Custard alla Corningware - Baked Breakfast Custard

I have been running into a bunch of vintage French White Corningware pieces lately don't have model numbers on the bottom.   First the Loaf Pan and, what I can only guess to be, a 13x9 Lasagna Dish.  NOW I have run across 12 ramekins.

These aren't the standard F-16-B 16oz ramekins that you usually see.  They are tiny little 4oz ones, that have "4oz - 115ml" printed on the bottom.  The only other indicators on the are the "Made in USA" and "Corningware" labels.  No "F-something or other-B" or any other such alpha-numeric indication of what piece it is.

I don't really have use for 12 ramekins, but at .50 cents each, I went ahead and purchased them all; then gave 4 to my aunt.   It was just too good of a deal to pass up and since I had no idea that they ever made ramekins this small in pyroceram...

Sure I have seen them in stoneware all over the place.  In fact, World Kitchen makes 7oz as well as 24oz sizes.  Alas, up to this point, I have never seen them in vintage pyroceram.

This morning, armed with the perfect sized ramekins, I decided to make some comfort food.  Simple baked custard is one of my favorite breakfast foods.  Lightly seasoned with nutmeg and not too sweet (I like my breakfast custard a little less sweet and more on the refreshing side, thus I only use 1/4 cup sugar most of the time)

Growing up on a goat dairy, and having chickens as well, left us with an abundance of both milk and eggs. Thus, we ate a lot of custard when we were kids.  Mom use to bake a gigantic bowlful of it. (I think it was even a Pyres bowl)  She would set the bowl in the middle of the table and we would simply scoop out a bunch with a big spoon.    Ah, memories......  Honestly though, making custard in individual size means shorter baking time and easier serving.  I'm just sayin'  ;-) 

Baked Custard

2 cups Whole Milk
Pinch of Salt
3 large Eggs
1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
Nutmeg for Garnish
2 quart Tea Ketle (P-105)
1 quart Saucemaker (P-55-B/P-64-B) 
French White Lasagne Pan (no "F" model number) or F-21 Open Roaster
French White 4 oz Ramekins (no "F" model number)

Preheat oven to 350F degrees and position the oven rack in the center of the oven.
Fill a 2 quart Teapot with fresh water and place over medium flame, bringing the water to a simmer.

Set six (4 oz) French White Ramekins into a French White Lasagne Pan (or an F-21 Roasting pan) or other  large baking dish.

Place Milk, along with a pinch of Salt, into a 1 quart Saucemaker and set over medium heat.

Place Eggs a medium bowl (That is a Pyrex Forest Fancies 402 1 1/2 quart, BTW).

Add Sugar..... (If you like your custard a little less sweet, go with 1/4 cup instead of the 1/3)

Whisk until thoroughly combined.

When steam wafts from the Milk, it's ready.

Slowly pour the hot Milk over the Egg/Sugar mixture, whisking constantly.

Strain the resulting mixture back into the Saucemaker, for easier pouring. (I always strain custard to make sure the chalaza is filtered out)

Fill each of the 4 oz Ramekins a little over 3/4 full (up to the flare on the rim) and place back in the lasagne dish.

Sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg.

Move the lasagne dish to the oven rack.

Carefully pour the hot water from the 2 quart Teapot into the Lasagne pan.

(fill past 1/2 way, this will protect your custard better)

Cover with Aluminum foil to prevent the custard from forming a crust.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.... The outer edges should be set, while the center should still be slightly jiggly.

Remove the Lasagne dish from the oven.
Remove the Ramekins from the hot water, immediately, with canning tongs. (Best thing ever invented!)

Place the ramekins on a cooling rack and allow to come to room temperature (about 1 hour)

Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours. (you may store custard for up to 2 days)

mmmmmmmmmm  Comfort Breakfast Food!

Where is your Corningware??
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A Weighty Proposition - Vintage Corningware vs. New Pyrex

I have heard, from several people, (my mother included) that Corningware is too heavy for everyday use.  This may be true, but I think it's a relative matter.  Not to sound like a chauvinist, but I am a male and I use a lot of copper and cast iron.  So to me, Corningware seems fairly light, or at least, not any heavier than a copper pan.  Granted, it's not as light as aluminum, that's for sure.  I'll be honest though...  The idea of cooking in aluminum freaks me out.  I simply do too much acidic cooking (Tomato, Citrus, Vinegar, Wine) to be able to get away with aluminum cookware.

