Here’s an old New England favorite prepared by grandmothers across the region. While this version my have a little more finesse than grandma’s, it’s still incredibly simple to prepare.
Grape-Nuts, made from wheat and barley, were developed in 1897 by C. W. Post. He thought that sucrose, which he called “grape sugar,” formed during the baking process. This idea, plus the cereal’s nutty flavor, inspired the name.
Vintage Grape-Nuts Custard Recipe
Ingredients
700 g Grape-Nuts cereal
2600 ml milk
40 eggs
775 g sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch salt
Method
Butter the inside of a 2″ hotel pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, and maple syrup until smooth.
Scald milk, then pour milk over egg mixture while whisking constantly.
Add the Grape-Nuts, then pour the entire mixture into the hotel pan.
Bake in a water bath at 375 for 35 minutes or until set. Cool at room temp, then refrigerate overnight. Portion with a ring mold, serve with a light caramel sauce.
Chef Chris Colburn 