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Custard is a variety of culinary preparations based on sweetened
milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulat ...
, cheese, or
cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
cooked with egg or egg yolk to thicken it, and sometimes also
flour Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cul ...
,
corn starch Corn starch, maize starch, or cornflour (British English) is the starch derived from corn (maize) grain. The starch is obtained from the endosperm of the kernel. Corn starch is a common food ingredient, often used to thicken sauces or sou ...
, or gelatin. Depending on the recipe, custard may vary in consistency from a thin pouring
sauce In cooking, a sauce is a liquid, cream, or semi-solid food, served on or used in preparing other foods. Most sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to a dish. ''Sauce'' is a French wor ...
('' crème anglaise'') to the thick pastry cream (''crème pâtissière'') used to fill éclairs. The most common custards are used in custard desserts or dessert sauces and typically include
sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or do ...
and
vanilla Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus '' Vanilla'', primarily obtained from pods of the Mexican species, flat-leaved vanilla ('' V. planifolia''). Pollination is required to make the plants produce the fruit from whic ...
; however,
savory Savory or Savoury may refer to: Common usage * Herbs of the genus ''Satureja'', particularly: ** Summer savory (''Satureja hortensis''), an annual herb, used to flavor food ** Winter savory (''Satureja montana''), a perennial herb, also used to ...
custards are also found, e.g., in quiche. Custard is usually cooked in a double boiler ( bain-marie), or heated very gently in a saucepan on a stove, though custard can also be steamed, baked in the oven with or without a water bath, or even cooked in a
pressure cooker Pressure cooking is the process of cooking food under high pressure steam and water or a water-based cooking liquid, in a sealed vessel known as a ''pressure cooker''. High pressure limits boiling, and creates higher cooking temperatures whic ...
. Custard preparation is a delicate operation, because a temperature increase of 3–6 °C (5–10 °F) leads to overcooking and curdling. Generally, a fully cooked custard should not exceed 80 °C (~175 °F); it begins setting at 70 °C (~160 °F). A water bath slows heat transfer and makes it easier to remove the custard from the oven before it curdles. Adding a small amount of cornflour to the egg-sugar mixture stabilises the resulting custard, allowing it to be cooked in a single pan as well as in a double-boiler. A
sous-vide Sous vide (; French for 'under vacuum'), also known as low-temperature, long-time (LTLT) cooking, is a method of cooking in which food is placed in a plastic pouch or a glass jar and cooked in a water bath for longer than usual cooking times (usu ...
water bath may be used to precisely control temperature.


Chemistry

Stirred custard is thickened by
coagulation Coagulation, also known as clotting, is the process by which blood changes from a liquid to a gel, forming a blood clot. It potentially results in hemostasis, the cessation of blood loss from a damaged vessel, followed by repair. The mechanism ...
of egg protein, while the same gives baked custard its gel structure. The type of milk used also impacts the result. Most important to a successful stirred custard is to avoid excessive heat that will cause over-coagulation and syneresis that will result in a curdled custard. Eggs contain the proteins necessary for the gel structure to form, and emulsifiers to maintain the structure. Egg yolk also contains enzymes like amylase, which can break down added starch. This enzyme activity contributes to the overall thinning of custard in the mouth. Egg yolk lecithin also helps to maintain the milk-egg interface. The proteins in egg whites set at 60–80 °C (140–180 °F). Starch is sometimes added to custard to prevent premature curdling. The starch acts as a heat buffer in the mixture: as they hydrate, they absorb heat and help maintain a constant rate of heat transfer. Starches also make for a smoother texture and thicker mouth feel. If the mixture pH is 9 or higher, the gel is too hard; if it is below 5, the gel structure has difficulty forming because
protonation In chemistry, protonation (or hydronation) is the adding of a proton (or hydron, or hydrogen cation), (H+) to an atom, molecule, or ion, forming a conjugate acid. (The complementary process, when a proton is removed from a Brønsted–Lowry acid ...
prevents the formation of
covalent bond A covalent bond is a chemical bond that involves the sharing of electrons to form electron pairs between atoms. These electron pairs are known as shared pairs or bonding pairs. The stable balance of attractive and repulsive forces between ato ...
s.


