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Vanilla Custard with Wine Mousse Topping (Welfenspeise)

This is a popular dessert at weddings and other celebrations. It was named after the powerful medieval dynasty of the Welfen, whose colors are white and yellow.

Ingredients

For the custard:

  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean or 1-1/2 tsp pure vanilla bean paste
  • 1 strip organic lemon peel
  • pinch salt
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • 3 egg whites

For the topping:

  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

For the custard:

  • Bring 1½ cups of the milk to a boil in a small saucepan with the sugar, vanilla, lemon peel, and salt. Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining ½ cup milk. Remove the milk mixture from the heat and whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Bring the custard to a boil while whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and continue whisking for a few more minutes to avoid lumps. Set aside.
  • Beat the egg whites until they stand in stiff peaks. Fold them into the hot custard. Remove the lemon peel and pour the custard into a large glass serving dish or individual dessert bowls. The serving dish or bowls should be only half full to leave space for the topping.

For the wine mousse topping:

  • Mix the egg yolks with the sugar in a metal bowl and whisk with an electric mixer to a thick consistency. Add the wine. Pour into the top of a double boiler or place the metal bowl over a pot with gently
Course: Dessert
Keyword: Custard, Vanilla