what on earth will we call it?

I was making apple crisp one night this winter - or at least, I thought I was. I sliced all the apples and lay them in a great big baking dish (I am mad for fruit crisps and fruit desserts, always have been), then went into the pantry to get the brown sugar and spices - but we were almost out of brown sugar! I used a little, saving some for the topping. Went back into the pantry to get the oats for the topping and found we were out of those, too! Gah, what's going on around here?

So, change of plans. I put all of the brown sugar in with the apples and tossed them up a bit (maybe 5 apples, thinly sliced?). I set to work making something I usually avoid - a custard. I have a really sensitive stomach that can't handle a lot of animal products (not that you'd know that from reading this blog - it's all cheese this and butter that, but really I have to eat very little of these things that I make!). Still, it seemed the best way to salvage what I had. So. Into about 2 or 2 1/2 c. of skim milk, I whisked one egg. I added a touch (maybe 1 or 2 Tbl) of white sugar, a splash of Mexican vanilla, and then about 1/4 to 1/2 c. of mochi flour (a fine white rice flour used to make sweet rice desserts). I whisked and whisked, and poured the custard mixture over the apples.

Baked at 350 F. for about 45 min-1 hour. Let cool. Slice/scrape up (it's a little hard to get out and doesn't necessarily look that attractive), and enjoy! It was a hit - and we enjoyed the sweet apple taste of success for a few days before it was all gone.