Baked Vanilla Custard and a Memory For Father’s Day
This smooth, creamy vanilla custard recipe can be prepared in less than five minutes for a quick sweet treat! It is baked to perfection and a great dessert for your whole family.
I’m going to try to get through this Baked Vanilla Custard post and story I have for you without tears drenching my keyboard. See, that’s the beautiful thing about having a blog and being able to “hide” behind a computer screen – no one can see me embarrass myself!
This weekend will be the first Father’s day since my dad passed away. I’ve had a little bit of anxiety leading up to the day wondering how I’m going to feel on the holiday: maybe I will be completely fine or maybe it will be a rough day that I can’t wait to be over with. Either way, I wanted to do something special to honor my dad for his first Father’s Day celebrating up in Heaven since I can’t do anything with him or for him here on earth.
Just this past December I went on a cruise with friends. I got back on the 21st – right before Christmas. On December 22nd I got a phone call from my brother, Joe, saying that while I was on my vacation, my dad was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer.
He cut right to the chase and told me that it looks really bad and my dad was going to undergo further testing to see if it spread to his liver (the doctors saw a suspicious spot on his liver, also). Now, my dad has always been the man with nine lives and we always “joked” with him about it.
He has endured many health problems throughout his life, including a prostate cancer diagnoses and a heart attack, but always came out on top. For some reason, my gut told me that it was different this time. He wasn’t going to be OK this time. He wasn’t going to bounce back from this one and I knew that in my heart.
I called my dad up right away after my brother told me this news and when he answered the phone, I lost it. I couldn’t even talk and I could tell by his voice that he was getting choked up. He said he wanted to wait until after Christmas to tell me the bad news but figured I would want to know as soon as possible.
He kept apologizing for the timing of it all and saying how he was sorry to be “ruining Christmas” for everyone. Obviously, I told him I could care less about the fact that Christmas was just a few days away and was just worried about him. He said he was gonna fight this cancer the best he could.
Before we hung up the phone he said to me, “Can I ask you for one favor? Can you make me a special ‘daddy’ dessert?” When I asked him what he wanted he thought for a second and then said “vanilla custard pudding”. I said I had never made that before but I would figure it out and make him his custard. It was the least I could do to make him happy. He had such a sweet tooth!
I only saw him two more times that month before he ended up in the hospital on the 28th of December. He died in the hospital January 14th – only a few weeks after he found out about the lung cancer diagnoses. I never got to make him that “custard pudding” he asked for. I felt so guilty about that for many months.
I had a couple of opportunities to make it and bring it to him and just put it off thinking that I had time and would have more chances that I could do that for him. I think when someone you love dies, there are always regrets. I found out that it is very normal to feel guilty about what you could have or should have done differently.
Not making him this dessert was an easy thing I felt like I could have just done and I didn’t. Instead of continuing to beat myself up over it, I thought the best way to “make it up” to him would be to make it for Father’s day.
Even though he can’t enjoy it, I’m sure this would make him proud. He loved to cook and was one of my big inspirations behind starting my blog.
This one is for you, dad. I hope you’re enjoying all kind of good desserts up there in Heaven. I love you and Happy Father’s Day…’til I see you again!
- 3 large eggs, slightly beaten
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla
- Dash of salt
- 2½ cups very warm milk
- Chocolate shavings, for topping
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- In medium bowl, beat eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt with wire whisk or fork.
- Gradually stir in warm milk.
- Pour into six 6-ounce custard cups.
- Place cups in 13x9-inch pan. Pour very hot water into pan to within ½ inch of tops of cups. Do this carefully, as to not spill the water, place pan in the oven on center rack.
- Bake about 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean.
- Remove cups from water. Cool about 30 minutes on a cooling rack.
- Sprinkle with chocolate shavings (I grated a bar of chocolate but you can buy them at some stores.)
- Eat out of custard cups or unmold and serve on dessert plates. You can eat these warm or refrigerate before serving. Store covered in refrigerator if there are any leftover.
I´m so sorry, once again, for your loss Ashley 🙁 This post had me choked up with tears. I´m so glad you made your Dad this special custard for Father´s Day. I can just imagine how he´s smiling down on you from heaven… 🙂
Thank you for being so real and heartfelt with this post Ashley. I’m over here all teary eyed thinking about your dad too. What a special way to honor him this Father’s Day. *hugs*
What a beautiful post Ashley. I’m sure your dad is enjoying this custard up in heaven!
Guilt is definitely common … my grandfather was also diagnosed and quickly died from lung cancer this fall … I still feel guilty about the fact that I didn’t make it to see him one more time before he died (we live about 10 hours away and thought we had more time to get up there..).
Ashley, I don’t know where to begin…this is a beautiful post and tribute to your dad. I am so sorry for your loss. From reading this, I know your dad was a very special, considerate, and fun-loving man. Clearly, you had a bond and relationship with him that not many people can ever say they experience. Don’t beat yourself up over regrets because you know he wouldn’t want it. It’s wonderful that you made this custard dessert and I bet he’s smiling from above. There’s a little quote I read the other day by Dr. Seuss and it kind of relates here. It goes something to the effect of ‘…don’t cry because it’s over but smile because it happened…’ I hope you smile on Sunday knowing you had a wonderful father.
What a beautiful story, Ashley – I got tears reading this. I know your father would love this dessert for Father’s Day. Big hugs to you.
I’m sorry you never got to make this for your father, Ashley, and I’m sure he would’ve loved it! Maybe he never got to taste this custard, but this post is such a heartfelt tribute to him. I’ve lost quite a few family members to cancer like this and it’s so difficult — I feel your pain. You’re in my thoughts!
You made me cry. I totally understand where the guilt is coming from. My husband died unexpectedly. Our last dinner was pancakes with hot blackberry syrup. One of those night, don’t you know. It took me years to let go of that. I know it sounds small and unimportant, but part of your grief clings to miniscule details like that. Hugs—Carol
Sorry for your loss…I lost my dad too. I was born on Father’s Day so this year is going to be a hard one.
Crying all the tears today with you, Ashley. This post is a beautiful tribute to your relationship with your dad. {hugs}
You’ve done your Dad very proud with this delicious dessert! Sending hugs Ashley!
I’m so sorry that you had to lose your Dad so quickly. What a gorgeous tribute to him. I’m sure he would have loved the custard puddings.
Oh, the tears. I knew about your father passing away, but reading this story about his request, your regret, you wrestling with the guilt and feelings … my heart breaks for you. What a good idea to make it for Father’s Day and to remember him this way. I bet this is delicious too!
I’m so sorry for the loss of your dad. I’m sure he would have loved this pudding. This was a lovely tribute to him. I hope tomorrow you’ll put the guilt aside forever. Your dad would never want you to feel that. My heart goes out to you.
What a great tribute to your dad. I’m sure he would have loved these custards.
I am so sorry you lost your dad, Ashley. I can’t imagine how tough that must have been. I bet you have tons of good memories with him though. And I’m sure he loved this custard.
oh lord….I’m getting misty…I’m so sorry for your loss, Ashley 🙁 I’m sure he’d appreciate this beautiful homage to him and the custards look beautiful and delicious!