Coconut Custard Recipe (from scratch) | Sugar Geek Show (2024)

FAQs

What ingredient makes the custard thicker? ›

Custard is a decadent dessert made with eggs, milk, and sugar. Eggs are responsible for custard's thick and velvety texture, but some recipes (such as this one) call for thickeners such as cornstarch or arrowroot for extra richess.

When custards such as crème anglaise are heated, they turn thick and creamy as milk and egg proteins unfurl and bond with each other. However, if they are overheated, too many bonds form and the proteins clump.

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).

Put the cream and milk into a large pan and gently bring to just below boiling point. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the yolks, cornflour, sugar and vanilla. Gradually pour the hot milk mixture onto the sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Wipe out the saucepan and pour the mixture back into it.

Return the pan to a low heat and cook slowly, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. This will take about 8 minutes. Test it by running a finger through the custard on the spoon: if it leaves a straight, clear line, it's ready.

The most common mistake people make in baking a custard is not putting enough water in the hot-water bath. The water should come up to the level of the custard inside the cups. You must protect your custard from the heat.

If the worse should happen and the custard starts to separate plunge the pan into a sink of cold water being careful not to get any water in the custard and give it a good whisk with balloon whisk for about a minute. It will soon go back to lovely glossy custard.

Using a Thickening Agent

Mix flour and cold water well, making sure the mixture is smooth. For 1 cup (240 mL) of custard, use 2 tablespoons (17 g) of flour mixed with 4 tablespoons (59 mL) of cold water. Add the mixture into your custard ingredients as they cook on the stove.

The highest oven temperature you'll see in a custard pie recipe is 375ºF—any higher than that and you run the risk of curdling.

The custard will thicken though as it cools, so if you want a cold custard then please do look at the custard recipe in Nigella's Boozy British Trifle as this makes are relatively thick custard once it is chilled. For a thick, hot custard you need to add cornflour (cornstarch) as a thickener.

What temperature should custard be cooked at? ›

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

The hot water evenly distributes heat around the custard, ensuring that the eggs don't curdle. It also prevents the top from drying out and splitting before the inside is fully cooked. Without a bain marie, you'll have a rubbery and cracked dessert.

Custard tends to scramble once the heat gets involved and can therefore prove tricky to master. You'll know your custard has scrambled once the mixture turns lumpy. This often happens as a result of overheating your liquid. But while curdled custard may seem like a lost cause, it doesn't have to be.

The eggs, especially the yolks, are the chemical stars – it's their actions that matter most, generating the thick gel that's the key for a custard pie, says Guy Crosby, food scientist and science editor at America's Test Kitchen.

Keep an eye on the heat when cooking the custard - too low and it won't thicken, too high and you'll have scrambled eggs.

Custard (aka Creme Anglaise) A beautiful, classic pouring custard recipe, made the proper way with just egg as a thickener – no cornflour. Also known as Creme Anglaise. This recipe makes 1 1/3 cups of Custard which is enough for 4 – 5 servings.

The egg yolks are really the big difference, as they are what provides the velvety, rich texture associated with custard. Without the egg yolks, you basically have regular ice cream.