Puddings & Custards

For a crust with the texture of a pecan sandy, nuts are blended into an easy, buttery press-in tart dough. The filling, made with a simple combination of brown sugar, milk, and egg yolks, is a nostalgic nod to butterscotch pudding. Using a rectangular fluted tart pan gives this stunner a more graphic look, and makes it a snap to cut into small servings—so family and friends can feel free to try every option on the dessert table.

Essentially crustless pumpkin pie, this custard relies on nonfat evaporated milk for its silky texture and rich flavor.

Chocolate mousse is the ultimate dessert for any chocolate lover. We like to make ours using bittersweet chocolate, which is high in pure chocolate (at least 35 percent cocoa solids) and makes for a deep chocolate flavor. (Plus, it's also a great eating chocolate.) If you prefer semisweet chocolate, which has more sugar and fewer cocoa solids than bittersweet, know that it can often be substituted in recipes without significantly affecting the flavor or texture.

Classic bread pudding is just how you remember it: perfumed with vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg, and dotted with raisins.

These individual creme caramel desserts will be an instant classic. So sweet and creamy, everyone will want seconds, trust us. 

This fabulous version of the favorite Southern dessert boosts the banana flavor by infusing it into the homemade vanilla pudding, in addition to the traditional slices layered throughout.  

The starch in Arborio rice -- typically used for risotto -- makes this pudding extra creamy.

Two kinds of persimmons are recruited for steamed pudding; soft, ripe hachiyas are used in the batter, and oven-dried slices of fuyu -- resembling orange flowers -- form a ring around the dessert. The pudding is full of golden raisins, pecans, and candied ginger and warmed by brandy's sweet heat.

Rediscover homemade pudding's comforting simplicity, then see how versatile it can be. Choose one or the other, or make them both! Use this basic recipe to create the following flavor variations and desserts: Chai-Cinnamon Pudding, Mocha-Chip Pudding, Rum-Raisin Pudding, Peanut-Butter Chocolate Parfaits, Boston Cream Pie, and Raspberry Napoleons.

The allure of creme brulee, French for "burnt cream," is in the textural contrast between the brittle caramelized topping and the smooth, creamy custard beneath.

One of Martha Stewart's favorites, creme brulee's seductive secret lies in the contrast between the brittle caramelized topping and the smooth, creamy custard beneath. French for "burnt cream," creme brulee is best served immediately after caramelizing its sweet, sugary surface.

Although this dish is a great way to use up old bread, it can also be made with fresh bread. Serve it with a scoop of mango ice cream.From the book "Lucinda's Authentic Jamaican Kitchen," by Lucinda Scala Quinn (Wiley).