Today’s Spotlight is on Vanilla Custard.

Custard is a culinary preparation made with milk or cream, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla. Depending on its consistency, custard can be served on its own or used as a filling for other desserts or dessert sauce. It can be served warm or cold and is often combined with fruits and cookies to create other dessert dishes. Vanilla custard contains egg yolks which gives it a yellow color.

There are three main varieties of custard: baked custard, stirred custard, and steamed custard. Baked custard is typically firmer and made with whole eggs, while stirred custards can be much runnier and often only contain the yolks.

Vanilla custard was traditionally used as a pie filling. The taste is smooth and creamy, and it pairs well with other flavors like fruit.

 

The main difference between vanilla pudding and vanilla custard is the thickening agent used:

• Pudding: Uses starch, such as cornstarch or flour, to thicken the dessert
• Custard: Uses eggs, which give the dessert a gelatinous texture.
• Custard is also cooked in the oven, while pudding is cooked on the stovetop. Custard is usually firmer than pudding.

History

Vanilla custard has been around since the Middle Ages. It was traditionally used as a pie filling. Custard tarts were a popular dessert during that time. Custard traces its ancestry back to the days of Ancient Rome. The ancient Romans were the first to recognize the binding properties of eggs. They simmered milk, eggs, and honey in clay pots, topping it off with a dash of ground pepper.

The sweet, pudding-like version of custard that later developed is usually attributed to the Middle Ages. It was most often used as a filling for pies or other pastries, both in Europe and Asia. From the European cooks, the confection traveled to the Americas and flourished there.

 

Here are some fun facts about vanilla custard:

• Custards have been around since ancient Rome.
• Custard tarts were a popular dessert in the Middle Ages.
• The word “custard” comes from the French word “croustade”, which originally referred to the crust of a tart.
• Frozen custard was invented in 1919 in Coney Island, New York.
• Custard is high in cholesterol, riboflavin, phosphorus, selenium, and calcium.
• Custard can be used as a pie filling or as a dessert sauce.
• Custards can be made with fruit, fish, or meat.
• Custards can be enjoyed on their own or layered in cakes.
• A basic vanilla custard recipe might include starch, sucrose, skim milk powder, milk fat, gelling protein, and vanillin.
• Custard powder is often colored with a blend of tartrazine yellow or quinoline yellow food dyes, mixed with sunset yellow.
• Custard bases may also be used for quiches and other savory foods.
• Ready-made custards are available in supermarkets.
• Custards can be thickened with starch or cornstarch and extra egg yolks.

 

Here is a Vanilla Custard Recipe for you to try:

Ingredients:

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 ¾ cups milk
• ¾ cup light cream
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Whisk granulated sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan (before putting it on the stove). Add egg yolks, milk, and cream. Whisk to combine.
2. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat while whisking, this will take about 15 minutes.
3. Once boiling, let bubble 1 minute while whisking.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in butter and vanilla.
5. Pour into a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap allowing the wrap to rest on the surface of the custard.
6. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

 

National Vanilla Custard Day is celebrated annually on August 17. It’s an unofficial national holiday in the United States. Let us know in the comments how much you like Vanilla Custard.