custard

While most of you would rather eat black figs, I love all figs equally and will jump at the chance to try something new with them. This weekend, on a lovely Fall afternoon, I preheated my oven and got to work baking my first fig tart with both Calimyrna and black mission figs.

Making a crust can be a nerve-wracking experience, but this one is incredibly easy. The addition of vanilla extract really enhances the crust's flavor. While it is a simple recipe, it's time-consuming since the crust must be precooked before you assemble the tart.

Once the crust is cooked, just quickly arrange the figs and carefully pour in the fragrant orange blossom custard. If you can't find orange blossom water at your local market, you can order it online, or substitute orange zest. The finished tart is perfect with its flaky crust, creamy custard, and slightly caramelized figs. Fig season is fleeting, so get the recipe now.

Ever since my trip to Barcelona, I love to travel back down memory lane by making the dessert I discovered on my travels, crema catalana. Many of us have had crème brûlée, that famous French dessert that Amélie loved to crack with a spoon, and this Spanish caramelized custard will surely give you the same satisfaction. The Spanish recipe is lighter, since the custard is milk-based, unlike the French version that uses cream.

Traditionally, the Spanish add a bit of lemon zest to the custard, but grapefruit, lime, or orange zest would be a great addition. The recipe is not complicated, but pay close attention once you have added the eggs because too much heat can result in curdling.

To caramelize the top, you don't need a fancy torch; just stop by the local hardware store for a propane torch, which will surely save you a couple bucks. Or skip the torch altogether and just use the broiler in your oven.

Sweeten up your next meal and keep reading for the recipe.

We've had breakfast on the brain, and when we came across Mimikins's amazing looking crepes, we couldn't help but drool!

I whipped these delicious crepes up this Sunday and was very pleased with the outcome. Perfect for a quiet morning with family.

To check out the recipe she used, head over to her OnSugar blog. And if you're looking for more culinary inspiration, get on board with the Savory Sights group in our YumSugar Community! Upload something awe-inspiring, and it may just appear here.

Over the weekend, when I made Martha Stewart's Summer fruit cream pie, something went horribly wrong. As you can tell by the picture, the custard would not set! The recipe seemed simple enough; it's a graham cracker crust filled with cinnamon-berry custard and topped with syrupy peaches. However, I ran into some technical difficulties.
The first time I made the custard it would not thicken, but I realized it was because I didn't add enough cornstarch. The second time, I thought everything went well, but after sitting in the fridge overnight, the custard was soupy and liquidy. While the flavor was superb (I served it to my guests parfait style), the texture was all wrong. I've made custard successfully in the past, and honestly have no clue what went wrong.

Can you help me? Should I have let the custard boil longer? Did it need more fridge time?

On the hot days of Summer, there is nothing like a scoop of ice cream to cool down. While I've enjoyed my fair share of store-bought ice cream, it was finally time to start making my own, so I recently purchased the ice cream attachment for my Kitchenaid. I was nervous about making ice cream (the custard can quickly curdle) and unfortunately, my nerves got the best of me: when I turned up the heat too high my first batch curdled at the very end of cooking!

While I was disappointed with my first go, I had to give it another shot and I am glad I did. With a little more patience, I kept the heat lower and the second custard batch was a complete success. Intrigued by David Lebovitz's interesting ice cream combinations in Fine Cooking, I decided to make his unique roasted pine nut and fruity olive oil ice cream. The flavor definitely caught my guests off guard, but once they took a bite, they loved it! The pairing of olive oil and pine nuts is actually reminiscent of the more traditional butter pecan. If you are screaming for ice cream this Summer, keep reading.