An Essential Guide To The Types Of Custard

Are you a fan of custard, just like us? It is an iconic history that has been around for ages. But did you know that there is more than just one type of custard? Yes, you heard it right. Your favorite dessert comes in many different forms, and in this article, we will look at its most popular variations.

Custard is a common dessert that is prepared in various ways. Custard reminds many of us of our childhood and has nostalgia attached to it. It is a culinary preparation that is created by blending eggs with cream or milk. It is then thickened to create a luscious dessert sauce that we all admire and love. There are broadly six types of custards, such as pouring custard, pastry cream, chantilly cream, baked custard, and set creams, with each one of them boasting different features that set them apart. Although there are some variations that are not technically custards, since they are so similar, it would be fair enough to include them. In this article, we will look at these types to help understand this iconic dessert better.

Creme Anglaise

This variation of this custard is known for its slightly sweet sauce, which is made from sweetened cream and milk. The mixture is thickened with the help of egg yolks, and compared to the other variants that will follow, this is the runniest or thinnest of all custards.

It has a perfect consistency, and it doesn't impart any egg flavor without being too milky or too rich. It is perfect for using it as a drizzle on cakes, bread, and pastries.

It also works as a base for other custard varieties, like cremeux and bavarois, and for ice creams.

Creme Patissiere

A thicker variant of the custard is generally used as a filling for other desserts such as eclairs, tarts, cakes, choux pastry, and more. It is a silky custard that is prepared using milk, sugar, egg yolks, flavorings such as vanilla, salt, etc., and cornflour as a thickening agent.

This custard requires being brought to a boil, and when the cornflour is cooked properly, there's no starchy flavor left in the end result.

Baked Custards

This one, a mixture of eggs and cream or milk, can be prepared by baking in a number of ways. When it bakes, it gets thick and sets well to create a firm texture.

Tarts, pies, and quiches are great examples of baked custards. But in its simplest form, a custard is simply baked in a ramekin, custard cup, or dish. Creme brulee and creme caramel, or flan, are examples of elaborate baked custards that are now popular treats all over the world.

Creme Chantilly

Creme chantilly doesn't identify as a custard, but since it is used along with custards extensively, it would be fair enough to include it among the different varieties of custard.

Creme chantilly is essentially sweetened whipped cream, which generally includes gelatin as a stabilizer.

Fruit Curds

Technically, even fruit curds are not custards, but they are prepared in a very similar manner, thus not making both sauces too different from one another. When it comes to fruit curds, instead of milk or cream, fruit juice such as citrus juice is cooked with eggs and sugar to create a silky-smooth and tangy mixture.

Set Creams

Panna cotta, a popular example of the set creams, doesn't include eggs in its preparation, so technically, it doesn't fit the criteria to be called a custard either. But what makes panna cotta so interesting is that, despite not employing eggs, it is so perfectly set with a delicate texture that it resembles baked custards. But the catch is that only if a panna cotta is prepared in the right manner could it be included in the list.