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Custard and Pudding Recipes

Custards play an important part in both simple and sophisticated dishes. They form the basis of quiches and vegetable custards and of many desserts. Vanilla custard sauce is a favorite accompaniment for sweet soufflés and fruit dishes. The basic ingredients of custards are eggs and milk used in varying proportions, with different flavorings according to the recipe. There are two kinds of custards. For the first, eggs and milk are mixed together and baked or steamed until firmly set, as for cream caramel. In the second type, yolks and milk are cooked over gentle heat to a creamy consistency. This softer custard is the basis of cold sweet mousses and soufflés set with gelatin.

You can hardly name a meal that isn't the better for a light delectable custard at the end of it. Whether it's a formal dinner, using your favorite china and silver, or a simple dinner for your child, there is always a creamy custard to suit the occasion. Below there is a collection of Pudding recipes, Custard recipes

Points to remember:
Egg whites set a custard and egg yolks give it a creamy consistency. For a custard which is baked or steamed, the proportions should be 1 egg plus 1 yolk to 1 cup of milk; for a soft custard, use 2 egg yolks to 1 cup of milk. For richness, more egg yolks may be added to either kind of custard or, for economy, 1 teaspoon of cornstarch can be used instead of an egg yolk Also egg yolks and milk will curdle if they are cooked too fast or over too high heat. When whites are included, these make a mixture curdle even more easily. So use a water bath when baking a custard in the oven. A soft custard can be made in a double boiler but, with care, the custard can be thickened over direct gentle heat. The milk should always be scalded before adding it to the eggs. Recipes that call for water bath cooking here, how to cook in a water bath.

White House Dinner table setting