Crema al Forno con Punch Abruzzo

Baked Egg Custard with Punch Abruzzo

Infused with Punch Abruzzo, this silky liaison of milk, cream and eggs is comfort food that speaks Italian. Punch is a liquor from Abruzzo, the homeland of my grandfather, Gaetano “Pop” Crocetti. The flavor of Punch is a remarkable combination of citrus, coffee, chocolate notes and tobacco with a hint of rum and a hearty dose of spice. It’s got character, just like Pop.


Treat the eggs carefully and you will be rewarded with a smooth custard with a soft interior. First “scald” the milk, cream and sugar, a technique that involves heating them just until bubbles appear around the edges of the pan, far below the boil. Next, slowly combine the hot mixture with the eggs to “temper” them, ensuring that the heat of the heat of the oven does not shock and curdle them.

A bagno maria (water bath) further protects the egg custards from the dry heat of the oven, providing gentle heat and humidity to prevent the tops from drying out. The technique is simple. Arrange ramekins in a roasting pan, and fill them with the custard mixture. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan to a level halfway up the sides of the ramekins, all the while taking care to avoid splashing any into the custard. Cover the roasting pan with foil for extra insurance for tender custards with pliant tops.

And don’t skip the orange extract, either in the custard or in the whipped cream. In the custard, it rounds out the edges of the Punch. It enriches the whipped cream topping creating a perfect complement for the drink. Buy a bottle of first quality orange extract, such as Nielsen-Massey, and you will be rewarded with rich, but delicate orange flavor.

I love creme served plain with no topping, but Bart prefers a bit of sweetened whipped cream and a garnish. Who am I to argue?

Crema al forno con Punch Abruzzo

serves 4

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large egg yolks
1 scant tablespoon Punch Abruzzo
1/8 teaspoon orange extract

For the whipped cream topping and garnish
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon orange extract

candied espresso beans
candied orange peel

Beat 1/2 cup whipped cream with sugar and orange extract until very soft peaks form. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine heavy cream, milk and sugar in medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat to dissolve sugar. Scald milk. Remove from heat.

Whisk egg yolks briefly in medium bowl to break them up. Slowly add hot cream mixture, whisking very gently to combine. Avoid creating bubbles – they will bake into a tough top on the creme. Add Punch Abruzzo and orange extract. Stir gently to combine.

Place ramekins in roasting pan. Strain mixture into large measuring cup and distribute among ramekins.

Make a bagno maria – pour boiling water into roasting pan to a level halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Place roasting pan with filled ramekins on middle rack of oven. Cover snugly with foil, and bake until sides are set, but center is still slightly wobbly, about 26 to 28 minutes.

Remove creme from bagno maria and cool on a rack. When completely cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours and up to 2 days.

Serve plain or top custards with a dollop of softly beaten cream and candied coffee beans or candied orange peel, if desired.

Punch Abruzzo is available from A Cork Above.

For another great recipe with Punch Abruzzo, see Domenica Marchetti’s Ciambellone at DomenicaCooks.

Click HERE to learn more about Punch Abruzzo, and for recipes for Caffe, Cioccolata and Tiramisu with Punch!

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I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.