America Top 10

  • Home
  • Find A Top 10 List
  • News & Information
  • Our History
  • Contact Us

What is Custard?

August 11, 2016 By Elizabeth Leave a Comment

What do cheesecakes, ice cream, trifles, Bavarians, crème brûlée, pots de crème, and pudding all have in common? These creamy and very delicious desserts are all custards, if you didn’t notice. Custard is a culinary preparation made by blending eggs with milk or cream and it is thickened by the coagulation of the egg proteins, which is achieved by gently heating the custard in some way. It is mainly used as a dessert, or as a base for a dessert, or as a dessert sauce.

custard

Custard is usually cooked in a double boiler (bain-marie) in which keeping the cooking air moist and heating the custard gently to prevent it from curdling or cracking are both possible. It can also be heated very gently in a saucepan on a stove, as well as steamed, baked in the oven with or without a water bath, or even cooked in a pressure cooker.

Depending on how much egg or thickener is used, custard may vary in consistency from thick and firm, as in creme brulee, to nearly liquid, as in creme anglaise. Pastry cream, which is used as a filling for classic desserts like cream puffs and éclairs, is made by adding some sort of starch, such as flour.

There are three types:

  • Pure or basic is the most delicate type. They require careful attention during cooking, which is usually done in the even heat of a water bath, as they can quickly go from undercooked to broken and curdled.
  • Starch-thickened custards contain ingredients such as flour or cornstarch for added thickening power. These starches give custards more body, making them sturdy enough to endure cooking with direct heat.
  • Gelatin-set custards have a structural firmness that only gelatin can provide

So, are you ready to give custards a try for your next desserts? Do tell us what recipes you are most interested in and we will see what we can do.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Random Fact

The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies.

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Twitter

Related Information

<?php echo Easy Wicking Tubs; ?>

Easy Wicking Tubs

June 18, 2019 By Elizabeth

<?php echo What is a Neurologist; ?>

What is a Neurologist

June 16, 2019 By Elizabeth

<?php echo Birdhouses from Recycled Material; ?>

Birdhouses from Recycled Material

June 14, 2019 By Elizabeth

<?php echo Rained In? Go to the Library!; ?>

Rained In? Go to the Library!

June 12, 2019 By Elizabeth

<?php echo Benefits to Brow Threading; ?>

Benefits to Brow Threading

June 9, 2019 By Elizabeth

About America Top 10

It is all thanks to you! We never envisioned when America Top 10 launched way back in 2011 that we would come this far this fast. And it is all thanks to you. You have made America Top 10 the successful resource it is for tens of thousands of people like you every single day.

And we cherish all the wise advice, suggestions, questions, and comments you send us every day even if we do not get a chance to get back with every single one. We take pride in helping people find trustworthy sources in their local areas and we hope to keep doing this for a very long time.

Recent Articles

  • Nerve Neuropathy
  • Easy Wicking Tubs
  • What is a Neurologist
  • Birdhouses from Recycled Material
  • Rained In? Go to the Library!

Search

Copyright © 2022 America Top 10. All Rights Reserved.