Update: Find a slightly more simple recipe here in my Baked Custard - Take 2 Post. I still prefer the custard recipe below as it is richer in taste, but I also love the 'take 2' version!
We like custard. I grew up getting a mug of baked custard at Luby's every time we went. There is a great recipe in Nourishing Traditions for custard that we love. I don't make it very often because it is rare to get raw cream and I refuse to use UHT cream from the store.
So yesterday my sweet 3 1/2 year old received a box 'from the man in the big truck' that he had REALLY wanted to give to his daddy for his birthday (it was a yoyo :-) ). So I decided to make custard for an extra little celebration treat. But I decided to embrace my fears and use....coconut milk.
The fantastic thing about custard is that it is a dessert that is full of great things. Good fats, good egg yolks, and good taste. I would seriously let us all eat this for breakfast (after eating some other protein and fat) it is so nourishing. It has honey in it, yes, but it's not much by dessert standard. And we think it would be great with less honey than the recipe calls for (but we haven't tried it yet).
So back to coconut milk. I want to get more coconut in our diet, and we are not using raw milk for a while right now. I am very sensitive to coconut taste, so I was extremely excited when I tasted the finished product and couldn't taste coconut! Yay :-)
Enjoy!
Baked Custard {Recipe - GAPS/Paleo}
Ingredients:
- 1 can full fat coconut milk (Native Forest is organic and does not have BPA in the lining of their cans)
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1-2 tsp vanilla extract (I used 2 and loved it, but you can also just use 1 and it's still great)
- Optional: Nutmeg or cinnamon or whatever spice you like
Process:
- Preheat oven to 350* and fill a kettle with water and get it hot while you are preparing the custard. If you don't have a kettle, heat some in a pot or use the hottest water from your faucet.
- Warm the coconut milk up on the stove. You can add 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of water to make the coconut milk be a full 2 cups. Or you don't. Whatever you're in the mood for. :-)
- While the coconut milk is heating, whisk the 5 egg yolks with the honey and vanilla until smooth. Prepare your custard dishes by placing them in a baking dish large enough to hold them. (I don't have custard ramekins so I just use what I can find...you can also make this in one larger dish like a loaf pan or small baking dish...it will just impact baking time.)
- When the coconut milk is warm/hot but definitely not close to boiling (I could still put my finger in it and it didn't hurt...so scientific, I know) slowly pour it into the egg/honey mixture while whisking. Mix well.
- Pour into your custard dishes, and fill the baking dish with hot water (I usually do about halfway).
- At this point, I sprinkle mine pretty heavily with ground nutmeg because that's what I love. Alternatively, you can wait until after it bakes and sprinkle a spice on top. It's just what you prefer - try it different ways and see which way you like best. You could use nutmeg, cinnamon, or some other spice, or you could leave it plain - it's great that way, too!
- Bake at 350* for about 50min - 1 hr until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. The custard will still jiggle a little when moved. This will take longer if you use dishes that make the custard much thicker.
- Remove and let cool - We prefer to put ours in the fridge and eat it cold.
Again, I was so pleasantly surprised that I couldn't taste coconut. If you drink milk, just substitute the coconut milk for 2 cups of whole raw milk or 1 cup raw cream and 1 cup raw milk. Or all cream. :-)
Enjoy! This is part of Real Food Wednesday and Fight Back Friday and Superfood Sunday Food Carnival.
FAQs
The most common mistake people make with custards is that they tend to overcook them. Custards need to come out of the oven just before they're completely cooked because they will continue baking even after you take them out of the oven.
What is the difference between baked custard and custard? ›
There are two types of custard. Stirred custards are cooked in a saucepan until thick but still liquid in consistency, while baked custards are usually cooked in ovenproof dishes in a water bath or bain-marie until set. Custard is widely available in supermarkets.
How do you know when baked custard is done? ›
When is it done? Baked custard should be removed from the oven (and water bath) before the center is completely set. The center will jiggle slightly when dish or cup is gently shaken. Custard will continue to “cook” after it's removed and center will firm up quickly.
What are the 3 characteristics of baked custard? ›
Characteristics of baked custard firmness of shape smooth, tender texture rich and creamy consistency excellent flavor Characteristics of soft custard velvety smooth texture rich flavor has pouring consistency of heavy cream E.
What happens if you overbake custard? ›
However if the proteins are overcooked, either by using a temperature that is too high or just cooking for too long, then the proteins will come together so tightly that they will start to squeeze out water and this causes the weeping in an egg custard (or the scientific term for this is syneresis).
Why is my baked custard not setting? ›
If the custard is undercooked it might never set, while if you add the eggs without tempering them or while the mixture is too hot, you might end up with scrambled eggs. If you find yourself with a runny custard, you do have options. One way to combat a custard that will not set is to reboil it.
What are the three types of baked 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.
What are the ideal characteristics of a baked custard? ›
Characteristics of Standard Product for a Baked Custard:
| Appearance | Texture | Flavor |
|---|
| Pale golden brown. | Smooth, evenly coagulated; not porous. Uniform gel structure which holds a distinct cut edge. | Slightly sweet, mild egg flavor. |
A good quality baked custard will hold a clean sharp edge when cut. The milk or cream is scaled, and slowly incorporated into the eggs. This aid is a reduced cooking time, and allows for a more evenly cooked product.
Why does my baked custard split? ›
Overheating the custard can cause it to curdle or separate. To prevent this, cook the custard over low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens.
All egg-based custards can curdle if they are cooked for too long, or at a high temperature. A low temperature and constant stirring are important to prevent the custard from curdling.
Why is my baked custard lumpy? ›
However, if they are overheated, too many bonds form and the proteins clump. To find a fix for lumps, we overcooked a simple custard to 205 degrees (the recommended temperature is 175 to 180 degrees), at which point it was full of large lumps. Rescuing the custard turned out to be a cinch with an immersion blender.
What is baked custard called? ›
Flan, or crème caramel, is a custard baked in a dish coated with caramelized sugar that forms a sauce when the custard is unmolded. For crème brûlée, the baked custard is sprinkled with sugar that is caramelized under a broiler or with a hot iron called a salamander. The sugar forms a thin crisp shell over the custard.
What do Americans call custard? ›
Custard is a thing in the U.S. but we usually associate the word custard with a thick pudding rather than custard sauce.
Why is baked custard surrounded by hot water during baking? ›
The hot water evenly distributes heat around the custard, ensuring that the eggs don't curdle. It also prevents the top from drying out and splitting before the inside is fully cooked. Without a bain marie, you'll have a rubbery and cracked dessert.
What can I do with failed custard? ›
Rescuing the custard turned out to be a cinch with an immersion blender. A quick buzz effectively broke down the clumps, restoring a perfectly creamy texture (which didn't break when we refrigerated the fixed custard).
Why not use whole egg in custard? ›
Texture: Custards made with whole eggs tend to be firmer and more set due to the additional proteins in the egg whites. Custards made with only egg yolks are typically smoother and silkier, resulting in a creamier texture. Flavor: Egg yolks have a higher fat content and contain more flavor compounds than egg whites.
What causes curdling in a custard? ›
Overheating the custard can cause it to curdle or separate. To prevent this, cook the custard over low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens. Do not let the custard boil. When adding eggs to the custard mixture, add them slowly while whisking continuously.
What are the disadvantages of custard? ›
Artificial flavors: Many custard powders contain artificial flavors and colors, which may not be healthy for everyone. High sugar content: Custard powder typically contains high amounts of sugar, which can be a concern for people who are trying to manage their sugar intake.
