Hot English Custard Over Frozen Berries
Hot English Custard Over Frozen Berries is an easy, comforting dessert. Fresh berries are frozen then hot English custard is poured over them to slowly defrost for a most enjoyable treat.
A simple, yet delicious dessert that is a great use of seasonal berries. Easy enough for a family meal dessert and elegant enough to serve at a dinner party. I may have had this for breakfast once or twice too.
The texture and flavor sensation is one to behold. A spoonful of hot, creamy custard with a frozen berry is just so good. The custard helping defrost the berry in your mouth for a creamy, sweet bite.
This recipe was originally posted in 2014 but I freshened up the pictures and added a video.
Growing up, the best thing my mother made for dessert was English custard. I had to have it so piping hot that I could barely eat it. I don’t know why, it just tasted better to me.
This lovely berry dessert is quite easy to make. Sweet, fresh berries are frozen for 1 hour while you make the custard. You can prepare both of these a day ahead.
Why not by pre-frozen berries?
Fresh berries frozen for 1 hour v’s berries that have been sitting in the freezer for months are not the same. The already frozen berries are too hard and have lost their shape, whereas the short time the fresh ones are in the freezer, they still look pretty and are not as hard and defrost when they have the hot sauce poured over.
What berries are best?
I used raspberries (they taste so good with the custard), blueberries and strawberries. You will need to cut the strawberries to bite-size pieces.
This dish doesn’t have to be just a summer dessert, this would be perfect other times of the year with other seasonal fruits and don’t necessarily need to be frozen. What is better than piping hot custard on a chilly winter evening over a warm fruit compote?
This is not a thick custard, is more of a custard sauce which is perfect for pouring the same way I serve Rhubarb and Custard. If you like a thicker custard like in my Berry Custard Tart or Spring Orange Custard that is also a delicious option.
Hot English Custard Over Frozen Berries
Fresh berries are frozen then hot English custard is poured over them to slowly defrost for a most enjoyable treat.
Ingredients
- ½ pound (236 grams) fresh raspberries
- ½ pound (236 grams) fresh blueberries
- ½ pound (236 grams) fresh strawberries, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 ¼ cups (532 ml) whole milk
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ¼ cup (40 grams) cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the berries on a baking sheet in an even layer. Freeze for 1 hour.
- To a medium saucepan, add the milk and sugar over medium heat, bring to a simmer.
- While the milk is coming to a simmer, add the eggs to a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the cornstarch until smooth. Slowly drizzle while whisking ⅓ cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture. This will temper the eggs and stop them from curdling or cooking. Add the egg mix to the pan while whisking until thickened. Once the custard has thickened, remove from the heat. If it is too thick, whisk in more milk until it reaches a sauce consistency.
- Stir in the vanilla and mix until well incorporated. If the custard is a little lumpy, just strain through a sieve.
- Serve berries in a bowl and pour over the hot custard. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
6 ouncesAmount Per Serving Calories 361Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 199mgSodium 117mgCarbohydrates 59gFiber 6gSugar 43gProtein 11g
12 Comments on “Hot English Custard Over Frozen Berries”
I made with last night for friends and after making the custard the day before all I had to do was freeze the berries while we ate our meal. Just re-heat the custard and it is ready really fast. everyone loved it.
Yay. This is one of my go-to spring/summer desserts for this very reason 🙂
How thick should it get? And can it be chilled for later?
It can be as thick as you like, I just wanted it thin for this recipe, but I usually make it thicker to top on pies or crumbles. Yes, it can be chilled for later. Thank you for stopping by.
I love the idea of having this custard over compote! Yum yum : ) thanks for sharing
Yum….sounds so good.
This sounds so delicious. Nothing is better than fresh berries and cream, and now I’ve found your recipe for Hot English Custard. Thanks for sharing — pinned/shared.
G’day! It would make me lick the plate! Your photo and recipe is great! Cheers! Joanne
This sounds awesome! I used to work at a French cafe and I loved their Crème Anglaise with fruit or with French toast. Your Hot English Custard reminds me of that, but I love the hot over frozen idea… takes it up a notch! Yum!
Nothing beats homemade custard, and your recipe is just lovely. I love the idea of freezing the berries and I can just imagine the wonderful effect this would have 🙂
What a great idea to highlight berries. Looks like the custard is easy to make too! Thanks Janette! Pinned!
I took one look at this picture and knew you hadn’t used berries from the freezer section of the grocery store. Can’t wait to try this recipe, so simple yet elegant.