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

FAQs

What makes custard grainy? ›

Nigella also suggests that you half fill the sink with cold water so that if it looks as if the custard is starting to curdle you can dip the base of the pan into the water and whisk vigorously, to cool the custard quickly. The grainy texture is caused by the proteins in the egg yolk clumping together.

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.

Here's how to avoid one of the worst kitchen mishaps: overcooking. Egg-based puddings and custards can curdle if cooked beyond 185 degrees. We take crème anglaise off the heat when the mixture registers 175 to 180, but when making the base for ice cream we push the temperature to 180 to 185 for maximum thickness.

Stir constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Stirring distributes the heat so the custard doesn't become too hot, which can curdle it. Draw a finger across the back of the spoon and if it leaves a trail, your custard is 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.

Whisk the pastry cream constantly while it's on the stove.

It requires your full attention to prevent lumps and scorched bits. Whisking constantly also helps the custard thicken evenly. Be sure to whisk all around the saucepan, not just in one spot, so the milk and eggs don't stick to the pot and scorch or scramble.

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.

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. Use cornstarch as an alternative to flour. Cornstarch, like flour, requires cold water as a mixing agent.

Heat the custard base, over medium heat, while whisking vigorously until it starts to thicken – this should take about 1 – 2 minutes depending on the heat of your stove and size of your saucepan.

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 are the 3 types of custard? ›

There are three types of custard: baked, stirred, and frozen. Baked custards include bread pudding, flan, and cheesecake, and are prepared by baking in an oven or water bath. Boiled Custards include beverages like eggnog. Puddings, creme anglaise (krem on-GLAYZ), and pastry cream are some examples of stirred custards.

Be careful not to overprocess or you can wind up with irreparably thin, watery custard. Don't use a blender or food processor; they incorporate too much air and will leave the mixture frothy, not creamy.

When adding eggs to the custard mixture, add them slowly while whisking continuously. This will help to prevent the eggs from curdling or scrambling. It is also important to temper the eggs before adding them to the custard mixture.

It's usually referencing actual temperature, and more specifically, referring to adding the hot dairy to the room temperature eggs/yolks. If you pour whisked eggs directly into a hot pan, they'll begin to cook immediately, resulting in something that looks and tastes a lot more like scrambled eggs than custard.

The custard must be cooked in a bain-marie or water bath. You place the dish of custard in a shallow baking dish. Fill this second dish with enough boiling water to come about halfway up the sides of the custard dish. The water bath stops the custard from splitting and keeps the texture perfectly silky and smooth.

SARAH SAYS: To find a fix custard for lumps, use an immersion blender. A quick pulse with it will effectively break them down, restoring to a desired creamy texture, even when refrigerated.

If you notice lumps beginning to form in a custard, immediately pour it out of the hot pot into a bowl and pulse it with a handheld blender in five-second intervals until it is nearly smooth. This can take from 15 to 45 seconds, depending on how big the lumps are.

Why is my homemade pudding grainy? If your pudding is grainy then the egg yolks curdled when you added them to the hot milk. To fix a grainy pudding, strain the mixture before refrigerating.