High altitude makes cookies spread in the pan, cakes fall, and few baked goods turn out as they do at sea level. This twice-monthly column presents recipes and tips that make baking in the mountains successful. 

Can a dessert be homey and sophisticated at the same time? This one seems to be. It’s a baked custard, just like grandma used to make and the one small children love, but it’s flavored with Grand Marnier, a premium French orange liqueur of international renown. It adds an elegance that transports plain custard from the kitchen table to a gourmand gathering. I first tasted it at a fancy restaurant known for its five-star cuisine and yes, its creamy texture reminded me of my childhood, but the delicate aroma, and blend of sweet orange with warming cognac kicked it up to another level. I hurried home, researched recipes, and have been making it in single servings (cups) ever since. In the summer, I dress them casually with a topping of fresh berries. At other times, I add a glaze of dark chocolate ganache (heavenly), dark chocolate curls and/or a rosette of Grand Marnier-flavored whipped cream. 

Baked Grand Marnier custard cups

Make in 1/2-cup capacity porcelain ramekins. Yields six servings. Adjusted for altitude.

Active time: 25 minutes Total time: 2 hours plus chilling

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 4 1-by-3-inch strips of orange peel or 1/4-1/2 teaspoon orange oil
• Three large egg yolks
• Two large eggs
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, preferably superfine
• 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier

Get ready: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees with a rack in the center position. Create a water bath: Locate a low metal pan (I use a small roasting pan) that will hold the 6 ramekins so they are at least 1/2-inch from the pan sides and from one another. Line the bottom with a kitchen towel to keep the ramekins from sliding once water is added. Start heating a kettle of water so it will be boiling when you finish preparing the custard.

Heat liquids: Place cream, milk and orange strips in a heavy saucepan, warm over moderate heat to just below boiling. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 minutes, then discard the orange peel or stir in the orange oil. If using the oil, start by adding 1/4-teaspoon, give it a taste and add more to your liking. 

Whisk eggs and sugar: In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, whole eggs, and sugar and whisk (by hand or with an electric mixer) until they turn a light lemon color and thicken slightly. Be gentle — you don’t want to create air bubbles. Stir in the cream mixture and the Grand Marnier. If necessary, eliminate air bubbles by straining the mixture into a container with a spout.

Prepare for baking: Divide the custard mixture evenly among the ramekins and place all but one of them in the metal pan you’re using for a water bath. Space them so water can flow all around each of them and leave an opening for the last ramekin. Place the pan in the oven and slowly pour boiling water into the pan at the open space. After the water is about 1/2-inch deep, place the last ramekin in the pan and add enough additional water so the bottom 2/3 of each ramekin is submerged. Lay a piece of aluminum foil over the pan.

Bake: Bake until the custards are set and only the centers jiggle slightly when you shake the pan. A knife blade inserted into the center of one of the custards should come out clean. Expect this to take 40-50 minutes but start checking earlier. 

Cool and serve: Carefully remove the pan from the oven, lift the cups out off the water bath (I use tongs to do this) and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely. Refrigerate them covered for at least 5 hours and up to 2 days. Add the topping of your choice and serve them chilled. 

Vera Dawson’s column “High Country Baking” publishes biweekly in the Summit Daily News. Dawson is a high-elevation baking instructor and author of three high-altitude cookbooks. Her recipes have been tested in her kitchen in Frisco, where she’s lived since 1991, and altered until they work at elevation. Contact her at veradawson1@gmail.com.