Baked lime custards with raspberries — Crèmes au citron vert et aux framboises

In a few days, it will be Christmas. Lulu’s birthday. At home, we will have close Irish family and we will be eating bûche de Noël (if I can get to making one) and a lot of French Christmas food–delicate and elegant, because that’s what I feel like cooking this year. I will take the time to cook in my new space. Again. I’ve been missing it so much.

Maybe it’s also my mother’s fault.

When she and I talked on the phone today and I asked what she was going to cook for le réveillon (Christmas eve) and on Christmas day, her words and the dishes she described inspired me. I closed my eyes and for a moment, I felt I could have been in the kitchen with her. She made me want to cook one of the French Christmas dinners she always prepares, with pretty looking amuse-bouches, oysters, scallops with coral, sabayon, champagne, venison and a scrumptious looking bûche de Noël. I thanked her. “Why?” she asked. “Because you inspired my Christmas, despite the fact that I was feeling unprepared with everything we’ve been going through over the last few months.

What dessert are you going to cook?” she then continued.

So I told her about these baked custards that I made with lime and raspberries. It’s a recipe somewhat inspired by one found in Saveurs‘ December issue. I had decided to create this version one afternoon when it was snowing outside, there was a fire in the wood stove and I was getting presents wrapped and slipping inside the Christmas feeling.

P. was working from home while Lulu was napping tightly upstairs after having played on the slides in the morning, despite the wintry morning air. Something that, I had promised her, would translate into chocolate cookies when she woke up.

When four o’clock struck, I called to ask P. whether he wanted to try the custards with me.

I am trying this for our Christmas dinner,” I said. We sat down cozily on the floor in front of the fire, with one bowl and two spoons. And we started to eat.

I just want a taste,” I went on. “Me too,” he said.

We finished the first serving. And then had another one.

Then we smiled. We were enjoying a peaceful moment in our new home. At last.

Merry Christmas to all of you. May this holiday be filled with wonderful thoughts and happy times, love and delicious food.

I am glad to be here. I am glad to be back.

Baked lime custards with raspberries

(For 6 people)

You need:

  • 4 tablespoons (50 g) unsalted butter, soft + more for molds
  • 2/3 cup (80 g) blond cane sugar
  • 4 large eggs, separated
  • 4 tablespoons millet flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 limes, for juice and zest
  • 1 inch ginger root, peeled and finely grated
  • 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 10.5 oz (300 g) raspberries
  • Confectioner’s sugar, to serve

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F and butter 6 shallow wide bowls (mine measure 6 1/4″ by 2″); set aside.
  • In the bowl of a food processor, cream the butter and sugar together for a few minutes, and then add the egg yolks, one at a time. Beat until well incorporated.
  • Add the millet flour and baking powder and beat until combined.
  • Add the lime zest and juice and ginger.
  • Stir in the coconut milk.
  • Whip the egg whites firm with a pinch of salt and fold them in the previous batter.
  • Divide the lime batter between the bowls and stud the custard with raspberries. Bake the desserts for 20 minutes or until the flan is set and the top is golden in color. Let cool and dust with confectioner’s sugar when ready to serve. I find the custard best eaten lukewarm or at room temperature.
Posted in Dessert, Fruit, Gluten Free, Life and Us

57 comments

  1. Merry Christmas Béa, to you and your family and a very Happy Birthday to little Lulu. Looking forward to more great recipes, beautiful photos from you in the coming year, and your cookbook too!

  2. OH goodness.. berries snazzberries.. I love berries. Super fab work on the photos too. I really like how vibrant those berries are… thanks for sharing.

  3. And I am glad to read you again 🙂 Très belles fêtes à toi aussi et a ta famille dans votre nouveau sweet home. C’est toujours un grand plaisir de venir visiter virtuellement ton coin d’Amérique (eh eh et à Pâques l’an prochain, la visite ne sera pas que virtuelle puis que je viendrai trouver ma fille au-pair à Boston)

  4. Happy holidays in your new home! And Happy Birthday to Lulu! She’s such a big girl already.

    Our Christmas food will be the traditional way… We have such a strong Christmas meal tradition here in Finland that you know for sure what your neighbours are eating 🙂 I love it. For me Christmas is all about traditions. Those cozy family dinners make me feel warm inside… And this year we really need that warmth: we will have a real Christmas weather for Christmas Eve, -25°C *brrrr*

  5. i now know what our christmas pudding will be this year!
    merry christmas and all the best for 2011!! love, riet:)

  6. Welcome back! I’ve missed you. I was just telling someone about you and La Tartine Gourmande last night, and then this morning, here you are! You made my day! 🙂 I’m so glad you are starting to enjoy those real “home” moments in your new place. Joyeux Noël!!

  7. Merry Christmas to You Béa !!!!!

    And Happy B Day to Lulu (you can tell her, I just love her boots 🙂

    It’s great to read you again. Thank you.

  8. Merry Christmas to you and your family, Béa. When you are looking for ideas, you call your mum. When I’m looking for ideas, I read at you blog 😉
    Well, I read it even when not looking for ideas, too!!!!

