Baked Custard Recipe - melissassouthernstylekitchen.com (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between baked custard and custard? ›

There are two types of custard. Stirred custards are cooked in a saucepan until thick but still liquid in consistency, while baked custards are usually cooked in ovenproof dishes in a water bath or bain-marie until set. Custard is widely available in supermarkets.

In my experience yolks in something like flan contribute to richness - so adding more of them (within reason) will amp up that sensation and make the whole dessert seem more filling. A 2-yolk flan made with 4 yolks, for example, will set slightly looser but taste far creamier and richer.

Baked custards, such as flan and crème brûlée, should jiggle (but not slosh) when gently shaken. This will occur between 170 to 175 degrees.

3 Varieties of Custard

There are three main varieties of custard: baked custard, stirred custard, and steamed custard. The first two are both popular in Western cuisine. Baked custard is typically firmer and made with whole eggs, while stirred custards can be much runnier and often only contain the yolks.

Our answer. With a baked egg custard the mixture sets as the proteins in the egg coagulate. When this happens the protein strands that are usually curled up start to unwind and stick to each other, causing the liquid they are in to thicken.

However, if they are overheated, too many bonds form and the proteins clump. To find a fix for lumps, we overcooked a simple custard to 205 degrees (the recommended temperature is 175 to 180 degrees), at which point it was full of large lumps. Rescuing the custard turned out to be a cinch with an immersion blender.

A low temperature and constant stirring are important to prevent the custard from curdling. Nigella also suggests that you half fill the sink with cold water so that if it looks as if the custard is starting to curdle you can dip the base of the pan into the water and whisk vigorously, to cool the custard quickly.

If you pour whisked eggs directly into a hot pan, they'll begin to cook immediately, resulting in something that looks and tastes a lot more like scrambled eggs than custard.

Generally, a fully cooked custard should not exceed 80 °C (~175 °F); it begins setting at 70 °C (~160 °F).

Why is my baked custard watery? ›

One degree during cooking can make a difference in the texture. When overcooked, it toughens, the liquid is squeezed out, and it turns into scrambled eggs and juice. It's important to gently heat the ingredients to set; it's the difference between thickening and curdling.

Strain into a clean, heavy-bottomed pan and heat over a medium heat (be careful not to have the heat too high), stirring constantly until the mixture begins to steam and thicken. The custard is ready when you can draw a clean line through it on the back of a spoon, using your finger.

In the case of a custard, these contractions squeeze the liquid out. The result is a curdled mass.) The bain marie solved this problem admirably. When the custard is surrounded by hot water and sit ting in a baking pan in the oven, it can`t overcook because the water temperature cannot rise above boiling (212 degrees).

If custard is overcooked, the more tightly the proteins join together. They becoming thicker, curdling and squeezing out all the water which you see evidence of coming from little tunnels in the custard, called synersis.

Pastry cream, also called crème pâtissière, is a versatile component in a baker's toolbox. Cooked on the stovetop, it's a custard akin to pudding, with a rich taste and a creamy texture that's thick enough to hold its shape.

Nutritional Value

Frozen custard is higher in fat and calories than ice cream. This is because of the egg yolks and heavy cream used in its recipe. Frozen custard is also typically denser than ice cream, which means it is more calorie-dense. Ice cream is typically lower in fat and calories than frozen custard.