[mod.recipes] RECIPE: spanish cream

peterm@cadvax.oz (Peter C. Maxwell) (09/26/86)

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.RH MOD.RECIPES-SOURCE SPANISH-CREAM D "16 Jun 86" 1986
.RZ "SPANISH CREAM" "Exquisite New Zealand custard dessert"
.PP
This dessert was a family favourite, and although we used to eat it in
conjunction with some flavored jellies, it's delicious in its 
own right.  The recipe
comes from my mother, and I don't know what the \fISpanish\fR part signifies.
.IH "serves six"
.IG "2\(12 cups" "milk" "600 ml"
(one Imperial pint)
.IG "4 tsp" "gelatine" "20 ml"
.IG "2" "eggs"
.IG "\(12 tsp" "vanilla essence" "2.5 ml"
.IG "\(13 cup" "sugar" "60 g"
.PH
.SK 1
Save a small amount of the milk; put the rest in a saucepan, together with
the sugar and vanilla, and heat.
.SK 2
Separate the egg whites and save for later.  Beat the egg yolks with the
remainder of the milk and add to the heating mixture.
.SK 3
Stir to ensure the sugar is dissolved and bring to near boiling point to
thoroughly cook the eggs.  Do not actually boil.
.SK 4
Take the saucepan off the heat.  Dissolve the gelatine in
.AB "\(14 cup" "60 ml"
of boiling water and stir into hot custard.
.SK 5
Pour into serving dish and put into refrigerator to cool.
.SK 6
When mixture has cooled and almost set (it should be \fIshivery\fR at this
point) thoroughly beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them in using a
metal spoon.  Return mixture to refrigerator to properly set.
.NX
.PP
The texture of this dessert is supposed to be \fIsemi-fluffy\fR.  In this
regard, step 6 is somewhat critical.  If you fold in the egg whites too
soon, the liquid custard won't support them and you end up with a two-layer
result\(emsolid custard on top, very light on the bottom.  Some people may
like this, but it's not the way I make it.  On the other hand, if you leave
things too long, it becomes difficult to fold in the egg whites at all.
.PP
It's a good idea to whip the custard a little with a fork prior to folding
in the whites.  This breaks up the custard a little.
.PP
Depending on sweetness of taste, you may wish to alter the amount of sugar.
Our family had a sweet tooth, and I've reduced the original quantity as it
is.
.PP
One of the amazing things about this dessert is that it's \fIso\fR easy to
make, and yet tastes so good.
.SH RATING
.I Difficulty:
easy.
.I Time:
20 minutes + setting.
.I Precision:
approximate measurement OK.
.WR
Peter C. Maxwell,
Computer Science Dept., Uni. of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
peterm%cadvax.oz@seismo.css.gov