8.2 Eggs: Custards
Objectives
- Determine the influence of sugar, dilution, amount of stirring, and rate of heating on the coagulation temperature of egg protein.
- Demonstrate that stirring custards during coagulation results in a sol, and that baking a custard without stirring results in a gel.
- Use the standard procedure for preparing stirred and baked custards.
Procedures
Baked and Stirred Custards: One recipe of the custard mix will be divided to make one baked custard and a stirred custard sauce from the same mix.
Preheat oven to 375°F and prepare pans:
For the baked custard
Prepare a water bath for the baked custard by putting a custard cup on a wire rack in a pan of very hot water. Water in the pan should be nearly the same depth as the custard in the cup.
For the stirred custard
Prepare the double boiler by pouring only enough water into the lower pan of the double boiler so that the top pan will not touch the water. Bring the water to a boil, and then adjust the heat to maintain simmering temperature.
Custard Mix
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk
- 2 or 3 eggs
- ¼ cup sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
To speed up preparation, heat milk to 75ºC.
Break eggs into a custard cup one at a time. Remove chalazae with a fork or clean fingers. Beat eggs in a medium or large bowl with a whisk, just enough to blend yolk and white but not enough to form a foam. Add sugar and salt and blend. Stir in warmed milk.
Proceed to cook custard—baked or stirred custard sauce.
Baked Custard
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk
- 2 or 3 eggs
- ¼ cup sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Fill one custard cup with custard mix (approximately ½ cup mix). Add ⅛ tsp. vanilla.
Set the custard in the preheated water bath and bake until no custard sticks to a clean metal knife inserted ½ inch under the surface near the center of the cup. The minimum baking time is 1 hour for the 2-egg recipe and 50 minutes for the 3-egg recipe.
When the custard tests done, remove it from the hot water and chill in ice water. Unmold the chilled custard onto a plate for serving.
Stirred Custard Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk
- 2 or 3 eggs
- ¼ cup sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Heat the water in the bottom of the double boiler to a simmer. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl with ice and water. Then, nestle a medium-sized bowl into the ice water.
Cook the remaining custard mix in the top of the double boiler over simmering water, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. When stirring, be careful to remove the custard from the sides of the pan. While the custard is cooking, chill a bowl in ice water.
Continue cooking the sauce until the mixture forms a coating on a clean metal spoon (82–84ºC for the 2-egg recipe and 77–79ºC for the 3-egg recipe).
Cook slowly. (Try the spoon coating test on the uncooked sauce so that the change in consistency can be recognized.) The thickness will be similar to a thin white sauce.
Immediately pour the finished custard into the chilled bowl and blend in ¼ tsp. vanilla. Continue stirring until custard is cooled (steam stops rising).
Applied Custard Recipes
Creamy Eggnog
Ingredients
- 3 egg yolks
- 1¼ cups milk
- 3 Tablespoons sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Heat the water in the bottom of the double boiler to a simmer. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl with ice and water. Then, nestle a medium-sized bowl into the ice water.
Whisk together egg yolk, milk, and sugar. Cook while constantly stirring in the top of the double boiler until the mixture reaches 77°C.
Remove from heat and pour into a bowl placed in an ice bath. Once cool, add the heavy cream and vanilla. Mix together. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Chocolate Pot de Crème
Ingredients
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup egg yolk, pasteurized
- ¾ tsp vanilla
Instructions
In a double boiler, mix together heavy cream, chocolate chips, and sugar. Cook while constantly stirring until all of the chocolate melts and the mixture reaches approximately 85°C. Remove from heat.
In a small bowl, whisk together the pasteurized egg yolk and vanilla extract.
While whisking, slowly add the hot chocolate mixture into the egg yolk. Place pot de crème in an ice bath to cool before serving.
Lemon Curd
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (2–3 lemons)
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 6 Tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
Fill the bottom pot of your (shiny, newer-looking) double boiler with ~2 inches of water. Place on medium-high heat. Once the water begins to boil, reduce to medium-low heat to keep the water at a simmer.
Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl with ice and water. Then, nestle a medium-sized bowl into the ice water.
Break eggs into a custard cup one at a time. Remove chalazae with a fork. Beat eggs in a medium or large bowl with a whisk, just enough to blend yolk and white but not enough to form a foam. Add sugar and salt and blend. Stir in lemon juice and zest.
Place the mixture in the top pot of the double boiler and add the butter in chunks. Whisk while heating the lemon curd mixture. Heat the mixture until it reaches 77–79°C. Use the infrared thermometer to measure temperature (ask for help on how to use it before you start).
Remove pan from heat. Immediately pour the lemon curd into the chilled bowl and blend in 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Continue stirring until the lemon curd is cooled (steam stops rising). Place the bowl in the fridge to finish cooling before serving.
Crème Brûlée
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup half & half
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2-4 teaspoons sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place two water baths with racks in the oven while it is preheating, filled approximately half full with hot water.
In a small saucepan, heat half & half and 2 tablespoons of sugar over medium heat until the mixture reaches approximately 80°C. Remove from heat.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and vanilla extract. While whisking slowly, add the hot half & half and sugar into the egg mixture. Pour mixture into two 1-pint baking dishes and place one dish in each of the hot water baths.
Bake for 45–55 minutes until a knife inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and the hot water baths. Place the 1-pint baking dishes in an ice bath to cool rapidly. Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of sugar on top of each of the crème brûlée cups. Ask the instructor to help broil the sugar on top.
Flan
Ingredients
- ½ Tablespoon caramel sauce (instead of caramelizing sugar on the bottom)
- ½ cup milk
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 egg (remove chalaza)
- ½ tsp vanilla
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place two water baths with racks in the oven while it is preheating, filled approximately half full with hot water.
Spread 1–2 teaspoons of caramel sauce into the bottom of each of two custard cups.
In a small saucepan, heat milk and sugar over medium heat until the mixture reaches approximately 80°C. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together egg and vanilla extract. While whisking, slowly add the hot milk and sugar into the egg mixture. Pour mixture into 2 custard cups and place one cup in each of the hot water baths. Bake for 45–55 minutes until a knife inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and the hot water baths. Place the custard cups in an ice bath to cool rapidly. Once cool, run a knife around the custard and invert it onto a plate to serve.
Pumpkin Custard
Ingredients
- ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup canned pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup evaporated milk
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix dry ingredients together in a small bowl (sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves) and set aside.
Crack an egg into the mixing bowl and remove the chalazae. Then, beat the egg briefly. Stir in pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, and dry ingredients.
Pour mixture into 4 custard cups. Put in a square pan and add hot water. Bake for 45–55 minutes until the custard sets. Remove from the hot water bath and cool on ice before serving.
Sensory Evaluation
| Product | Appearance | Texture | Flavor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Egg Stirred Custard | |||
| 3-Egg Stirred Custard | |||
| 2-Egg Baked Custard | |||
| 3-Egg Baked Custard | |||
| Egg nog | |||
| Chocolate Pot de Creme | |||
| Lemon Curd | |||
| Crème Brûlée | |||
| Flan | |||
| Pumpkin Custard |
