Top 5 things we should bring back from the 1950′s
Women’s fashion - swing skirts with petite coats, fancy hats, gloves, nylons and high heels … That’s right nylons, I will take a pair with the seam up the back. The 1950′s gal was dressed to impress – I like her.
Homemade pudding - the kind with the skin that forms on the top. Not packaged-instant-boxed nonsense, the real deal made with milk and eggs, stirred by a mom in an apron.
Clean wholesome television - shows like “I Love Lucy” and “Leave it to Beaver” , heck I will even settle for “Happy Day’s. Anything would be better than the Carl’s Jr. smut Campaign we have on television now. Let’s save that conversation for another day …
Drive- in movie theaters - my kids will never know the fun of watching a movie from the back hatch of the car, under the stars on a warm summer night. Do you remember that heavy metal speaker that would almost break your window in two?
Malted milk powder - It’s one of those sweet creamy rich flavors that cannot be described other than … you know the flavor inside a Whopper! Can you think of a better description? Malted milk powder is naturally sweet and is made from barley malt, wheat, and milk. It became most popular in the 1950′s when Carnation malted milk powder hit the scene, and the unique malty flavor was added to milk shakes, it transformed regular ice cream milk shakes to something over the top, malted milk shakes. It’s almost impossible to find a good malted milk shake these days, but you can still buy Carnation malted milk powder at the grocery store and have fun adding it to your favorite treats at home. Believe me it’s there if you look for it, by the dried milk powder and Ovaltine.
There isn’t any better way to describe this chocolate malted creme brûlée other than telling you it’s like a giant spoon of creamy Whopper pudding with a sweet sugar crunch. Don’t let the fancy French “brûlée” name fool you into thinking you can’t make this. Custard is custard, whether you want to call it pot de creme, creme brûlée, flan, or pudding. The most important ingredient is the malted milk … put on apron and give it a try – I’m bringing it back!
Chocolate Malted Creme Brûlée
Serves 4-8 depending on the size of your ramekins
1 ¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup malted milk powder
1Tablespoon of good quality dark unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large egg yolks – Davidson’s Safe Eggs
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
½ cup raw sugar (brown turbenado sugar)
Handful of Whoppers for garnish
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees (no convection) and adjust rack into the middle of the oven.
- Boil a small pot of water for later.
- Heat the cream in a small sauce pot over low heat. Warm until the cream is hot, but not boiling – this is called a scald.
- Once the cream is hot, turn off the heat and mix in the malted milk powder and cocoa powder – whisk until combined.
- In a medium mixing bowl combine yolks, sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt
- Very slowly whisk in the warm cream into the yolks, first at just a thin stream and then increase until completely combined.
- Pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove any eggs that have curdled.
- Place oven safe brûlée ramekins into a shallow baking pan with sides and fill each dish with the brûlée mixture, leaving a ¼ inch room at the top ( you don’t want it to slosh around )
- Pull the rack out and set baking pan onto the rack- carefully pour your hot water around the brule dishes so that the water fills up to 1/3 of the way from the bottom.
- Carefully push the rack into the oven and lightly place a large piece of parchment paper over the top of the pan. (This will prevent a skin from establishing on the top of the custard)
- Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes- but check after 15 minutes to see if the custard is set. What you are looking for is the custard to set enough so that when you tap the side of the pan it jiggles like firm Jello, not watery. Don’t’ worry if it seems soft and jiggly in the center (not watery), it will firm up in the refrigerator.
- When done remove from the oven – allow to cool slightly, then place into the refrigerator with parchment over the top.
- Cool for about 1-2 hours (it will hold over night or 2-3 days covered).
- Take cooled brule and lightly sprinkle with sugar to form a thin layer crust.
- With your torch, 3-4 inches away, begin to caramelize the sugar until it is melted and bubbly- repeat 2 times more times.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature – garnish with Whoppers
- Do not put the brûlée back into the fridge after the sugar has been added, it will begin to melt with moisture.
24 Comments
I adore you!! This post ROCKS. Yes please. That’s what I have to say to every item on this list. And if I start driving now, will you make me some chocolate malted creme brûlée if I come over? Pretty please?
Rachael, we are vintage gals at heart… We would put on our hats and go out for tea
Oh, my, gawd. That looks fantastic! I want to jump through the screen for one of those ramekins!
Love this post and that brulee O.M.G!
Oh yes please, don’t think I can get malted milk powder in spain so may have to improvise!
Gorgeous. And I agree especially with the drive in movie revival. Why hasn’t someone done that? GREG
I would totally go to the drive in if there was one…
Yes, bring it back! I also brought back ramekins this week… and filled them with a souffle, complete with creme anglaise on top.
And I made homemade chocolate pudding last month. Can’t say I did it in heels, tho. Now I feel like I failed you. 
[K]
if I had all those eggs I would be making all kinds of custard! barefoot
Are you kidding me?! This looks absolutely unbelievable!!! (And what gorgeous images!) Love it!
This I call an exotic recipe
exotic? well okay, i like it!
My local drive-in movie theater morphed into a giant swap meet about 30 years ago. I did go to the movies there before that a couple of times though. But when I was a kid in Minnesota in the 1950′s we went to the drive-in a lot in the summer. Very fun family outing. We brought our own popcorn. My dad tore the outside door mirror off on the speaker column once. lol. Thanks for the memories.
The speaker is what I remember the most, plus walking to the concession stand to get treats. How fun!
Okay – so I’m not a creme brulee kind of gal… custards just aren’t my thing. But chocolate malt… now, that I can bring into my kitchen.
I love your website and agree with your article here we need to bring back the 1950s they were the best years great actresses such as lauren bacall and classy clothes the high heels etc.
i will try your crame bulee eat alot of flan here in arizona with my bbq best wishes alan
WOW. I love Whoppers and this is a must try. I am down the rabbit hole of links today but it’s from EatingRules via Casual Kitchen. Glad I found you.
rabbit holes are great… i’m glad you found me too!
Louise! I love creme brulee and I love whoppers – I am meant to eat this dessert – today – everyday! Great photos as always!
You know what I would bring back from the 50′s? My first car….’58 Rambler. Her name was Betsy and she was pink and charcoal grey. Although it was my first car in the 90′s…it was fun to drive for a while until the age of her gave out on me
It truly was a great era, the 50′s. I didn’t experience it for myself, but can live vicariously through the nostalgic items.
Great post…didn’t know about malted milk powder and its uses. This dessert looks divine.
I love that your car’s name was Betsy… I think we can be friends. We are restoring my daughters first car, a 70 Volkswagen Squareback ~ her name is Liz
Greetings! Very helpful advice in this particular article!
It is the little changes that will make the largest changes.
Many thanks for sharing!
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Your mode of explaining all in this article is in fact good, every one
be able to easily understand it, Thanks a lot.
How did this end up in spam? Thanks Natalie, hope to see you again soon.