Baked Fig and Triticale Custard

Necessity is not the mother of invention. Instead, mothers invent necessities. Like creamy, baked custards. Did you ever have them as a kid? In our house, they were a favored dessert--and often when I was ill. For some reason, my mom thought a custard would buck me up, fortify my loins (or something like that).

As you well know, one of the biggest keys to finding satiety is having solid, good food memories. As Bruce and I discuss in our step-by-step plan to get off processed food, REAL FOOD HAS CURVES, it's only by pinging the memory centers of the brain that a food gives us any pleasure--and pleasure is the key, not to eating more, but to eating enough to be full and no more.

Too many kids these days are raised with bad food memories: processed, tasteless fare. There are few memories of real food being laid down in those memory stores. And that's not setting anyone up for a good relationship with food later on. Better a custard like this one than a microwaved slab of tasteless pizza. Yes, even with the honey. In fact, the dried figs let you use less honey than you'd expect.

And there's a whole grain in the mix: triticale. Don't know it. Tri-tuh-CAY-lee. It's a hybrid cross between wheat and rye, sort of like rolled oats but with lots more oomph, lots more flavor. Cooked triticale flakes are terrific in the morning with some maple syrup and a smidgeon of butter.

And here's a bonus: this baked pudding is also crazy-good the next morning. Breakfast two mornings in a row: first triticale flakes and then this custard. A real invented necessity, if you ask me. So here goes.

First, you'll need 2 cups (290 grams) cooked triticale flakes--sometimes called "rolled triticale." You can find them among the organic cereals at most supermarkets and almost all health food stores. You can also look right here. (No, we don't get a commission and are not connected with them in any way. But look how economical they are!) Cook up a batch for breakfast and leave yourself plenty of leftovers. You won't be sorry. Promise.

OK, now lightly butter an 8-inch (20-cm) square baking dish. And preheat the oven to 350F/175C.

Now mix all this in a big bowl: the cooked triticale flakes, 2 cups (475 ml) milk (whole, low-fat, or even fat-free), 1/4 cup (85 grams) honey, 3 finely chopped dried figs, 2 large eggs, 2 large egg yolks, 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract, a pinch of ground cinnamon, a pinch of grated nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Make sure the mix is quite creamy, without any strands of egg white floating free.

Bake until the top is golden and set, maybe 47 minutes, maybe 50. You want the thing to jiggle when tapped without being loose and liquidy. The custard will mostly rise to the top and set as a layer of sweet, luscious heaven. Cool at least 10 minutes before slicing it into wedges or squares--or cool to room temperature and store, covered, in the fridge for a couple of days.

A whole grain, honey, real eggs, a comforting dessert or breakfast, very homey and the stuff of good memories. What could be better?

Comments

[NS Foster]

This post struck a note with me--custard was *definitely* for illnesses. For cold, for flu, for adjusted-braces pain and pulled wisdom teeth. But ours always, always came from a can of Bird's.

[Celia]

Custard and figs fix everything, and I'd happily scoff a bowl of this for breakfast! :)