Custard variations

While ''custard'' may refer to a wide variety of thickened dishes, technically (and in French cookery) the word ''custard'' (''crème'' or more precisely ''crème moulée'', ) refers only to an egg-thickened custard. When
starch Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human die ...
is added, the result is called ''pastry cream'' (french: crème pâtissière, ) or confectioners' custard, made with a combination of milk or cream, egg yolks, fine sugar, flour or some other starch, and usually a flavoring such as vanilla, chocolate, or lemon. ''Crème pâtissière'' is a key ingredient in many French desserts, including mille-feuille (or Napoleons) and filled tarts. It is also used in Italian pastry and sometimes in
Boston cream pie A Boston cream pie is a cake with a cream filling. The dessert acquired its name when cakes and pies were cooked in the same pans, and the words were used interchangeably. In the late 19th century, this type of cake was variously called a "c ...
. The thickening of the custard is caused by the combination of egg and starch.
Corn flour Cornflour may refer to: * Cornflour (in the UK), corn starch, from the endosperm of the kernel of the corn (maize) grain * Corn flour (in the US and elsewhere), very finely ground cornmeal, ground from dried maize See also * Flour * Starch * G ...
or
flour Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cul ...
thicken at 100 °C (212˚F) and as such many recipes instruct the pastry cream to be boiled. In a traditional custard such as a ''crème anglaise'', where egg is used alone as a thickener, boiling results in the over cooking and subsequent 'curdling' of the custard; however, in a pastry cream, starch prevents this. Once cooled, the amount of starch in pastry cream 'sets' the cream and requires it to be beaten or whipped before use. When gelatin is added, it is known as ''crème anglaise collée'' (). When gelatin is added and
whipped cream Whipped cream is liquid heavy cream that is whipped by a whisk or mixer until it is light and fluffy and holds its shape, or by the expansion of dissolved gas, forming a firm colloid. It is often sweetened, typically with white sugar, an ...
is folded in, and it sets in a mold, it is '' bavarois''. When starch is used alone as a thickener (without eggs), the result is a ''
blancmange Blancmange (, from french: blanc-manger ) is a sweet dessert popular throughout Europe commonly made with milk or cream and sugar thickened with rice flour, gelatin, corn starch, or Irish moss (a source of carrageenan), and often flavoured w ...
''. In the United Kingdom, ''custard'' has various traditional recipes some thickened principally with cornflour (cornstarch) rather than the egg component, others involving regular flour; see
custard powder Bird's Custard is the brand name for the original powdered, egg-free imitation custard powder, now owned by Premier Foods. Custard powder and instant custard powder are the generic product names for similar and competing products. The product ...
. After the custard has thickened, it may be mixed with other ingredients: mixed with stiffly beaten egg whites and gelatin, it is chiboust cream; mixed with
whipped cream Whipped cream is liquid heavy cream that is whipped by a whisk or mixer until it is light and fluffy and holds its shape, or by the expansion of dissolved gas, forming a firm colloid. It is often sweetened, typically with white sugar, an ...
, it is ''crème légère'', . Beating in softened butter produces German buttercream or crème mousseline. A quiche is a savoury custard tart. Some kinds of timbale or vegetable loaf are made of a custard base mixed with chopped savoury ingredients. ''Custard royale'' is a thick custard cut into decorative shapes and used to garnish
soup Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot (but may be cool or cold), that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling soli ...
,
stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. A stew needs to have raw ingredients added to the gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables a ...
or broth. In German, it is known as Eierstich and is used as a garnish in German Wedding Soup (Hochzeitssuppe). Chawanmushi is a Japanese savoury custard, steamed and served in a small bowl or on a saucer. Chinese steamed egg is a similar but larger savoury egg dish.
Bougatsa Bougatsa ( ) is a Greek breakfast pastry (sweet or savoury) consisting of either semolina custard, cheese, or minced meat filling between layers of phyllo. Origin The name comes from the Byzantine Greek πογάτσα (pogátsa), from the an ...
is a Greek breakfast
pastry Pastry is baked food made with a dough of flour, water and shortening (solid fats, including butter or lard) that may be savoury or sweetened. Sweetened pastries are often described as '' bakers' confectionery''. The word "pastries" suggests ...
whose sweet version consists of
semolina Semolina is coarsely milled durum wheat mainly used in making couscous, and sweet puddings. The term semolina is also used to designate coarse millings of other varieties of wheat, and sometimes other grains (such as rice or corn) as well. Ety ...
custard filling between layers of phyllo. Custard may also be used as a top layer in gratins, such as the South African
bobotie Bobotie (Afrikaans: ) is a well-known South African dish consisting of spiced minced meat baked with an egg-based topping. Origin of name and recipe Bobotie appears to be a variant of ''Patinam ex lacte'', a dish documented by the ancient R ...
and many
Balkan The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
versions of moussaka. In Peru, ''leche asada'' ("baked milk") is custard baked in individual molds. It is considered a restaurant dish.


