured pages of Cooking in old Créole days. La cuisine créole à l'usage des petits ménages

Written by Célestine Eustis

Early Modern Kitchen (1900 - 1930)American Intermediate Dessert

Original Recipe • 1903

Original Manuscript(circa Early Modern Kitchen, 1900 - 1930)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Hard Custard

"One quart of milk. Sugar to taste. A piece of vanilla bean. Let your milk come to a boil; take it off the fire for three or four minutes. Add five well-beaten eggs. Add them gradually to the milk. Pour it in a mold in which you have put caramel, and place that in a bain-Marie (double saucepan) in the oven for twenty minutes. Let it get cold in the ice box, and turn out when wanted. —LEONIE PENIN."

Note on the Original Text

Recipes of this period were written with minimal measurements and straightforward instructions, trusting the reader's experience and kitchen intuition. Quantities like 'sugar to taste' encouraged cooks to adjust sweetness as desired. Terms such as 'bain-Marie' and references to caramel might have assumed a certain culinary literacy. Spellings and weights were less standardized, and verbs like 'beat' or 'pour gradually' imply a careful, hands-on approach. The instruction to 'turn out' the custard means to unmold it, a common culinary term still used today.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cooking in old Créole days. La cuisine créole à l'usage des petits ménages - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cooking in old Créole days. La cuisine créole à l'usage des petits ménages (1903)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Célestine Eustis

Era

1903

Publisher

R.H. Russell

Background

Take a delicious journey back in time with this charming bilingual collection of Creole and American recipes, crafted for cozy households. Célestine Eustis blends French flair with Southern soul, guiding both the novice and seasoned gourmand through the distinct flavors and delightful traditions of old Creole kitchens.

Kindly made available by

Internet Archive

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This custard, often referred to as a 'flan' or 'crème caramel' today, hails from the Creole kitchens of early 20th-century New Orleans. The recipe appears in 'La cuisine créole à l'usage des petits ménages,' a delightful 1903 collection aiming to make Creole cooking approachable for small households. Creole cuisine is a flavorful blend of French, Spanish, African, and Caribbean influences, artfully adapting European techniques to American ingredients and tastes. Dishes like this custard bridged old-world tradition and new-world bounty. Custards were considered refined desserts, suitable for festive tables as well as everyday indulgence — a testament to the ingenuity and resourcefulness of Creole home cooks.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Back in the day, cooks would use a heavy-bottomed pot or saucepan for scalding the milk, and an enamel or copper bowl for beating eggs and sugar by hand. The caramel was made in a small pan, then poured into a pudding mold — typically made of tin or enameled iron. Baking was done gently in a 'bain-Marie,' or water bath, often set inside a wood-fired oven or a coal range. The custard would cool in an ice box, the predecessor to modern refrigerators.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

4 1/4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar (or to taste)
1/2 vanilla bean (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
5 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar (for caramel)

Instructions

Begin by bringing 4 1/4 cups of whole milk with 1/2 of a vanilla bean to a boil in a medium saucepan.
Once it reaches a boil, remove from heat and let it stand for about 3-4 minutes, infusing the vanilla.
In a separate bowl, beat 5 large eggs with 1/2 cup granulated sugar (or to your taste) until well-mixed.
Gradually pour the hot milk into the egg-and-sugar mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling.
Prepare a 1.5-quart loaf pan or pudding mold with caramel (melt and brown 1/2 cup sugar gently, then pour into the mold, swirling to coat the bottom).
Strain the custard mixture and gently pour it into the caramel-lined mold.
Place the mold in a roasting pan filled with hot water (bain-Marie) and bake at 325°F for about 20 minutes, or until just set.
Allow to cool completely, then chill in the refrigerator.
To serve, unmold onto a plate.

Estimated Calories

230 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You will need about 10 minutes to prepare the ingredients and workspace, and about 20 minutes to bake the custard. Each serving contains about 230 calories, and this recipe makes 8 servings.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.