Learn how to recreate the Dead Alive custard scene!
When I think of food & horror movies, the first scene that comes to mind is Freddy Krueger’s Soul Pizza from A Nightmare on Elm Street 4. But since I’ve already covered how to make that, lets move on to the second thing that comes to mind – the cringe-inducing custard scene from Dead Alive.
My Dead Alive Custard (garnished with an ear, of course!) looks unnervingly close to the custard in the film, and is a bit unsettling to look at before taking a bite. You might get a bit squeamish while trying out this recipe, but after tasting a spoonful of my Dead Alive Custard…you’ll get over it.
The original mold I purchased is no longer available, but I found this similar one (affiliate link), but if you can find gummy ears, those work great, too.
Gross-Out Your Guests with Dead Alive Custard!
What You Need:
Strawberry Sauce
- 2 Cups of strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 T. of fresh lemon juice (around 1/2 a lemon)
- 1 T. of cornstarch
- 1/3 Cup of granulated sugar
White Chocolate Custard
- 1/2 Cup of granulated sugar
- 3 T. of cornstarch
- 4 egg yolks
- 3 Cups of milk
- 1 stick of cold salted butter
- 1 t. of vanilla extract
- 1 Cup of white chocolate chips
Ear Garnish
- White Candy Melts
- Milk Chocolate Candy Melts
- Orange-color Candy Melts
- Ear-shaped Mold
- Pearl or gold chocolate candies (such as Sixlets)
- ...or use gummy severed ears.
What To Do:
For the Strawberry Sauce
Start by combining the berries, lemon juice, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally, while mashing the berries with your spoon.
Continue cooking until the berries have softened. Then add in the cornstarch while stirring quickly. Turn the heat up to medium-high and continue to cook until the sauce has thickened.
Then press through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any pulp. Allow to cool.
For the White Chocolate Custard
While our strawberry sauce is cooling, prepare the white chocolate custard. Start by whisking together the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan – mixing these together before turning on the heat while ensure a smooth custard without any lumps.
Turn the heat to medium-high and add in the milk and egg yolks. Whisk constantly for about 10-12 minutes. Once the mixture has started to thicken and bubble, remove it from the heat.
Add in the white chocolate, vanilla and cold butter. Stir until completely melted.
Pour the mixture into individual serving dishes. Allow to cool slightly, and then cover each dish with a piece of plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the
top. Make sure that the plastic wrap is actually touching the surface of the custard. Refrigerate until fully-chilled, around 2-4 hours.
For the Ear Garnish
To make the ear garnish, simply pour chocolate into an ear mold, and refrigerate until firm. I used a combination of white and orange vanilla candy melts with a little milk chocolate. I got this particular mold from CyberTrayd.
After unmolding, use a dab of melted chocolate to attach a small candy to the earlobe.
Alternatively, you can also shortcut this step by using gummy severed ears.
To Serve
To serve, add a little splash of strawberry sauce to the top of each custard. Swirl it around a little, and top with an ear.