Summary of variations in French cuisine

French cuisine has several named variations on custard: * ''Crème anglaise'' is a light custard made with eggs, sugar, milk and vanilla (with the possible addition of starch), with other flavoring agents as desired ** With cream instead of milk, and more sugar, it is the basis of '' crème brûlée'' ** With egg yolks and heavy cream, it is the basis of
ice cream Ice cream is a sweetened frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. It may be made from milk or cream and is flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit such as ...
** With egg yolks and
whipped cream Whipped cream is liquid heavy cream that is whipped by a whisk or mixer until it is light and fluffy and holds its shape, or by the expansion of dissolved gas, forming a firm colloid. It is often sweetened, typically with white sugar, an ...
, and stabilised with gelatin, it is the basis of Bavarian cream ** Thickened with butter, chocolate or gelatin, it is a popular basis for a ''crémeux'' * ''Crème pâtissière'' (pastry cream) is similar to ''crème anglaise'', but thickened with flour ** With added flavoring or fresh fruit, it is the basis of ''crème plombières'' * ''Crème Saint-Honoré'' is ''crème pâtissière'' enriched with whipped egg whites * ''Crème chiboust'' is similar to ''crème Saint-Honoré'', but stabilised with gelatin * ''Crème diplomat'' and ''crème légère'' are variations of ''crème pâtissière'' enriched with whipped cream * ''Crème mousseline'' is a variation of ''crème pâtissière'' enriched with butter * ''Frangipane'' is ''crème pâtissière'' mixed with powdered macarons or
almond The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree. Within the genu ...
powder


Uses

Recipes involving sweet custard are listed in the custard dessert category, and include: *
Banana custard Banana Custard or Bananas and Custard is a type of traditional pudding made from banana slices mixed with custard. Preparation Bananas are peeled and then sliced horizontally into thin slices and added to a bowl of custard, the custard is then hea ...
* Bavarian cream *
Boston cream pie A Boston cream pie is a cake with a cream filling. The dessert acquired its name when cakes and pies were cooked in the same pans, and the words were used interchangeably. In the late 19th century, this type of cake was variously called a "c ...
*
Bougatsa Bougatsa ( ) is a Greek breakfast pastry (sweet or savoury) consisting of either semolina custard, cheese, or minced meat filling between layers of phyllo. Origin The name comes from the Byzantine Greek πογάτσα (pogátsa), from the an ...
* Chiboust cream * Cream pie * '' Crème caramel'' * '' Cremeschnitte'' * Custard tart * Danish pastry * Egg tart * Eggnog * English trifle * '' Flan'' * Floating island * Frangipane, with almonds * Frozen custard * Fruit Salad *
Galaktoboureko Galaktoboureko ( el, γαλακτομπούρεκο, tr, Laz böreği, ar, شعيبيات, lzz, Paponi) is a Greek, Turkish, Laz, and Syrian dessert of semolina custard baked in filo. Turkish ''Laz böreği'' is made with a type of puddi ...
*
Muhallebi Muhallebi is a milk pudding commonly made with rice, sugar, milk and either rice flour, starch or semolina, popular as a dessert in the Middle East. While the dessert is called Muhallebi in Greece, Turkey and Iraq, the Egyptian variant is c ...
* ''
Natillas () is a term in Spanish for a variety of custards and similar delicacies in the Spanish-speaking world. In Spain, this term refers to a custard dish made with milk and eggs, similar to other European creams as . In Colombia, the delicacy does n ...
'' * '' Pastel de nata'' * Pudding * '' Taiyaki'' * Vanilla slice * '' Vla'' * '' Zabaglione''


Physical-chemical properties

Cooked (set) custard is a weak
gel A gel is a semi-solid that can have properties ranging from soft and weak to hard and tough. Gels are defined as a substantially dilute cross-linked system, which exhibits no flow when in the steady-state, although the liquid phase may still di ...
, viscous and thixotropic; while it does become easier to stir the more it is manipulated, it does not, unlike many other thixotropic liquids, recover its lost viscosity over time. On the other hand, a suspension of uncooked imitation custard powder (
starch Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human die ...
) in water, with the proper proportions, has the opposite rheological property: it is negative thixotropic, or dilatant, allowing the demonstration of "walking on custard".


History

Custards baked in pastry ( custard tarts) were very popular in the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
, and are the origin of the English word 'custard': the French term ' croustade' originally referred to the ''crust'' of a tart, and is derived from the Italian word
crostata A crostata is an Italian baked tart or pie, also known as ''coppi'' in Naples and ''sfogliata'' in Lombardy. The earliest known use of ''crostata'' in its modern sense can be traced to the cookbooks ''Libro de Arte Coquinaria'' (Book of the Ar ...
, and ultimately the Latin . Examples include ''Crustardes of flessh'' and ''Crustade'', in the 14th century English collection '' The Forme of Cury''. These recipes include solid ingredients such as meat, fish, and fruit bound by the custard. Stirred custards cooked in pots are also found under the names ''Creme Boylede'' and ''Creme boiled''. Some custards especially in the Elizabethan era used marigold (''calendula'') to give the custard color. Page 183. In modern times, the name 'custard' is sometimes applied to starch-thickened preparations like
blancmange Blancmange (, from french: blanc-manger ) is a sweet dessert popular throughout Europe commonly made with milk or cream and sugar thickened with rice flour, gelatin, corn starch, or Irish moss (a source of carrageenan), and often flavoured w ...
and Bird's Custard powder.


See also

* * * List of custard desserts * List of desserts *


References


External links

* {{English cuisine * British desserts Dairy products English cuisine Food ingredients Steamed foods American desserts Independence Day (United States) foods Types of food