Ingredients
Custard
- 1 litrewhole milk
- 1 tinevaporated milk, about 400 ml
- 1 tincondensed milk, about 400 g
- 5 tablespoonscustard powder
- or 5 tablespoons cornflour and vanilla
To flavour
- 1cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoongrated nutmeg
- 2 teaspoonsvanilla
- a pinch of salt
- 2bay leaves, optional
To set
- small plastic cups
- or paper cups
- or small plastic bags
Directions
- Mix the custard powder with a little cold milk. Make a completely smooth paste. Work out every lump at this stage. Adding powder to hot milk gives lumps forever. Put the rest of the fresh milk in a pan. Add the evaporated milk to it.
- Add the cinnamon stick and the bay leaves. Add the grated nutmeg and the salt. Warm it over a steady medium heat. Do not let it come to a full boil. Let it sit just below a simmer. Give it about eight full minutes. Pour a little hot milk into the paste.
- Whisk it in to loosen the paste. Whisk constantly as you pour it in. Keep whisking as it comes back to heat. It thickens noticeably within two minutes.
- Let it cook for three minutes more. It should coat the back of a spoon heavily. Add a little milk if it is too stiff. Finishing it is done off the heat.
- Take the pan off the heat entirely. Stir in all the condensed milk. Stir in the vanilla extract now. Taste it and adjust the sweetness. It should taste slightly too sweet warm.
- Pour it through a sieve into a jug. Let it cool to room temperature first. Cover the surface with cling film. That stops a skin forming on top. Pour the cold custard into small cups. Fill them about three quarters full. Cover each one with foil or film. Freezing them takes several hours.
- Put them in the freezer upright. Give them at least six full hours. Let them sit for two minutes first. Squeeze the cup to push the block up. They keep a month in the freezer. Wrap them well against freezer burn.
Technique
- This is a custard frozen solid rather than a churned ice cream, so it is dense and hard rather than soft.
- Custard powder is cornflour with colour and flavour and contains no egg at all, having been invented as an egg-free custard.
- Three kinds of milk go in: fresh for body, evaporated for richness and condensed for sweetness, a combination standard in Caribbean sweets.
Substitutions
- Plain cornflour with vanilla does the same job as custard powder, minus the yellow colour.
- Coconut milk in place of some of the fresh milk gives a different and very good version.
Variations
- Some makers add a swirl of fruit or a layer of jelly.
- A version flavoured with almond essence is common.
- Fudge and coconut ice blocks are sold from the same freezers.
History
A children’s treat bought at village shops, set in plastic cups or paper wrappers.
Frequently asked questions
What is Custard block?
Custard block is a dessert from Guyana: frozen block of sweet spiced custard, sold from home freezers. A children’s treat bought at village shops, set in plastic cups or paper wrappers.
How long does Custard block take to make?
Custard block takes 20 minutes plus freezing of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 12 blocks. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Custard block?
Yes, within limits. Plain cornflour with vanilla does the same job as custard powder, minus the yellow colour. Coconut milk in place of some of the fresh milk gives a different and very good version.
What is the most important thing to get right in Custard block?
Add the cinnamon stick and the bay leaves. Add the grated nutmeg and the salt. Warm it over a steady medium heat. Do not let it come to a full boil. Let it sit just below a simmer. Give it about eight full minutes. Pour a little hot milk into the paste.
