I’m getting the chance to cater for an upcoming ladies’ luncheon this week and I’ve been prepping like cray. We’ve got what feel like gallons of poppyseed dressing and dill vinaigrette in the fridge, I’ve made nearly a year’s worth of mini herbed buttermilk biscuits, the angel food cake is R-E-A-D-Y, and STILL have an awful lot to do. On the plus side, we’ve gotten to taste-test a couple of dessert possibilities, and one really stood out as the hands-down-winner-take-all-winner-winner-chicken-dinner winner. Classic, fluffy Angel Food Cake with lemon-thyme boiled custard.
I know, I know, I know… y’all are thinking I should put myself on custard restriction since this is the like the 3rd recipe in a row that involves making it… but I just can’t help myself. It’s so EASY. and so creamy. and so, So, SO good.
This time, rather than using it as my ice cream base, or in my banana pudding, or as the filling for a tart, I just kept it plain and simple. I drizzled it over perfect personal-sized angel food cake popovers after steeping it in lemon zest and lemon-thyme, and it is a SHOWSTOPPER. It’s light, and the lemon and custard flavors just meld beautifully…toss in a strawberry and you’ve basically hit jackpot.
I’d initially thought about trying an herbed whipped cream, but realized pretty quickly that the fluffy lightness of angel food cake is basically CRYING out for a sauce. With my recent lemon-thyme obsession, and the springtime availability of Louisiana strawberries it just made sense.
What’s your favorite springtime dessert?
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅛ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cups whole milk
- 1 large egg + a yolk of another
- 5-6 long stems of fresh Lemon Thyme, tied into a bouquet garni with kitchen twine and crushed a bit to release flavor
- Zest of ½ lemon
- To Garnish:
- Strawberries
- Lemon Thyme Sprigs
- Lemon Zest
- Mix together the sugar and flour in a saucepan.
- Add milk and whisk until blended.
- Cook on medium heat until it is scalded (Don't let it boil! instead, when it begins to steam you'll know it's ready)
- Whisk the egg yolks so they are lightly scrambled, and temper them with some of the warm milk mixture (Do this by pouring in small amounts of the hot milk into the eggs and stirrings to warm the eggs up before you put them into the pot.) I usually use the same amount of milk as I have egg.
- Combine the hot egg into the milk mixture.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it's thick and coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove from heat, and drop in the lemon zest and bouquet garni of herbs
- Serve immediately over berries or cake, OR seal in an airtight container until you are ready to use it for up to 3 days.
- I recommend serving warm
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