P-Nutty Baked Custard

Kerfuffle-Upon-Wincle's Note:

Serve slightly warm or well chilled ... a smooth-y!! From the 1963 Peter Pan Peanut Butter Cook Book -- Garnish with whipped cream, or lightly dust with powdered sugar and garnish each serving with a small blob of bright jelly! ******Caution: Overcooked baked custards get bubbles and start to leak clear liquid. The weeping is called syneresis. Once a custard curdles, there is no way back. It's wiser to undercook slightly when in doubt!******

• Total Time: 55 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth)
• 2 cups milk
• 3 eggs (slightly beaten)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a mixer or blender, gradually combine milk with peanut butter, beating until smooth.
3. Combine eggs with sugar, salt, and vanilla, and blend into peanut butter/milk mixture.
4. Pour into a buttered 1-quart baking dish, set the dish into a water bath ~ set the baking dish in a larger pan filled with 1" of hot water ~ bake at 325 degrees for about 45 minutes, until knife inserted half-way between side of dish and center comes out clean. Do not overcook!
5. Caution: Why is custard sometimes watery and grainy? Heating too much and cooking too long both make custard curdle. The spongy protein web of eggs and milk loses its elasticity and then hardens, shrinks, and squeezes out the liquid it holds. The custard tastes watery and flat, and the toughened, oversolidified egg-milk protein feels and looks grainy. Overcooked baked custards get bubbles and start to leak clear liquid. The weeping is called syneresis. Once a custard curdles, there is no way back. It's wiser to undercook slightly when in doubt!
6. Serve warm or cold ~ garnish with whipped cream, or lightly dust with powdered sugar and garnish each serving with a small blob of bright jelly!

Reviews

[Lalaloula]

Taste and texture wise this recipe is amazing! The peanut butter vanilla egg flavour is soo yummy and the custard so smooth and velvety. Mmmm! The prep is easy as pie, too which is always a plus. I loved how little sugar this had in comparison with other baked custards. I used an all natural peanut butter and that worked out really well.
My only problem with this was that it took double the time to cook. I took the custard out after 45 minutes to see if it was done, but it was still a watery mess. So I put it back in and checked on it in 15 minute intervals. I declared it firm enough to try getting it out after 90 minutes. It could have done with a few minutes more, but I was getting hungry for dessert and it held its shape quite well. Other than that a real keeper!
THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing this winner with us, KUW!
Made and reviewed for Photo Tag February 2012.

[Ang11002]

This was my 1st time making custard and I am not sure if it was me or the recipe. This was VERY watery and after 45 minutes was not done. Added 5 minutes to cooking time and then served. The PB taste was yummy but again..scooping it out was hard b/c of the water content. Served with a spoonful of sugar free cherry preserves. My 6 yr old enjoyed it though, which is a plus.