As a youngster, I associated the word custard with the soggy-crusted, bland, somewhat rubbery-textured pie that was sold at the local bakery. What I didn’t realize was that many of the desserts I truly adored were custards, as well.

As a youngster, I associated the word custard with the soggy-crusted, bland, somewhat rubbery-textured pie that was sold at the local bakery. What I didn’t realize was that many of the desserts I truly adored were custards, as well.

Chocolate pudding, banana cream pie, and ice cream, for instance, all fall into that category of desserts defined in the culinary tome “The Professional Chef” as a mixture of milk, beaten egg and possibly other ingredients, such as sweet or savory flavorings, cooked with gentle heat, often over a bain-marie or double boiler. This is a simplified definition, but it pretty much covers it.

Other desserts that fall into the custard category include the obvious contenders of creme brulee and creme caramel, as well as creme Anglaise, pot de creme, pastry cream, bread pudding and cheesecake. Even souffle and mousse sometimes start out as custards before they are poofed and frothed.

The actual word—custard—still holds a bit of a stodgy connotation for me, but luckily, the word itself is seldom used. Who would order dessert if menus were laden with such dreary descriptions as “burnt custard” instead of creme brulee, “pot of custard” instead of pot de creme, “bread-and-custard-casserole” instead of bread pudding, and so on? (The French had the good sense to not actually invent a word for custard; they just call it cream).

The flip side is that, spared the burden of such hum-drum verbage, these desserts have come to be viewed as restaurant-fare only, somehow off-limits to the home cook and too finicky to try at home. This is certainly not the case. While there is some truth to the notion that custards can be a bit tricky, it’s only because eggs are one of the main ingredients. It’s the eggs that are persnickety. They don’t like high heat, for instance, and they don’t like to be overcooked (who does?). Exposed to high or extended heat, custards can curdle or become rubbery, and may even take on a subtle, sulferous flavor and odor. Yuck.

Custards fall into two basic categories—those that are baked in the oven, and those that are stirred on top of the stove.

Typical baked custards include creme brulee (a custard with a thin, crackly layer of sugar caramelized over the top), creme caramel (a.k.a. flan, a custard baked with a layer of caramel on the bottom, which turns into a golden, syrupy sauce when the custard is inverted), pot de creme (custard baked and or/served in a little covered pot), bread pudding, and cheesecake. Typical stirred custards include creme Anglaise (a.k.a. vanilla sauce), pudding, pastry cream, and ice cream (creme brulee and pot de creme are sometimes cooked on the stovetop as well).

Because of the fragile nature of the eggs, baked custards should be subjected to a temperature of no more than 325 degrees, and are usually baked in a water bath. Stirred custards should be cooked over a moderate flame, either in a heavy-gauge saucepan or in a double boiler or bain marie (a nested contraption consisting of two pans—a bottom pan to hold the simmering water and a top pan that fits inside the bottom and holds the custard). The water bath acts as a buffer, keeping the direct heat (the heat that is actually in contact with the outside of the cooking vessel) from soaring too high and scorching the custard.

With both the baked and the stirred techniques, the starting ingredients for virtually all custards (with the exception of cheesecake) are the same—cream (and/or milk), eggs, and sugar. The ratio of ingredients changes, depending on the desired result. For instance, creme brulee and pot de creme are both consumed right out of the cooking vessel. Because they are not unmolded, they can stand to be quite soft and creamy. Often, they will be made using straight cream, and using only egg yolks as a binder. Creme caramel, on the other hand, needs to be firm enough to withstand the unmolding process, so it requires some whole egg (egg whites have far more binding power than yolks), and usually contains a portion of milk. Creme Anglaise and ice cream both can be made using straight cream or with a combination of cream and milk, and with varying amounts of yolk, depending on the desired consistency. For bread pudding, diced bread or bread crumbs are soaked in the custard, and for pastry cream or creamy pudding, corn starch or flour are added for thickness. But, the essential custard ingredients remain the same.

The most common flavoring used for custards is vanilla. Whole vanilla bean (as opposed to extract) infuses the purest flavor, and is easy to use. To flavor a batch of custard, split a vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Place the seeds and the scraped-out pod into the cream, and bring the cream to a boil. Shut off the heat and allow the vanilla beans to steep in the cream for 10 minutes. Remove the pod and proceed as directed by the particular recipe you are using. Other flavorings can be infused into the cream as well—slices of fresh ginger, citrus zest, espresso, tea, lemongrass, cardamom, lavender, saffron, thyme—pretty much any herb or spice you desire. Chocolate can be melted into the cream as it heats, or shaved chocolate can be whisked into stirred custard after it is cooked. Also, the sugar that is called for in the custard recipe can be caramelized and dissolved into the cream for caramel-flavored custard.

A few little tricks ensure great results.

• Heating the cream before combining it with the eggs and sugar will result in a smoother custard, and will cut down on oven or stove time. It will also encourage more even baking for baked custards.
• Whisking the eggs and sugar together before they are combined with the cream helps break up the eggs (don’t, however, mix the eggs and sugar until just before they are to be added to the cream; if the mixture is allowed to stand, even for a minute, it will seize up into an unusable, cement-like sludge).
• When adding the egg mixture, heat it first by whisking a little of the hot cream into it, then slowly whisking it back into the remaining hot cream (this is known as tempering, and it prevents the eggs from curdling when they come in contact with the hot cream).
• For baked custards, strain the mixture through a mesh strainer prior to baking. For stirred custards, strain the mixture immediately once it is cooked.
• When preparing a water bath for baked custards, place filled custard cups in a baking pan, place the baking pan in the preheated oven, and then pour boiling water into the baking pan so that the water surrounds the custard cups but does not splash into it.
• To check for doneness with baked custards, gently shake the baking pan. The custards should jiggle slightly but should not appear soupy (if the custards begin to puff up, they are overcooked).
Stirred custards will visibly thicken when they are done, and will thickly coat the back of a spoon.

Most important, have a little fun. As for the ol’ custard pie that was so unappealing when I was younger, I have actually grown to like it—the pie, not the word—but I make it with heavy cream and yolks only, so that it has a texture more like cream pie than custard, and that’s just the point. Custards, after all, by any name, should be delicious.  

custard pie
2 cups light cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
pinch nutmeg (freshly grated, if possible)
6 yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 pre-baked 9-inch pie shell

1. In a saucepan, combine cream, vanilla bean and nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let set for 10 minutes.
2. Whisk together yolks and sugar. Pour a little of the cream into the yolk mixture, then blend yolk mixture into remaining cream. Strain through mesh strainer, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract all of the vanilla beans.  
3. Pour into pre-baked pie shell and bake for 20-30 minutes or until set (it will jiggle slightly, but will not appear soupy). Allow to cool to room temperature before serving (pie can be chilled for up to one hour, just to set, but is best eaten the day it is baked).