“Fish Fingers” and Custard

You probably recall that I’m a Doctor Who fan. I love DW almost as much as I love Harry Potter. Really, it’s thisclose (DW is probably tied with Star Trek…but I’ve never posted about Star Trek; I need to get on that). Yet this post is my only Doctor Who post. Until today. A Saturday. Which I, like, never post on, ’cause I take the weekends off. But tonight is the mid-season premiere of Doctor Who 6.5!!!!!

Excuse me for a moment…

**SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!**

Ahem. As I was saying, Doctor Who 6.5 premieres tonight at 9:00 p.m. EST. I can’t wait! And I made a treat for it.

Today, I bring you fish fingers and custard. Alright, for those Americans who aren’t also Whovians, this is fish sticks and pudding. Sounds delish, huh?

Not really.

Well, I have a sweet little trick up my sleeve, but first, a little back story…very short, leaving out all of the really important details, because then you would just get way too confused and I’d never be able to explain it all properly, especially just in one post. Really.

See, the Doctor regenerates when he’s killed. Well, not killed, ’cause he doesn’t die, because he regenerates, see? Already confusing, huh?

Anywho, he regenerates. He becomes someone new. Well, not new, because he’s the same old (and I mean old) Doctor he always was, but now he’s new (and young … sort of … but not really). Well, again, not new. He looks new. But he is new too, because he’s a new someone, with new looks, and attitudes, and tastes. But essentially, he’s the same. Get it? No? Well, just keep reading, you might.

So, like I said, the Doctor regenerates, he gets new. New look, new likes, new dislikes, and new tastes (but same old Doctor…). In his latest regeneration, into the Eleventh Doctor, played by the incredibly talented, super adorable, and perfectly perfect Matt Smith (as much as I love him, he’s still only my second favorite Doctor ever … ‘nother post), he needed to find that … something … to eat. Regeneration really takes it out of you, after all. Ten almost didn’t make it through his regeneration. Good thing he finally got a nice cuppa tea.

The Doctor isn’t really quite sure, since he doesn’t quite know himself anymore (even though he’s sort of really the same Doctor he’s always been) what he wants. After meeting the lovely little Miss Amelia Pond, he proceeds to explore the possibilities of what he may, or may not, want to eat, with little Amelia’s help, of course. She strikes out on every count, but he suddenly realizes that exactly what he needs is … fish fingers. And … custard. Or fish custard.

Fish Fingers and Custard

Of course, I knew then and there, the first time I saw it, that fish custard must be recreated. I’m a big ole chicken, though, and I refused to have actual fish fingers with my custard. I’m just not that brave.

So I came up with my own version. A sweeter, cookier version that has no fishy to it whatsoever. I made sweet vanilla “fish fingers” cookies and “breaded” them in a lovely graham cracker coating. And they look real. So real you may have trouble convincing people that they really are just cookies.

All you need for these sneaky little cookies is vanilla extract, almond extract (optional), confectioners’ sugar, salt, baking powder, all-purpose flour, an egg (for vegan/dairy free), unsalted butter or margarine (at room temperature), and graham crackers (Nabisco Original Graham Crackers for vegan/dairy free and Kinnikinnick Graham Style Crackers for gluten free).

As for the custard, I used my vanilla pastry cream from my fresh fruit tart recipe. The pastry cream can be made gluten free, however I don’t have vegan substitutions for it. A little research around the Interwebs brought up several very tasty sounding vegan pastry cream and vanilla pudding recipes.

The cookies mix up super fast (directions below), and if you don’t want to make homemade custard or pastry cream, instant vanilla pudding is an excellent stand in. Once the cookies are mixed, they need to chill for at least 20 minutes. While they’re chilling is a great time to mix up the custard.

Once chilled, shape one tablespoon portions of the cookie dough into three- to four-inch “fish fingers.” You can make them sort of flat on the sides, like a real fish finger, but that sort of disappears in the next step. Plus, once you bake them, they melt into the right shape anyway.

Roll each fish finger in the graham cracker mixture to coat it evenly. This is the “breading.”

Here are all of the cookies, coated and ready for the oven. You’d be hard pressed to admit that these aren’t the real deal! The graham cracker coating makes them look so perfect.

Once the cookies are done, you can serve them straight up with the custard, or you can add a little more excitement by making chocolate cookie cups to serve everything in.

These are the pretty much the exact same recipe as the fish finger cookies, except they have cocoa powder added. In fact, I made the dough for the fish fingers and these cookie cups all at once, then I divided it in half, and added the cocoa to one half. The dough is still chilled for 20 minutes, then it’s pressed into a lightly greased muffin pan to form cups. They onlytake 15 minutes to bake, and they pop right out of the pan.

I think these turned out so sweet and adorable, and perfectly Whovian. Chocolate always makes everything better, but…

…these are just as tasty, and awfully fun, served up just like the Doctor ate them. Enjoy!

“Fish Fingers” Cookies [Printable Version]
Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies

**Can be made vegan and gluten free with listed substitutions!!**

Ingredients

FOR THE COOKIES
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (GF for gluten free)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature (margarine for vegan)
1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons (91 grams), confectioners’ sugar
1 egg (1/4 cup egg substitute or 1 T flax seed combined with 3 T water, for vegan)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR THE “BREADING”
5 whole graham cracker sheets, or 75 grams (Nabisco Original Graham Crackers for vegan/dairy free and Kinnikinnick Graham Style Crackers for gluten free)
1 tablespoon (25 grams) sugar
2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, melted (margarine for vegan)

To make the cookies: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat until thoroughly combined and fluffy. Stir in the egg and extract(s) until combined. Sprinkle half of the flour mixture into the bowl and mix until just combined. Add the remaining flour, mixing until until thoroughly combined.

Cover and chill for 20 to 30 minutes.

To make the “breading”: In a medium bowl, or the bowl of a food processor, crush the graham crackers until they look like dry sand. Stir in the sugar. Add the melted butter and combine the mixture until it resembles wet sand; set aside.

Shape the cookies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees (165 C).

Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and shape one tablespoon portions of dough into 3- to 4-inch “fish fingers.” Roll each fish finger in the graham cracker breading, completely coating them, and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 20 to 23 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely before serving.

Chocolate Cookie Cups [Printable Version]
(This is essentially the same recipe as the “Fish Finger” recipe, but with cocoa powder added)
Makes 1 dozen

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (GF for gluten free)
1/4 cup (25 grams) cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature (margarine for vegan)
1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons (91 grams), confectioners’ sugar
1 egg (1/4 cup egg substitute or 1 T flax seed combined with 3 T water, for vegan)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Lightly spray a standard muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat until thoroughly combined and fluffy. Stir in the egg and extract(s) until combined. Sprinkle half of the flour mixture into the bowl and mix until just combined. Add the remaining flour, mixing until until thoroughly combined.

Cover and chill for 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (165 C).

Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and press three tablespoon portions of dough into each muffin cup, being sure to work it up the sides to form cups.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely before serving.

1 recipe Vanilla Pastry Cream OR 1 3.4-ounce package instant vanilla pudding

Recipes by Darla

Tagged as: Cookies, Custard, Dairy Free, Doctor Who, Fish Fingers, Fish Fingers and Custard, Fish Sticks, Geekery, Gluten-free, Pastry Cream, Recipes, the Eleventh Doctor, Vanilla Pudding, Vegan