Custard is the heart for many desserts. It is frozen, baked in cakes, thickened with starch, it is the basis for puddings, mousses and soufflés. Depending on the method of preparation and what you add to it, it can become crème brlée and crème caramel, pastry cream - patissier put in cakes, sabayon, etc. The basic classic version of the custard is Creme Anglaise.
It is necessary
-
- Creme anglaise
- 1 vanilla pod
- 500 ml milk
- 6 egg yolks
- 120 g icing sugar
- Creme patissiere
- 1 vanilla pod
- 250 g milk
- 250 g cream
- 5 egg yolks + 1 egg
- 120 g icing sugar
- 25 g cornstarch
Instructions
Step 1
Creme anglaise
The classic custard contains only milk, sugar and eggs. It is flavored with natural vanilla pods. To do this, divide the pod in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and put in a saucepan with milk. Bring the milk to a boil over low heat, remove from the stove and let cool slightly. Remove the vanilla pod from it, pat dry and use the spice again. If you want the cream to be free of splashes, you can skip the vanilla seeds.
Step 2
While the milk is cooling, beat the egg yolks with the powdered sugar. Start adding liquid to them little by little. The process of combining substances with different temperatures in cooking is called tempering. To properly temper whipped yolks and hot milk, the first portion of the liquid should not exceed half the volume of the yolks in volume. Pour in the milk in a thin stream whisking continuously. Then also add about a third of the remaining milk. Pour the tempered yolks into a saucepan with the rest of the milk, mix and place in a water bath.
Step 3
The custard water bath should consist of a larger pot filled with water and a saucepan, ladle, or smaller bowl on top. The cream is prepared by slow heating with steam, so it is important that the liquid does not "gush", only slightly boils, and only steam reaches the bottom of the container with the cream, and not splashes of water or the water itself.
Step 4
Boil the cream in a water bath, stirring continuously, until thickened. The readiness of the cream can be checked with a pastry thermometer - it reaches a temperature of 82 ° C. If you do not have a thermometer, pay attention to the consistency of the cream - it should envelop the spoon and, if you run it over the surface of the treat, there should be a clear "path".
Step 5
Creme patissiere
If you want to make a pastry custard - the one that is used to fill various pastries (for example, eclairs) and cakes, then you need to add a little starch to the eggs while beating.
Step 6
Boil the vanilla milk. Beat and temper the eggs, pour them into the milk and start cooking over low heat, stirring constantly. Add cream. When the cream thickens, remove from heat and refrigerate. If you add a little whipped cream to the chilled pastry custard cream, you get an even more delicate filling - muslin cream.
