Vanilla Bean Custard With Sour Cherry Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 cups low-fat milk or skim milk
• 6 large eggs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped seeds from
• 1 teaspoon cherry brandy (Kirschwasser would be used in Germany)
• chocolate sprinkles
• mint leaf (to garnish) (optional)
• fresh cherries (to garnish) (optional)
• 1 cup sweetened whipped cream

Sour Cherry Sauce

• 1 1/2 cups sour cherries (fresh or canned)
• 2 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 325°F Heat milk to a low simmer in a small saucepan. Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, sugar and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Gradually whisk hot milk into egg mixture. Stir in vanilla and Kirschwasser.

2. 2

   Pour custard mixture into 6 ramekins. Place ramekins in a large baking pan, and fill baking pan with water almost to ramekins' rims. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until custards are set but still quivery when shaken. Let cool, then shake on chocolate sprinkles. Garnish also with mint leaves and fresh cherries if desired.

3. 3

   For a pretty presentation, ladle Sour Cherry Sauce onto 6 dessert plates, dividing evenly. Place a ramekin in center of each. Place whipped cream in a zippered plastic bag, and snip a corner to make a piping bag. Pipe dots around each plate, and drag a toothpick through dots, making them into hearts.

4. 4

   For Sour Cherry Sauce: Place sour cherries, sugar and cinnamon in a blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher before dividing among plates.