2. When the cherries are the desired consistency, remove the bowl from the cooker. Transfer the cherries and their poaching liquid to a storage container and let cool. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight. Serve chilled, with some of the liquid. Keeps for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
poached fresh apricots
Alexander the Great supposedly introduced the apricot, along with the peach, to the Greco-Roman world after one of his military forays into the East, although it was centuries before cultivating the beautiful flowering tree became popular. Apricots make the best preserves and canned fruit, so with these easy-to-make poached fruits, you delightfully have a cross between the two. You will poach these apricots whole with their pits still in and store them in their lovely syrup, giving credence to their Eastern name, Moon of the Faithful, a reference to their fragrant, perfect moon shape.
MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;
fuzzy logic only
CYCLE: Porridge
YIELD: Serves 3
3 cups water
1 cup sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
1 pound (8 to 10) small, firm fresh apricots
1. Place all the ingredients in the rice cooker bowl. Close the cover and set for the Porridge cycle. Set a timer for 30 minutes. Check the consistency of the apricots at 30 minutes by piercing their flesh with the tip of a small knife; you want them firm, but slightly soft. Remember, they will soften a bit more as they cool.
2. When the apricots are the desired consistency, remove the bowl from the cooker. Transfer the apricots and their poaching liquid to a storage container and let cool. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight. Serve chilled, with some of the liquid.
pink wine quinces
Yellow-green and shaped like a knobby apple, the quince is an elusive fruit. It lives in old-fashioned backyards, where once it was a staple fruit in the autumn kitchen for poaching and jams. Although now a specialty item, the quince has lost none of its delightful flavor. With its hard, rather dry flesh, it must be slow cooked with plenty of sugar to transform it into the haunting apricot-orange hue. Quince is fruit that takes well to poaching. Here it is cooked in a spiced wine syrup made with slightly sweet blush wine (formerly rosé), which is a luscious pink. Perfect with sponge cake.
MACHINE: Medium (6-cup) rice cooker ;
fuzzy logic only
CYCLE: Porridge
YIELD: About 6 cups
4 cups fruity blush wine, such as White Zinfandel or Blanc de Pinot Noir, or imported rosé from Portugal, such as Lancer’s or Mateus
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1¾ cups sugar
5 cloves
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Two 4-inch cinnamon sticks
2 slices candied ginger
3 medium-size quinces (about 1½ pounds)
1. Place the wine, lime juice, sugar, spices, and ginger in the rice cooker bowl.
2. Quarter and peel the quinces with a sharp paring knife. With a melon baller or knife, remove the entire core area, cleaning out all the hard bits. Cut each quarter into 4 slices. Place the quince slices in the wine mixture. Close the cover and set for the Porridge cycle. Carefully open the cover twice during the cooking to allow a burst of steam to be released from the wine burning off its alcohol.
3. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, carefully open the cover, allowing the steam to escape. The fruit should be very tender; if it is not, reset for a second Porridge cycle and check every 15 minutes until the desired texture is achieved.
4. Remove the bowl from the cooker and let cool. Pour the quinces into a storage container, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Keeps for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
custards and steamed PUDDINGS
Steamed Banana Custards
Steamed Lemon Custards
Steamed Chocolate Custards
Country French Prune Custards
Steamed Ginger Custards
Chocolate Pots de Crème
Steamed Cappuccino Custards
English Pudding with Cranberries and Walnuts
Persimmon Pudding with Brandy Sauce
Mohr im Hemd
CUSTARDS
A custard is probably one of the most comforting and luscious of desserts. It is a combination of milk, sugar, eggs, and flavoring, cooked with very low heat until the eggs thicken the mixture and create the creamy texture as it sets.
There are two categories in the custard world. One is the small individual dish of custard called a petit pot de crème, or little pot of cream, with lots of egg yolks. The second is a custard, like a flan, that is turned out of its mold. The first type of custard is represented here.
Custards are either cooked on the stovetop in a double boiler or baked in a water bath in the oven. The rice cooker steamer tray or baskets meld both methods. The slow cooking ensures that the custards cook slowly and evenly, without giving the eggs a chance to curdle or get rubbery. They don’t dry out either. These individual desserts look so pretty in their beautifully made ceramic dishes. Steamed custards are a real joy. You can steam them one day, chill overnight, and then have them ready and perfect to serve ice-cold the next day. Test to see if the custard is finished cooking by piercing close to the edge; you want the center to be quite moist or else it will be overcooked.
Custards can be kept, covered, in the refrigerator for up to three days before serving.
Please note that these custards can be made only in on/off machines fitted with a steamer tray or baskets, not in the fuzzy logic machines. Because the machine will always contain boiling water, it will not automatically turn off. You must set a timer for cooking, then unplug the machine to turn it off after the custards are done.
