Custard – Copyright Coquere
Tastes a lot better than the store bought
Custard or Pastry cream
Homemade vanilla custard or pastry cream is a culinary delight that surpasses the taste of its store-bought counterparts. By preparing it yourself, you have complete control over the ingredients, ensuring there are no artificial additives or preservatives. The beauty of making your own custard lies in the ability to customize its flavours to suit your preferences. Whether you prefer a hint of almond, a touch of citrus, or a dash of cinnamon, you can tailor the recipe to your liking. With a bit of practice, you’ll find that creating homemade custard is just as quick and effortless as using pre-packaged mixes. The reward is not only a superior taste but also the satisfaction of indulging in a dessert made with love and care. So, why settle for anything less when you can elevate your culinary experience with a delightful batch of homemade vanilla custard or pastry cream. The different between custard and pastry cream is the thickness which you adjust by different amount of cornstarch
Ingredients:
2 dl single cream
2 dl milk
4 egg yolks
0.5 cups sugar
3 tsp real vanilla sugar / or 1 vanilla bean
Custard or Pastry cream
2-3 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch – (Pastry cream)
2 – 3 teaspoon cornstarch (Custard)
Directions:
- Whip the egg yolks with the cornstarch. If you are making pastry cream, pour in some of milk into the egg yolks mixture.
- Pour the cream /milk mixture into a saucepan and add the sugar and vanilla sugar. (If you use vanilla bean: Split it in two and scrape out the seeds, and add the rod and seeds to the mixture. Remove the rod before you put in the yolks.)
- Place the pan over medium heat and stir constantly. Once the sugar has dissolved, wait until the mixture just reaches the boiling point. Pull the pan from the heat.
- Add the beaten egg yolks. Whip evenly all the time.
- Causes the supply of the egg yolk to the mixture cools too much.
- Place the pan on the heat again – warm up further while stirring until it thickens completely.
- NB! Do not boil for the mixture will curdle or separate. To be extra careful, you can use a digital thermometer and insert it at 82 ˚C.
- When the vanilla custard / pastry cream has thickened – Set the pan in cold water and stir constantly until it is cold. This avoids a skin.
- Alternatively, you can put a cling-film right on the vanilla custard/ pastry cream.
- Put custard/ pastry cream in the refrigerator to cool and store.
Custard served: With fruits and puddings or berry compote etc.
Pastry cream use: For cake fillings etc.
Allergy: Lactose. Made lactose free by using lactose-free selections of milk and cream.
Read more about genuine vanilla: Vanilla
For those especially interested. Read a more extensive article about challenges with genuine vanilla: Vanilla