Custard

[J_elias86]

Hey peoples,

Posted my thoughts on custard in my blog

The day of the expanding man

I wanted to know how you guys do it. And whether you have any variations.

Cheers,

Josh

[Mikeb19]

Hey peoples,

Posted my thoughts on custard in my blog

The day of the expanding man

I wanted to know how you guys do it. And whether you have any variations.

Cheers,

Josh

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Pretty much the same as you. Eggs/sugar/starch together, heat up milk/cream, add to egg mixture, put back on heat, bring to a boil (whisking all the while, of course), add a tab of butter.

Edited July 7, 2006 by Mikeb19 (log)

[The Old Foodie]

Mine is almost identical - although I wooden-spoon it, not whisk, and if I am serving it hot, I dont add the butter (although now I think about it, I'm not sure why.

What does everyone do with the "used" vanilla bean pods? there is so much flavour left in them. I have always washed them, let them dry, and put them in a big jar of sugar - for vanilla sugar for the next batch of custard or cake. The jar has almost as many vanilla pods as spoons of sugar now. I read that another thing to do with them is put them in a bottle of brandy to flavour it, then use it in cooking - so I am doing that now too.

[miladyinsanity]

Mine is almost identical - although I wooden-spoon it, not whisk, and if I am serving it hot, I dont add the butter (although now I think about it, I'm not sure why.

What does everyone do with the "used" vanilla bean pods? there is so much flavour left in them. I have always washed them, let them dry, and put them in a big jar of sugar - for vanilla sugar for the next batch of custard or cake. The jar has almost as many vanilla pods as spoons of sugar now.  I read that another thing to do with them is put them in a bottle of brandy to flavour it, then use it in cooking - so I am doing that now too.

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I've been told that you can steep them in relatively flavorless alcohol like vodka to make your own vanilla extract.

[J_elias86]

Don't know about your own vanilla extract, (that is where beans are boiled). Probably vanilla vodka though!

[pjm333]

Don't know about your own vanilla extract, (that is where beans are boiled). Probably vanilla vodka though!

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I make my own vanilla by mixing split beans and vodka but it takes up to 6 months but it is worth it,

[The Old Foodie]

Don't know about your own vanilla extract, (that is where beans are boiled). Probably vanilla vodka though!

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I make my own vanilla by mixing split beans and vodka but it takes up to 6 months but it is worth it,

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Fantastic! I'm going to start some straight away. Thanks for the tip - it should be a lot more useful than the brandy, although that is smelling pretty good!

[chefette]

umm - this is pastry cream

it is not custard

[J_elias86]

umm - this is pastry cream

it is not custard

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I said that it is not creme anglaise.. otherwise, what defines a custard?

[kitwilliams]

umm - this is pastry cream

it is not custard

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Yup -- no starch in custard.

There is a classic custard recipe in The Joy of Cooking (I think it is simply called "cup custard" in the book) which my mother would always quadruple by using a half gallon of milk which would give us enough for dessert for our family of seven -- with enough left for my dad for his breakfast the next morning. She baked it in one large, deep Corningware casserole dish. So good warm, but oh, once it was icy cold it was so deliciously soothing.

Here is that same recipe which I found online.