mason maple custards with blueberry sauce. homemade sweets.

It seems as though I make a lot of sweets on this blog. I definitely don't just eat custards and cookies and galettes every day, and I think I post sweets more often because making them is such special occasion for me. It's something for a community dinner, or just a surprise treat for friends (a usually very well-received treat!). Plus, I do work towards manipulating dessert recipes in order to make them lighter or at least more nutrient-dense. Take this recipe, for example, which replaces heavy cream for (preferably organic) whole milk and maple syrup and sucanat rather than white sugar. 

Not all sugar is created equal, nor eggs or milk or anything for that matter. There is a whole spectrum for every ingredients that goes from chemical-laden, shelf-stable, nutrient-poor foods to homegrown, organic, freshly picked foods that are packed with nutrients and life. This has been a theme for me throughout my personal journey towards health and wellbeing. Not all food is created equal. That fuji apple will be different on every tree, on every farm, grown by every different method. 


There are so many variables in food that we can't really just go by the words "organic" or "fresh." There are always steps to take wherever you are on the good food spectrum, and I'm always working towards growing more and more of my own food and knowing who grows the rest and how its grown or raised. 

How do we as consumers sort out all the jargon and labels on our food? Bi-Rite, a super-groovy market in San Francisco (of course), has a handy book out that helps decode food products we find at the grocery. It provides in-depth info on many food products and analyzes how to choose and use them. Take honey for example: what's the deal with it being "raw" and how important is it that I buy local honey? Filtered or unfiltered? How do I store it and use it for the ultimate food experience? Of course, you don't necessarily need a book to tell you what to buy. Just ask more questions about what you're consuming. Connect with the food more, and the people, and you'll find the best quality that's suited for you. 

Eggs are another example of quality on the spectrum of good food. You can tell the difference between a store-bought egg fed on processed grain and a pastured one. The yolk tells it all. I'm grateful to have 30 chickens serenading me right now in the yard that produce the most golden delicious eggs. They literally turn everything golden. Pasta, scrambles, and these custards all show how happy they are. 

So now to the custards, showcasing those farm-fresh eggs topped with frozen blueberries saved from last year's harvest. The other main ingredient is whole milk, which of course benefits from being organic and/or raw. We are using Straus milk right now, though once the goats here start producing we will be switching species to full-on goat, which works well in this recipe too. 

What makes this custard extra special is the maple syrup. That deep, rich sweetness that oozes from trees is food of the Gods (if I were one), and adds an amazingly complex flavor. You don't need that much to add maple flavor, which helps since it can cost a pretty penny. Maple syrup has a lower glycemic index that regular granulated sugars, which prevents insulin spikes and "sugar highs" while also carrying antioxidants and minerals. The International Maple Syrup Institute (right?) has a lot of other groovy stuff to say about it, but we all know that maple syrup is the sweet king of sugar. 

I paired the maple with sucanat, but you can use any unrefined sugar (turbinado, rapadura, brown sugars are fine). Or if you have a bunch of maple syrup you want to use up, you can substitute the sucanat with even more maple goodness. 

I've packaged these tasty treats in, what else but mason jars of course! in addition to being super hip with the city-folk, these mason jars are great if you have any extra custard to save for later. You can screw on a lid and take this tasty treat to work or on a romantic picnic. I use wide mouth half-pint jars and cook these little guys in a water bath in the oven. They come out a bit giggly but set up after some time in the fridge. Friends over for dinner will think you're a boss as you drizzle blueberry sauce on them, even though they are secretly super easy to make. 

So shall we? Let make it!

mason maple custards with blueberry sauce

makes 6 half pints (3/4 full)

Ingredients:

5 large eggs

2 1/2 cups whole milk

pinch of fine sea salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup sucanat or other unrefined sugar

blueberry sauce:

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1 tbsp butter

juice of 1/2 lemon (save peels for zest)

Pinch of salt

2 tbsp honey or sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

extra lemon zest to serve

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Whisk eggs in a medium-sized bowl until combined. Add the milk, salt, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and sucanat, and whisk until everything is well-incorporated and the sugar is dissolved. 

2. Place 6 wide-mouth half-pints in a deep baking pan or casserole dish. Fill jars 3/4 full with the custard mixture. Pour warm water into the pan to 3/4 the height of the jars to create a water bath. 

3. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until lightly set (still a bit giggly but with some resistance at the surface). Remove from pan and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. 

4. While the custard is baking, make the blueberry sauce. Place blueberries, butter, lemon juice, salt, and honey in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Mix the cornstarch with a few tablespoons of water and add to the sauce. Bring to a boil, and reduce to low heat, allowing the sauce to thicken for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and pour onto each custard before refrigerating. 

5. To serve, sprinkle some lemon zest onto each custard and serve in jars. For warm creme brulee custard, add 2 tsp sugar on each custard and broil on a pan for 3-5 minutes, or until golden and crackly on top.