Vanilla-Rum Custard

You only need six ingredients to whip up this simple, satisfying Occitan dessert.

Serves
6–8
Time
1 hour, plus setting time

PHOTO: MATT TAYLOR-GROSS • FOOD STYLING: JESSIE YUCHEN

Published on January 22, 2026

“Occitan is an ethnic group that dates back to the fifth century and is distinguished by its [dialect] Langue D’oc, an ancient tongue (which happened to be the language of the legendary Knights of the Round Table) from which Provençal and Catalan are derived,” writes author Roberta Corradin. “While the Occitan community inhabited large swaths of western Europe in the Middle Ages, it has dwindled to just a few geographical pockets in Spain’s Catalonia, southern France (including the Languedoc region), and several valleys in the Italian Alps. In Italy, the Occitan population is tiny—about 200,000—but we have a strong identity, defined by our language and our foodways, to which we cling fiercely.”

This satisfying six-ingredient dessert is an excellent example of the rustic Occitan cooking in northern Italy. Bake the vanilla-rum custard in one big pan or individual ramekins for a rich after-dinner treat. For optimal temperature and texture, take it out of the refrigerator about 10 minutes before serving.

Featured in “Home for the Holidays” by Roberta Corradin in the December 2010 issue.

Ingredients

¾ cup sugar
½ tsp. kosher salt
4 large eggs, beaten
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped (pod reserved for another use)
4 cups heavy cream
5 Tbsp. light rum

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Instructions

Step 1

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 300°F. Place a 3-quart baking dish inside a roasting pan. Bring a small pot of water to a boil.

Step 2

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, eggs, and vanilla seeds. Whisk in the cream and rum until well combined. Pour the mixture into the baking dish, place the roasting pan on the oven rack, and add enough boiling water to the pan to come halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake until the custard is slightly loose in the center, 40–50 minutes. Remove the dish from the pan and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours, or up to 12 hours.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 300°F. Place a 3-quart baking dish inside a roasting pan. Bring a small pot of water to a boil.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, eggs, and vanilla seeds. Whisk in the cream and rum until well combined. Pour the mixture into the baking dish, place the roasting pan on the oven rack, and add enough boiling water to the pan to come halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake until the custard is slightly loose in the center, 40–50 minutes. Remove the dish from the pan and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours, or up to 12 hours.