This recipe is hard to date, it was handwritten on a single sheet tucked inside the pages of a cookbook between bridge game tickets from 1942 and a newspaper clipping from 1953 so who knows when in between that time. What I can say is the folds are well worn and so it seems it was one that my great grandmother used frequently and I can see why! 

The ingredients were straightforward, using the best Irish milk and cream with some sugar, an egg and gelatine it was a quick and easy dessert to whip up and depending on how you present can look really elegant. 

 

Ingredients
To make the caramel....

1 Tbsp sugar 

1 Tbsp water

To make the custard...
1/4 pt milk

1 egg 

1/2 oz sugar 

Plus
1/4 oz gelatine
2 Tbsp water
1/4 pint cream 
1 Tbsp sherry or rum
To decorate
Whipped & sweetened cream
A few chopped Pistachio nuts (in our case we swapped for hazelnuts)

Method

1. Boil sugar to caramel & add 1 tbsp water

2. Pour on milk and stir over gentle heat until dissolved

3. Beat egg and pour caramelised milk onto it

4. Cook until it coats spoon

5. Add sugar

6. Pour into a bowl dissolved jelly in water, add to custard

7. Allow to cool slightly (it should begin to set a little). While this is cooling whip the cream lightly and add this along with the alcohol (if using) to the custard 

8. Pour into your dishes of choice and chill to set

 

The original recipe calls for whipped cream and pistachios to decorate. For us we felt the whipped cream was going to be just a little over the top with the dairy in the dessert so we served simply with some toasted hazelnuts on top.