Berries and Custard

I've had a hankering lately for my Grandmother's "Boiled Custard" - a thick custard sauce she would cook up whenever I went to visit. I remember her stirring and stirring at the stove (sometimes I would help) and when it was still warm we would spoon it over a dish of vanilla ice cream (Yarnell's, of course!) where it would slightly melt the ice cream before forming little ice crystals in the custard. Pure heaven!! Then the other day I happened to be watching Food Network and saw a berry recipe I wanted to try. I picked up a small container of fresh raspberries and a couple of pints of Louisiana strawberries. Tonight while the guys were at baseball practice I decided to whip up both for dessert. They were great together / with ice cream (though we don't have Yarnell's here) or separately! The kids had seconds on both and pronounced them both "keepers". 

(See thicker variation at the bottom!)

  Boiled Custard 

 3 eggs 

1 cup sugar 

2 tsp. cornstarch 

1 quart milk 

2 tsp vanilla 

 Beat eggs until creamy in a heavy saucepan. Mix together sugar and cornstarch and add gradually to the eggs, beating well after each addition. Add milk and stir well. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. Bring to a boil, turn heat off. Stir until thickened. Cool slightly; stir in vanilla. Chill - or serve over ice cream while still warm. 

  Fresh Berries in Syrup 

 2 pints fresh strawberries, raspberries or mixture, sliced 

1/2 cup granulated sugar

 juice of one lemon 

 Stir together and refrigerate for one hour. Stir before serving. Perfect over ice cream or cake!

**put in the ice cream freezer for a delicious frozen custard! 

** This can easily be made lower carb by using sugar substitute instead of sugar. I have not tried it using low carb milk alternatives, but that would be another option to try.

**for thicker custard - add two more eggs and 2 tsp. cornstarch to the above recipe. This will be thicker, but still pourable. If you want a really thick (like pudding) version, double the amount.