Non-stick coatings freak me out even more.  True, there are new ones that are "supposedly safe", but I am still not completely convinced. Part of me thinks it's just an excuse to put a "Green" label on an aluminum pan and charge more money for it.  Let's face it, the amount of cheap cookware/bakeware (made in China) on the market boggles the mind.  Most of it will have to be replaced in 2-4 years.  Such a waste of room in the landfill as well as the consumer's money.

That is why I love my Corningware; as "heavy" as some of the pieces may be.  It's non-reactive, non-porous, doesn't stain (unless mistreated), it's easy to clean (though I don't do much shallow oil frying) and acts a lot like cast iron. 

But that brings me back to my original point.  I got to wondering.  I know the 5 quart Casserole (P-84-B, A-84-B) is heavy.  It IS a 5 quart monster, after all.  But I got to pondering the baking dishes.  In particular the 9x13 (P-21) and the huge 10x15 (P-76-"B") and my French White roaster (F-21) which is not 9x13, as the number would supposedly indicate.  I believe that at some point in the late 70s the A-76 (previously P-76-"B" (the "B" was not always present) was dropped from the line and the dimensions of the A-21, which was the P-21 before 1972, were altered to be 12.25x10.5 so it now fell in between the original 2 pieces.  Handles were added as well, and the suffix of "-N" was placed on some pieces. (I saw this on the bottom of my mom's Shadow Iris piece) This may have had something to do with the switch to "metric" about that time cause the bottom of my French White (F-21) has "4.5 liter" printed on the bottom, but I am not sure.

Anywho...  Now that I have confused everyone with strange alpha-numeric codes... Here are more neuron numbing numbers... LOL

I grabbed the Pyrex... (I do not own any "Vintage" Pyrex glass baking dishes... At least I don't think so.)

Sure enough, the 7x11 piece (2 qt) weighed in at 2 lbs 4.9 oz.

While the 9x13 piece (3qt) weighed in at 3 lbs 14.2 oz (just shy of 4 lbs)

Then the 10x15 piece (4qt) came in at a whopping 4 lbs 13.7 oz.  This is the heaviest of ALL the pieces I weighed... Including the French White Roaster. (F-21)

The Corningware P-332 (7x11 "2qt") was a little on the heavier side for it's size. (I borrowed my youngest brother's because I don't have this size) At 3lbs 9.1 oz it's even heavier than the 10x15 4qt (P-76-B).

My P-21 (9x13 "3qt") Corningware dish weighed in at a only 2lbs 7.9 oz (only slightly more than the Pyrex 2qt 7x11)

Heck, my P-76-B (10x15 "4qt") weighs less than the Pyrex 10x15 AND the 9x13, coming in at a mere 3 lbs 8.8 oz

Now, my F-21-B (4.5liter) French White roaster does weigh in at a more hefty 4lbs 5.2 oz, but it still weighs less than the 10x15 4 quart Pyrex baking dish. (not by much though)

So, in essence, for the most part, the Vintage Corningware baking dishes ("P" model numbers at least) weigh less than the Pyrex bakeware that is still on the market.  P-332 is the exception to the rule, of course.  Though I, personally, don't use that size all that often, if at all.  (As is evident, since I don't actually HAVE that particular piece and had to borrow my brother's for this little exercise in weights and measures.)

Pyrex is no longer "actual" Pyrex anymore, being made of tempered soda-lime glass instead of borosilicate.  World Kitchen's excuse for the switch is that tempered soda-lime glass is lighter and more break resistant.  I am not buying it.  And the numbers don't lie.  It's actually heavier than my borosilicate vintage Corningware, for the most part.  I would be curious to find some vintage borosilicate Pyrex and see if the vintage pieces are lighter than the newer soda-lime ones.

I think it's time for me to retire all of my newer Pyrex baking dishes to the Goodwill and just stick with the vintage Corningware.

Pyrex has left the building!  (not my opal glass mixing bowls or refrigerator dishes though, I'm keepin those.... They are vintage pieces and I don't think those were ever made of borosilicate glass anyway)

Where is your Corningware??
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