I had someone to cook for last night! I spend so much time cooking for myself and eating dinner watching The Mindy Project that I get super excited when I have someone else to feed. I didn’t figure out what I wanted for dinner (recipe coming soon 🙂 ) until I got to the super market but I knew what dessert I wanted from the moment we made plans!

BIG NEWS! As you can see from the title there is booze involved. Since I am now the big 2-1 I was able to buy my alcohol (for cooking I promise!) myself! Yay!

This custard is easy, quick, and pretty darn difficult to mess up. It is a universal crowd pleaser – mixing velvety custard, meyer lemons, and berries, with the magicness that is rum.

Meyer Lemon and Vanilla Custard with Boozy Blackberries (Serves 6) 2 cups heavy cream

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 4 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 3 2-inch strips lemon peel
• 6 tbsp fresh meyer lemon juice, divided
• 2 tbsp Myer’s Rum (dark)
• 1 cup blackberries (or cubed mango)

1. Combine cream, 2 tbsp honey, and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a whisk, until it just begins to simmer. Turn off heat.
2. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean, add bean, add lemon peel, and remove from burner.
3. Steep for 3-5 minutes or until cream registers at ~160 degrees F.
4. Gently stir in 5 tbsp lemon juice with whisk.
5. Divide mixture, which should now be visibly thickening, among 6 small ramekins, cover in plastic wrap, transfer to the refrigerator, and let set for at least 2 hours.
6. Whisk remaining 2 tbsp honey with 1 tbsp meyer lemon juice and rum in a medium bowl. Toss  fruit in liquid and let sit out on your counter for 1-2 hours or until juicy.
7. Serve fruit on top of custard with a strip of lemon peel for garnish.

Check out the difference between a Meyer Lemon and a regular lemon:

Meyer Lemon vs. Regular Lemon (L to R)

Recipe adapted from: www.bonappetit.com/recipe/honey-lemon-custard-with-fruit