Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Heaven in a Tinfoil Cup

Staying home from school with a sore throat, at least before my tonsillectomy as a six-year-old, usually involved a cadre of special "sick treats."

One of the best was Hanscom's egg custard.

Smooth as silk, it was topped with a golden brown haze of nutmeg dots, nestled in a tiny crinkled-foil cup. I'd scrape off the nutmeg bits and eat those first.

Hanscom's Bakery was a Philadelphia institution, with outposts even in the suburbs. For a while, I recall a corner of the Acme had a Hanscom's display, with treats stacked high.

My grandmother had treats from Hanscom's, too, from time to time. Although, with Nanny, I recall more frequently having a whole chocolate frosted Tastykake Junior to myself and thinking it the very definition of heaven. I don't recall her ever making my sister and I share; we always had our own slab of cake.

While I've always been a cake girl, those egg custards are the things I associate with Hanscom's, and which I miss dearly. Smooth and filling, they were a great comfort food.

I could really use one of those custards. Right. About. Now.

3 comments:

Kitty said...

hm...I'm not sure I've ever had these, though I do have a recollection of something jiggly and very yellow.

Hope you aren't down with a cold. There are many people sniffling right now.

Vitamin C!!!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the Vitamin C reminder! Everyone I work with has this nasty, hacking cough. It's the last few sleepless nights that are getting to me.

I think Hanscom's goodies are a real Philadelphia institution. Other people say Horn & Hardart was far superior, but I can't recall ever putting them to a taste-test, personally.

My husband brought me home the next best thing: Black and White cookies!

Erik said...

anyone have the recipe for this? i have the same memories of this treat.