Eggnog Custard with Crushed Peppermint

My new favorite dessert is Eggnog Custard. You know it's the holidays when you see eggnog in the stores!

We have a friend who makes the most incredible boozy eggnog. It's my favorite kind! But wait!

This dessert is not boozy (though I just had an idea...) This one is delicious for the whole family!

Though I have had custard desserts in restaurants many times, I have never attempted to make it.

Now that I know how easy it is, I plan to make it more often. Though this dessert recipe is really easy, it's also so decadent that guests will think you worked for hours. Let’s keep it our little secret!

Ingredients

You probably already have milk and eggs in your fridge. You'll also need sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice,  vanilla, and a crushed peppermint candy cane.

I love desserts I can throw together at the last minute! Was I right about the ingredients? Other than the candy cane (which I do usually have during the month of December!) I was set to go!

Directions 

 Preheat oven to 325°.

Warm milk in a saucepan, making sure not to boil.

Milk should not be hot but just warmed.

Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla, and half of the pumpkin pie spice.

Slowly whisk the warm milk into other ingredients.

Pour mixture into 6 ramekins and divide the remaining pumpkin pie spice between the ramekins.

Place in the pan with hot water covering the bottom half of ramekins.

Place the custard mixture in the oven for 40 minutes, until the custard is firm on the sides but jiggles in the middle.

Do not over bake or the texture will change.

While the custard is baking, place 1 candy cane in a resealable baggie and crush with a mallet. Set aside.

Remove custard from oven and let cool. Once cool, sprinkle crushed candy canes on each custard.

Refrigerate for 2 hours or more before serving.

This recipe took me all of 15 minutes to prepare, and a total of 40 minutes to bake.

I like the whole process was under an hour! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did. 

Variations

There are so many different ingredients that would go well with this Eggnog Custard. In fact, for those who are vegan there's a delicious vegan custard for you!

Try some of these variations, as well:

• Add whipped cream and berries.
• Try white chocolate with raspberries.
• Add whipped cream and shaved dark chocolate.
• Top the custard with a little lemon zest and vanilla bean paste before baking.

Looking for more Christmas desserts? I think you'll love this candy cane cookie recipe and this recipe for peppermint crunch cookies is amazing.

More Christmas Desserts