{14/365} Magical peach leaves

{14/365} Magical peach leaves
Originally uploaded by redmag

....ok this photo...well it's not a great shot....and this little peach tree is one of the few plants in my new backyard that I don't feel any love for...not sure why just don't really get the miniture fruit tree thing...plus I am mourning the loss of my apricot tree when it was looking like it might finally pay off after three years of love.....

...this photo is all about the leaves and the fact that we discovered that when added to homemade custard they add an amazing almody flavour to them.....

My sister and I began a new family tradition this past Christmas - we both made trifles that we ate separately on opposite sides of the world for pudding at our respective Christmas feasts....we're working towards making the ultimate trifle....this year mine was a blend between a Margaret Fulton and a Stephanie Alexander recipe....and the best bit was the custard...because of (as suggested by Stephanie) the addition of peach leaves....I know, I know... the mister and I also muttered what wanky crap when we read it out loud in the throws of our last minute cooking frenzy and had we not had the leave so close at hand they would have been ignored....but if you can add them do you won't regret it!

My slightly modified version of the custar in Stephanie Alexander's Peach trifle recipe from the Cook's Companion

1 cup milk
1 cup cream
6 peach leaves washed and dried
8 egg yolks
1/4 cup castor sugar
1 tablespoon plain flor
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bring milk, cream and peach leaves to simmering point in a heavy-based saucepan. Remove from the heat and allow to infuse for 15 mins, meanwhile whisk egg yolks with sugar and flour. Remove the peach leans and whisk in the warm milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Put mixture back onto the heatand cook over a moderate heat, stirring constanly with a wooden spoon and the mixture thickens. Remove from the het and add the vanilla. Allow to cool before using.

I'm going to use this in strawberry flan this weekend - given i didn't snap a trifle shot I'll showyou how it turns out.