Needed a break from work....so thought of putting in a recipe which I tried over the weekend. Its Baked Custard Pudding. Now, its very similar to Creme Brulee, however last time I tried it, I used only milk and no cream...so i did not like the consistency.....I have to say, I like the creamy consistency of this pudding...or in short I love creamy desserts..My idea of a perfect pudding is when u scoop out a helping with a spoon, it should just slice the top of the dessert without leaving any cracks on the surface, and the scooped portion should be just creamy without any pores. I know it sounds like a perfect dive wherein the diver just slices the pool without a splash and leaves no ripples....

Baked Custard Pudding

1/2 pint Milk
1/2 pint Double Cream
1/4 pound castor sugar
1 Vanilla Pod
2 Eggs
1/4 Lemon Rind
1 Nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 200 Deg C.
Put the milk on a low flame.Add the cream to it. Slice the Vanilla pod to reveal the black seeds inside. Scrape the insides with a knife and put it in to the milk.Grate the lemon rind in to the pan.Put the vanilla pod left overs in to the milk and let it come to a boil. Keep stirring it with a wooden spoon.

Put off the flame when the milk reaches boiling point and cover the vessel, so that the vanilla flavour can infuse in to the milk.

In the mean time, beat the eggs and the sugar till it becomes pale yellow.

Strain the milk and get rid of the vanilla seeds, lemon rind and pod.

Add it to the sugar/egg mixture slowly and keep mixing it.The heat from the milk will cook the egg a bit. Strain the whole mixture in to a baking bowl. Grate Nutmeg over it generously.

Keep the bowl in a baking dish and pour boiling water around the custard bowl. Put it in to the oven for around 45 mins or till the custard sets and gets a golden crust.If the custard has not set, remove it from the hot water bath and keep it directly in to the oven till it sets.

Get it out of the oven and cool it. Put it in to the refrigerator once it cools to room temperature. Serve chilled with fresh fruit.

It was yummy......the consistency was deliciously creamy and the nutmeg flavour was brilliant...