CLICK TO SEE WHAT IS THE BEST DESSERT CUSTARD CUP?
steamed banana custards
This is a wonderful home-style, nurturing dessert adapted from a recipe by Jesse Cool in her book, Your Organic Kitchen (Rodale, 2000). Kids go nuts!
Machine: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
on/off only
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 4
2 medium-size ripe bananas, peeled and cut into thick slices
½ cup whole milk
½ cup half-and-half or heavy cream
¼ cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon pure coconut extract
1. Coat the inside of 4 custard cups or ramekins with butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray. Divide the banana chunks among the cups.
2. In a medium-size bowl, beat together the milk, half-and-half, sugar, whole eggs, egg yolk, and extracts with a whisk or handheld immersion blender until smooth. Pour the custard over the bananas, filling the prepared custard cups three-quarters full. Cover each cup with a small square of aluminum foil and crimp the edges to seal airtight.
3. Add 4 cups hot water to the rice cooker bowl, close the cover, and set for the regular cycle. When the water comes to a boil, arrange the cups in the tray or baskets (this works best steaming a double rack of custards at one time). Place the tray or baskets in the cooker and close the cover. Steam until the custards are just set and slightly wobbly in the center, 35 to 40 minutes. Unplug the machine to turn it off.
4. Remove the custards from the rice cooker with metal tongs. Remove the foil covers. Let cool, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
steamed lemon custards
We love this custard! Use an organic heavy cream, if you can, for a taste sensation you thought might not exist ever again—just like your grandma might have made, only better. Use the sumptuous pure citrus oils from Boyajian; the flavors are the edible perfume of the food world. You can find them in large supermarkets and gourmet stores.
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
on/off only
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 4
1
cup heavy cream
¼ cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon lemon oil or pure lemon extract
1. Coat the inside of 4 custard cups or ramekins with butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a small, deep bowl, beat together all the ingredients with a whisk or handheld immersion blender until well blended. Pour the custard into the prepared custard cups. Cover each cup with a small square of aluminum foil and crimp the edges to seal airtight.
3. Add 4 cups hot water to the rice cooker bowl, close the cover, and set for the regular cycle. When the water comes to a boil, arrange the cups in the tray or baskets (this works best steaming a double rack of custards at one time). Place the tray or baskets in the cooker and close the cover. Steam until the custards are just set and slightly wobbly in the center, 35 to 40 minutes. Unplug the machine to turn it off.
4. Remove each pudding from the rice cooker with metal tongs. Remove the foil covers. Let cool, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
steamed chocolate custards
A delectable chocolate custard that begs for some whipped cream on top.
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
on/off only
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 4
1½ cups whole milk
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Droste
¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. Coat the inside of 4 custard cups or ramekins with butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a small saucepan, whisk together the milk, chocolate chips, and cocoa over medium heat just until the chocolate melts, stirring occasionally.
3. In a medium-size bowl, combine the brown sugar and salt. Whisk in the whole egg, egg yolks, and vanilla until smooth. Whisk in about a quarter of the chocolate mixture, beating vigorously. Slowly pour in the remaining chocolate mixture in a steady stream, whisking constantly to avoid curdling. Pour the custard into the prepared custard cups. Cover each cup with a small square of aluminum foil and crimp the edges to seal airtight.
4. Add 4 cups hot water to the rice cooker bowl, close the cover, and set for the regular cycle. When the water comes to a boil, arrange the cups in the tray or baskets (this works best steaming a double rack of custards at one time). Place the tray or baskets in the cooker and close the cover. Steam until the custards are just set and slightly wobbly in the center, 35 to 40 minutes. Unplug the machine to turn it off.
5. Remove each custard from the rice cooker with metal tongs. Remove the foil covers. Let cool, then serve at room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve.
country french prune custards
This is a lowfat version of a French custard. The prunes are a traditional addition to country desserts and a favorite with many diners. Be sure to get the moist-pack prunes; otherwise, soak regular prunes for a few hours in hot water or hot water with some Cognac or brandy added. Drain before placing them in the ramekins.
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
on/off only
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 6
8 ounces (1 cup) pitted moist-pack prunes
One 12-ounce can evaporated skim milk
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. Coat the inside of 6 custard cups or ramekins with butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray. Line each cup with the prunes, dividing them equally among the cups.
2. In a small, deep bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and beat with a whisk or handheld immersion blender until well blended. Pour 1.3 cup of the custard into each custard cup over the prunes. Cover each cup with a small square of aluminum foil and crimp the edges to seal airtight.
3. Add 4 cups hot water to the rice cooker bowl, close the cover, and set for the regular cycle. When the water comes to a boil, arrange the cups in the tray or baskets (this works best steaming a double rack of custards at one time). Place the tray or baskets in the cooker and close the cover. Steam until the custards are just set and slightly wobbly in the center, 22 to 25 minutes. Unplug the machine to turn it off.
