Traditions That Live On

Marrying into the White family brought new Christmas traditions and new recipes. Jeff's mother, Katherine, and grandmother, known as Grannie, were both wonderful cooks. I learned many secrets from each of them. Grannie made the best fried apples and creamed corn. Katherine's cornbread was always crisp and delicious. One of the Christmas traditions Katherine made every year was custard. I'll have to admit that at first, the egg smell was a bit too much for me, but over the years I have come to appreciate the thick, creamy taste of her custard. Her secret ingredient was marshmallows. After the custard had coated the back of the spoon, the sugar and vanilla had been added, she stirred in a bag of marshmallows that lended a wonderful texture to the custard.

Katherine is enjoying her first Christmas in heaven this year, so it's up to me to make custard for those in the family who have also acquired the taste for this labor of love. What Christmas traditions has your family handed down from generation to generation? I would love to hear from you!

Custard
1 dozen eggs
1 gallon of milk
1 T. vanilla
2 c. sugar
1 10-oz. bag of miniature marshmallows

In a large pan that can be placed over a double boiler, beat eggs well. Add milk and stir well. Place over double boiler that is on medium heat. Cook slowly. As mixture begins to warm, add sugar. Stir constantly until mixture thickens and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat and add vanilla and marshmallows. Place pan in ice water and stir 2 minutes to cool.

(Note: Cooking this amount takes patience and time! Don't try to hurry the process or you will end up with scrambled eggs.) When you are ready to pour into a jar to store, I would suggest straining it with a sieve to eliminate any small pieces of egg that may have cooked up. Stir custard each time you serve it.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.