17
votes
Pouring a second layer over flan
My suspicion is that the custard just wasn’t fully set yet.
Custard sets slowly, particularly if it’s adroitly made (well clear of ‘scrambled egg’ temperatures). The fact that one cools it after ...
- 26.9k
14
votes
Make custard firmer
Saffitz's recipe is unusual in having a large number of eggs in the filling but no starch. Most lemon bar recipes have some starch in the filling to help it set, usually flour, from 1/4 to 1 cup.
So ...
- 61.4k
11
votes
Accepted
Food safety of custard slice
There’s a fundamental difference between food safety and what is considered acceptable risk - the former is calculated to be virtually risk-free and statistically contain not enough bacteria etc. to ...
- 58.6k
11
votes
Make custard firmer
The first place to troubleshoot is the doneness of the custard.
"Time in the oven" is a very bad way to judge when to stop baking. It can be wildly off. The only certain way is to measure ...
- 136k
10
votes
Accepted
Pouring a second layer over flan
Assuming that the first layer is denser than the one that you’re adding, instead of pouring your next layer directly into the initial one, you should hold a large spoon over the existing layers, and ...
- 80k
9
votes
Accepted
Why is there a 2 step heating process for making custard for ice cream
These steps are done to ensure that the custard in the end is the best it can be. The best custard has a smooth, and creamy consistency.
Warming the milk/cream with the sugar will ensure that the ...
- 351
9
votes
Accepted
Quiche does not set up - too much, or too little, cream?
You need less cream for a firmer consistency. The eggs are the part that set during the cooking process. The cream adds moisture and fat, both of which make it softer and runnier.
- 3,022
8
votes
How do I thicken Advocaat without evaporating any alcohol?
Use more of the thickener that is already in the advocaat: egg yolks.
Make a custard with egg yolks and advocaat, heating gently until it thickens, but not beyond 60 C / 140 F or you risk curdling. A ...
- 58.6k
8
votes
Accepted
Does starch thickened custard get thinner after a few days?
It is not the starch alone, but the combination of starch and egg yolks. Yolks contain an enzyme which digests starch after some time, making the whole custard thinner.
If you absolutely have to use a ...
- 136k
7
votes
Accepted
Why is the nutrition information for these two items so different?
You are comparing (100 g of custard made with some of this powder and some milk) to (100g of this powder) -- ignoring the salt, anyway.
The magic words are
As prepared with semi-skimmed milk
That's ...
- 11.3k
7
votes
Accepted
The right custard for baking with a cake
These aren't the same kind of custard. Delia's version is a traditional English pouring custard. The other is a set custard.
If you try to bake Delia's it will likely split and not set. I would use ...
- 1,789
6
votes
Accepted
I baked custard at too much heat, is there a name for what I created?
What you made is a baked custard, and it sounds like it came out rather well.
A runny/pouring custard is made in a pan on the stove top, rather than baked, but has a similar ratio of ingredients, ...
- 2,414
6
votes
Accepted
How can I remove bitterness from custard after adding pineapple to it?
You can't. This is caused by an irreversible chemical reaction. The bitterness is there to stay.
If it is just a tad too much for you, you can try diluting: make more pudding and mix it into the ...
- 136k
6
votes
What happens when custard ingredients are reordered?
By and large, the statement in the book is wrong. You can certainly make custard with the second way of mixing.
I said "by and large", because the order is not completely arbitrary. It will ...
- 136k
5
votes
What can I substitute for butter in a custard-based pie?
Butter in this type pie is there to add "richness". It is possible to leave it out entirely and save about 800 calories, but it may not satisfy your definition of a good dessert. If you reduced the ...
- 5,468
5
votes
How to make a custard (royale) that sets up firm on the stovetop?
A custard royale is not stirred during cooking, this leads exactly to the scrambeled eggg effect you had. This is fundamentally different from the standard custard process you are probably familiar ...
- 58.6k
5
votes
When making filled cupcakes, is it possible to bake a custard filling in it?
I'm a bit late answering, but I make my own vanilla custard which is quite thick, and put some of the muffin mixture into the pan, then spoon a teaspoon of custard, or lemon curd then top up the rest ...
- 51
5
votes
Why is there a 2 step heating process for making custard for ice cream
It's faster and less error-prone this way.
If you heat it all at once, you'd have to be very careful to not overheat it on the bottom, which means paying a lot of attention and heating slowly. If you ...
- 58.2k
5
votes
creme patissiere too solid
The starch was superfluous. Traditional creme patisserie is made without it. Some people do make custards which combine starch and yolks, but they are actually more difficult to work with. Also, from ...
- 136k
4
votes
Accepted
Can I add vanilla to pastry cream after its cooled?
If your pastry cream can handle being stirred (most do and as you will be including whipped cream anyway), you should be fine. Stirring will soften your pastry cream a bit, but not make it completely ...
- 58.6k
4
votes
Accepted
How to make the Custard Bun so white?
There can be several factors here. The first is the flour. Are you really using bleached cake or pastry flour? If you are using all purpose flour, especially if it is unbleached (and bleached is ...
- 136k
4
votes
Accepted
Is custard powder(powder mix) is same as pudding mix powder?
Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. Depends on what the manufacturer put inside.
The term "pudding" is somewhat broadly defined. It can include eggs, or starch, or both, or even be applied to kinds ...
- 136k
4
votes
Accepted
Pudding vs. laundry starch - Add water gradually or all at once?
Yes, both processes are valid ways of making pudding (not roux). You can either dissolve the starch in a little cold water first and then gradually warm it up, or you can dissolve the starch in all of ...
- 136k
4
votes
Accepted
Proper size of Portuguese custard tart
For what my personal experience is worth: The pastel de nata I ate in Portugal this year (at least from 10 different bakeries) were more in line with a 2 cm height than 3 cm I'd say. I could imagine ...
- 3,518
4
votes
How can I prevent vanilla seeds from sinking in a crème brûlée?
If you modify the instructions so that you make a custard BEFORE pouring the liquid into the ramekins, this will help to suspend the vanilla seeds in the mixture so they do not just fall to the bottom....
- 671
4
votes
Accepted
Trifle without custard
Questions like 'does this thing count as X' are hard to answer because terms for food don't generally have strict definitions and they vary hugely between regions and cultures. It's most useful to be ...
- 11.9k
3
votes
Accepted
Why is my custard eggy?
To reiterate a bit what @dlb said, the egg yolk is what provides the thickness and structure to your custard, so if you cut the yolks by half, you will definitely get something thinner. However, while ...
- 5,204
3
votes
Why is my custard eggy?
With the full recipe, it does not seem to me that the egg ratio is particularly high. Most recipes I have seen and use tend to be around 2 eggs per cup (US), and yours is 6 for about 2 1/2, so ...
- 8,673
3
votes
What went wrong with these pots de creme au chocolat?
You've answered your own question. The water bath should have gone all the way up to just above the crème in your pots. I'd also bet that you had this on the top rack of your oven, this type of water ...
- 1,063
3
votes
Accepted
Can I freeze custard?
Freezing and thawing the prepared custard will likely result in an undesirable texture. However, you can successfully freeze just the egg yolks.
According to the American Egg Board's eggcyclopedia:
...
- 2,709
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