EGG YOLKS AND CARDAMOM, ALMOND CUSTARD

     This Thursday I made a mocha angel food cake (with hot chocolate sauce and mocha whipped cream) for my cooking club's lunch.  The recipe called for 12 egg whites, leaving me with 12 egg yolks to use for something else. 
     Also this Thursday in the Taste section of the Minneapolis Star Tribune was a very timely article that began:  "You have 12 egg yolks.  Lucky you.  Here are just some of the foods you can make...
*  Homemade mayonnaise
*  Butterscotch pudding
*  Lemon curd
*  Hollandaise sauce
*  Kolache dough
*  Chocolate mousse
*  Spaghetti carbonara
*  Lemon tart
*  Avoglemono soup
*  Key lime pie
*  Creme brulee
*  Egg Yolk pasta
*  Zabaglione or sabayon
...".
     All good ideas!  Since we had friends coming over for dinner I was considering the lemon curd to make a tart since I also had a big bag of lemons on hand.  What I settled on was the following dessert which one of my cooking club members made for one of our past lunches.  It turned out so silky and delicious I'm sorry I didn't double the recipe.  Now I still have 6 egg yolks to use a.s.a.p.!

CARDAMOM-ALMOND CUSTARD.*   Serves 6.
This should be made one to two days before you plan to serve it.
*  3 cups half and half
*  1/2 cup sugar
*  1-1/2 tablespoons honey
*  3/4 teaspoon almond extract
*  3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
*  6 large egg yolks
*  Garnish:  Toasted almonds/Blueberries/Choice
     Combine half and half, sugar and honey in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a simmer; remove from heat; and stir in the almond extract and cardamom.  Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. 
     Preheat oven to 325ºF.  Whisk egg yolks in medium bowl to blend.  Gradually whisk in half and half mixture.  Place six 3/4-cup custard cups or souffle dishes in a roasting pan.  Divide custard mixture among custard cups.  Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cups.
     Bake custards until set around edges and center moves only slightly when cups are gently shaken, about 45 minutes.  Remove custards from water.  Cool.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  
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*  Source:  Adapted from "Bon Appetit", February 1999.