4. Remove each custard from the rice cooker with metal tongs. Remove the foil covers. Let cool, then serve at room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve.
steamed ginger custards
The bits of candied ginger, known as gingembre in France, melt into little pools throughout the custard.
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
on/off only
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 6
2 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
⅓ cup sugar
1 tablespoon crushed candied ginger
1. Coat the inside of 6 custard cups or ramekins with butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a small saucepan with a whisk, beat together the half-and-half and ground ginger until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.
3. In a medium-size bowl, gently whisk the whole eggs, egg yolks, and sugar together just until blended. Whisk the warm half-and- half into the mixture, beating with the whisk constantly. Stir in the candied ginger. Pour the custard into the prepared custard cups. Cover each cup with a small square of aluminum foil and crimp the edges to seal airtight.
4. Add 4 cups hot water to the rice cooker bowl, close the cover, and set for the regular cycle. When the water comes to a boil, arrange the cups in the tray or baskets (this works best steaming a double rack of custards at one time). Place the tray or baskets in the cooker and close the cover. Steam until the custards are just set and slightly wobbly in the center, 22 to 25 minutes. Unplug the machine to turn it off.
5. Remove each custard from the rice cooker with metal tongs. Remove the foil covers. Let cool, then serve at room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve.
chocolate pots de crème
The classic French dessert is steamed in the rice cooker steamer basket rather than being baked in the oven. This is rich, rich, rich. Make it in the morning and serve, gently chilled, that night, for the best texture. If you like your chocolate with the flavor of orange, add ½ teaspoon Boyajian orange oil (or more to taste) in place of the vanilla.
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
on/off only
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 6
2 cups half-and-half
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into chunks
1 large egg
4 large egg yolks
2½ tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1. Coat the inside of 6 custard cups or ramekins with butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine ½ cup of the half-and-half and the chocolate, whisking occasionally until smooth. Warm the remaining 1½ cups half-and- half in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove.
3. In a medium-size bowl, gently whisk the whole egg and egg yolks together just until blended.
4. Whisk the warm half-and-half into the hot chocolate mixture, beating constantly. Whisk in the sugar and salt. Slowly pour the chocolate mixture in a steady stream into the eggs, whisking constantly to avoid curdling. Whisk in the vanilla. Pour the custard into the prepared custard cups. Cover each cup with a small square of aluminum foil and crimp the edges to seal airtight.
5. Add 4 cups hot water to the rice cooker bowl, close the cover, and set for the regular cycle. When the water comes to a boil, arrange the cups in
the tray or baskets (this works best steaming a double rack of custards at one time). Place the tray or baskets in the cooker and close the cover. Steam until the custards are just set and slightly wobbly in the center, 22 to 25 minutes. Unplug the machine to turn it off.
6. Remove each custard from the rice cooker with metal tongs. Remove the foil covers. Let cool, then serve at room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve.
steamed cappuccino custards
The unique, complex flavor of coffee is a natural infused into a cream mixture for this custard. This is a favorite!
MACHINE: Large (10-cup) rice cooker ;
on/off only
CYCLE: Regular
YIELD: Serves 6
2 cups half-and-half
1½ tablespoons instant espresso powder, such as Medaglia D’oro
6 large egg yolks
½ cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1. Coat the inside of 6 custard cups or ramekins with butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a small saucepan, whisk together the half-and-half and espresso until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.
3. In a medium-size bowl, gently whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt just until blended. Whisk the warm half-and-half into the mixture, beating with the whisk constantly to keep it from curdling. Pour the custard into the prepared custard cups. Cover each cup with a small square of aluminum foil and crimp the edges to seal airtight.
4. Add 4 cups hot water to the rice cooker bowl, close the cover, and set for the regular cycle. When the water comes to a boil, arrange the cups in the tray or baskets (this works best steaming a double rack of custards at one time). Place the tray or baskets in the cooker and close the cover. Steam until the custards are just set and slightly wobbly in the center, 22 to 25 minutes. Unplug the machine to turn it off.
5. Remove each custard from the rice cooker with metal tongs. Remove the foil covers. Let cool, then serve at room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve.
STEAMED PUDDINGS
Popular since medieval times in Britain and later in the New England colonies, a “pud” is a must for ending winter holiday meals. Once heavy with suet, today’s steamed puddings are more like a steamed sponge or sweet quick bread, light and flavorful from fall fruits such as pumpkin and persimmon. They can be steamed in the medium or large on/off rice cookers with amazing efficiency and ease. We consider the large rice cooker the appliance of choice when steaming puddings.
The Ultimate Rice Cooker Page 42