De Luxe Rennet Custard

Rennet custard is a throwback to an older era of home cooking, the kind of dessert your great-grandmother might have set on the porch in a glass dish on a Sunday afternoon. Rennet tablets coagulate warm sweetened milk into a silky, barely-set pudding without any eggs or starch.

What makes this the “de luxe” version is the topping bar. Once the custard sets, you crown it with cranberry sauce, toasted coconut, orange segments, fresh raspberries, chopped walnuts, and pineapple tidbits, basically a sundae built on milk pudding instead of ice cream.

The texture is the whole appeal. Rennet custard is softer than a baked flan but cleaner-tasting than pudding, with a delicate milky flavor that plays well against tart fruit and crunchy nuts.

Kitchen Tips

• Use whole milk, low-fat milk often won’t set properly because rennet works best with full milk fat.
• Heat the milk just to lukewarm (around 110°F / 43°C). Too hot and the rennet enzyme denatures, too cold and it won’t activate.
• Work fast once the rennet tablet is crushed and added, you have only a minute or two before the milk starts to set in the pan.
• Pour into serving dishes immediately and don’t disturb until fully set, jostling will break the gel and leave a grainy texture.
• Top only right before serving, fruit juices will break down the custard if they sit for long.

Variations

• Swap raspberries for sliced strawberries in the peak of summer.
• Add a splash of rum or brandy to the warm milk for an adult version.
• Drizzle with chocolate syrup or caramel sauce in place of the fruit for a different sundae effect.