Brown Sugar Skillet Custard
Butter tart filling with no tart. Brown sugar, powdered egg, and butter set in a skillet over coals.
- calories
- 430
- weight
- 3.2 oz
- cal / oz
- 134
- protein
- 5 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 20 min
- total time
- 25 min
- water
- 60 ml boiled
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dessert
- Campfire coals
- Grill grate
- Dutch oven
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Vegetarian
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Brown sugar | 1 cup | pack it; it will clump in the bag and that is fine |
|---|---|---|
| Powdered whole egg | 4 tbsp | equal to 2 eggs |
| Powdered whole milk | 2 tbsp | stands in for the heavy cream |
| Butter | 2 tbsp | ghee if it will be warm for days |
| Vanilla extract | 2 tsp | small dropper bottle |
| Salt | 1/4 tsp | |
| Pecans | 1/4 cup | optional, chopped |
Method
- Build a bed of coals and set a grate over it, or use a small skillet on a low fire. You want steady low heat, not flames.
- Melt the butter in the skillet and swirl it up the sides.
- Off the heat, stir 60 ml of hot water into the egg and milk powders until there are no dry lumps. Wait a minute for it to hydrate.
- Add the brown sugar, vanilla, and salt. Stir until the sugar is wet through.
- Pour the mix into the buttered skillet and scatter the pecans over the top.
- Cook over low coals 15 to 20 minutes, covered with foil or a lid. It is done when the edges are set and the middle still moves when you nudge the pan.
- Pull it off and let it sit ten minutes. It firms up as it cools.
This is a Canadian butter tart with the pastry taken away. The crust is the part that does not travel: cold butter, shortening, ice water, a rolling pin, and a fridge rest. The filling is the part worth carrying, and it sets on its own in a buttered pan.
Powdered egg and powdered milk replace the eggs and heavy cream, hydrated with a splash of hot water before the sugar goes in. Doing it in that order matters. Dump powder into brown sugar dry and you get lumps that never dissolve. Keep the heat low and pull the pan while the center is still loose, because carryover heat will take it the rest of the way and an overcooked custard turns grainy.
Packing
Brown sugar, egg powder, milk powder, and salt in one bag at home. Butter and vanilla ride separately. Nuts in their own bag so anyone avoiding them can skip the pan.
Variations
- Skip the pecans and the recipe is nut-free.
- A dutch oven with coals on the lid gives you a browner top.
- Dried cranberries or chopped dates in place of nuts, added before cooking.
https://www.lodgecastiron.com/blogs/recipe/brown-sugar-butter-tarts