  9. Bea, Your new kitchen looks wonderful. I’m sure you and Lulu will spend many happy hours there in the years to come. Merry Christmas to your whole family!

  10. I bought a lime tree today!
    Lulubelle those boots are outrageous, love them.

  11. I have a friend who likes to dress her little girl like a “crazy homeless person”. Of course, the kid’sclothes are cleaner and prettier than the crazy homeless lady’s, but the idea is to layer lots of wild colors and textures that no sane adult would have on. It’s a great look for a little girl, and I notice you’re outfitting yours similarly. 🙂

  12. Bonnes Fêtes!!! compliments pour la belle nouvelle cuisine, pour vos belles photos et vos bonnes recettes! Bon anniversaire à LULU!

  13. Joyeux Noel to you and your family.
    I too am far from my family – every year at Christmas I used to get homesick for the reveillons of my childhood. Now I decided to host a modified one myself and this has made such a difference for me.

  14. I know those conversations with mom about meals all so well. I love it. This dessert is totally up my alley. Have a wonderful Christmas Bea and happy birthday to Lulu!

  15. Wow — the custards look delicious! 🙂

    Happy holidays to you, and happy birthday to Lulu!

  16. Wishing you and your family a blessed holiday season!!!

  17. Merry Christmas Bea! The baked custard looks fantastic, seems to be a good alternative to mousses if guests do not like to eat raw yolks. I was wondering, why is it when I try to make chocolate ganache with yolks, it curdles despite tempering the yolk mixture with warm cream? Also, I couldn’t find your langue de chat recipe… It would have been a great companion to the hazelnut and chocolate custard (adapted from your dark chocolate custard recipe).

  18. The confectioner’s sugar looks just heavenly over your custard. As always, beautiful images. Lime and raspberry are perfect together!

  19. Thank you for all of the wonderful images throughout the year, Bea. I hope your holiday has been truly lovely.

  20. Drats, we’ve had the last garden raspberries four weeks ago. Next June, then…
    In the meantime, have a great holiday season

  21. I have two lime trees blooming in my dining room l’orangerie. By June, the limes should be ripe, and just in time for my fresh-picked raspberries and this fine recipe. Merci!

  22. Belated Christmas greetings and a warm birthday hug for your adorable little one! All the best for the New Year! And thank you for letting your inspiration overflow to us all 🙂

  23. Thank you, once again, everyone. I am sorry I don’t have more time these days to chat and write. But once our house is back in place and our life settled, it will surely happen. 2011, eh? My in-laws and friends loved this dessert when I served it on Xmas day.

    Rayelynn, which ganache recipe are you referring to? Also, the langue de chat recipe is definitely something I have to post. You are reminding me of it.

    Merci!

  24. Dear Bea,

    Happy New Year!

    You’re welcome! I should be the one saying “Merci!” for replying and putting up the recipe for the langue du chat (hops around in anticipation and glee). Cat’s Tongues are my favorite snacks =)

    The chocolate ganache recipe was not taken from la tartine gourmande as i was looking for a chocolate tart filling that did not require baking with the shell and could provide a good contrast in taste and texture to the other tart filling (lemon cream). The recipe in question was posted as Robert Linxe’s Chocolate Tart ( I was trying to do the filling, rather.) at Smitten Kitchen. My guess is that I did not leave the cream and chocolate mixture to cool down sufficiently before whisking in the egg yolks causing them to scramble…

  25. Hi Bea, This is my first visit here but certainly not my last. I’m loving your beautiful photography – what amazing light. Looking forward to perusing your archives. Happy New Year!

  26. My, 2010 was quite the year for you. Gosh, I can’t get over how gorgeous your photos always are. You should write a post about how to take better pictures for us amateur food bloggers. All the best for 2011.

  27. Hello Beatrice,

    I religiously love your food blog, its brought a whole new world to my doorstep, i would love to share your spice histroy as cusine is spice laden, in Turin once i couldnt find a eatery with spice food everything has a sweet taste I ordered rice with drinking choclate and mixed the choclate with ground chilly powder and enjoyed my meal . When nutmeg is fresh a special covering know as an aril or arilus wraps around this seed known as mace, it has a distinct purplish red hue and is extracted seperately as a milder flavoured version of the nut.

  28. Pingback: {live here, eat that} vintage and modern : This Little street

  29. Looks like the perfect dessert for little girls. So yummie, so beautiful! Your pics are adorable!

  30. Pingback: Homemade Baked Lime Custard with Raspberries | Au Petit Goût

  31. Bonjour, merci pour cette jolie recette qui m’a tant inspirée que je l’ai végétalisée (je cuisine vegan). Je me suis permise de poster ma recette sur mon blog avec un lien sur votre recette. Si quoi que ce soit vous déplaisait n’hésitez pas à me contacter. Merci !

  32. Pingback: Crèmes cuites au citron vert et framboises // Baked lime custards with raspberries | C'Végétal

  33. Pingback: Mansikkasitruunajälkiruoka – Virva Lehto