Apples Baked in Lemon-Anise Custard

I'm not quite sure where the idea for this one came from except that I was reading a whole lot of old cook books again. I think I saw apples baked in custard somewhere, and lemon and anise used a flavouring somewhere else, and and had them meld in my mind. And in my baking pan too.

This was impressively lively and intense in flavour in spite of the fairly simple list of ingredients, and we enjoyed it very much. Another time I might omit the apples and pour the custard over bread, for a bread pudding. I have used this combination of flavours before, in Three Seed Cake, but the cake was a bit more subtle. Sometimes I like subtle and sometimes I like something like this, much more emphatic.

As I suspected the apples did take a fair bit longer to bake than the custard, so do get them going in advance. They should be starting to soften by the time you add the custard.

6 to 8 servings
1 hour 15 minutes - 40 minutes prep time

Infuse the Milk:
1/2 cup maple syrup
the finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon anise seeds, bruised
1 1/2 cups milk or light cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Measure all the above ingredients into a heavy-bottomed pot and heat them over low heat until steaming; about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Prepare the Apples & Finish:
1 teaspoon butter
4 large apples
the juice of 1/2 lemon
1 or 2 tablespoons of sugar
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons flour

 Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Peel the apples, core them and slice them. Use the butter to grease an 8" x 10" shallow baking pan and arrange the apples over the bottom of it. Toss them with the lemon juice and sprinkle them with the sugar. Put the apples in the oven and bake them for 15 to 20 minutes.

Break the eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk in the flour. When the milk is cool enough not to set the eggs, strain it into the eggs. Press the debris to extract as much liquid as possible, then discard it - debris, not liquid. Whisk the milk into the eggs.

Pour the custard over the apples and return the pan to the oven. Bake for 40 minutes, until set. Serve warm or cold.

Posted in: Ontario Food