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!
LOL! I like your revisions. I wish I'd thought of them! I was totally drinking the hater-ade this week, unfortunately. And it's funny you ask what p&q stands for because I've been perplexed on that since I joined the group... and I actually saw on someone's post RIGHT before I read yours where they referred to it as problems and questions... so there you have it!
Posted by: Melissa | March 10, 2009 at 03:14 PM
I love the blueberry lemon combo. One of my favorite desserts has an oatmeal crust and lemon cream sprinkled with blueberries.
Now you just need to give lessons in clafoutis pronunciation! (Don't you hate that, when you see a word online quite a bit but don't know how to pronounce it! I tend to say it, in my head, a different way each time!)
Posted by: Jennifer | March 10, 2009 at 03:56 PM
I may have mad this if I'd thought of adding Grand Marnier! Your site is SO cute. The cartoon picture is the best!
Posted by: Jill | March 10, 2009 at 07:05 PM
Most enjoyable blog entry! The custard looks delicious - just the right texture. Please stop by my blog to receive an award.
Posted by: Heather Peskin | March 10, 2009 at 08:13 PM
Great look to the site. Wonderful makeover! Your recipe sounds really good. Liquor in anything makes it better. Duh! :)
Posted by: The Duo Dishes | March 10, 2009 at 08:16 PM
There are so many interesting additions and substitutions here, you've really created a brand new dish. Great job! I wonder if anyone tried bacon..... I made vanilla custard (instead of lemon) and slathered chocolate ganache on top. Not bad at all!
Posted by: Amy | March 10, 2009 at 08:33 PM
Love the new layout!
And your revamp sounds awesome. I did enjoy this recipe but it also required some changes. Way too bland for my taste without them. (Sorry, Dorie).
Posted by: Kaitlin | March 10, 2009 at 09:06 PM
Ooh, blueberries - great addition! Clafoutis is a funny word :)
Posted by: Amber Marie | March 10, 2009 at 11:05 PM
I'm going to have to try this one again with the juice of the lemon. I was afraid that would make it do cottage cheesy type things, but now I have to try it. Your photos are amazing!
Posted by: Leslie | March 11, 2009 at 10:11 AM
Great alterations!
Posted by: Jayne | March 11, 2009 at 10:52 AM
Another adventurous adaptation! Very ingenious of you to transform poopy to popular!
Posted by: Matt's Kitchen | March 11, 2009 at 01:02 PM
Way to go. Sounds like a good overhaul job. Do ya have any left? ha ha. Great Post too.
AmyRuth
Posted by: AmyRuth | March 11, 2009 at 02:52 PM
Yep...I was one of the scared one, so I just made lemon cakes, instead. Your little custards look LUSCIOUS with those berries! Fabulous job.
Posted by: pamela | March 11, 2009 at 03:55 PM
I'm so glad you liked this! Yours does look delicious! Your post had me laughing :) Can't wait to see how you jazz up next week's recipe!
P.s. Love your new layout!!
Posted by: Andrea | March 11, 2009 at 04:42 PM
I'm glad someone liked it! It looks great with the blueberries!
Posted by: Erin | March 11, 2009 at 08:49 PM
OMG, you did such a great great great job! I so want to try your method. Once again, you delivered another great post. Thanks so much for sharing your recipes.
Posted by: carolina | March 11, 2009 at 10:47 PM
I love the blog make-over, girlfriend. Love it!
Anyway, yeah, I think you and I are the only people who actually liked this custard. I thought it was downright delicious, but I used that lemon extract. Some people didn't and it ended up being BLAND.
Oh well.
I'll check back again! XOXO
Posted by: Sugar B | March 12, 2009 at 12:38 AM
Wow, you really rose to the occasion, taking a questionable dessert and making it your own, awesome treat. It looks fantastic! The blueberries.... yum!
Posted by: Jacque | March 12, 2009 at 08:38 AM
Hahahaha, clafoutis....a disease, hilarious :)
The blueberries in it look great, so glad you liked it :)
Posted by: farah | March 12, 2009 at 01:13 PM
I love your post! You always crack me up. And your food looks so lovely. Love the hater-ade!!
Thanks for visiting my little blog too;)
Posted by: Anjeanette | March 12, 2009 at 02:44 PM