Homemade Custard Recipe (Pastry Cream)
Homemade Custard Recipe
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 2/3 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup sugar, divided
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp cornstarch (can use cornflour) TABLESPOONS
- 2 tbsp soft butter unsalted
Instructions
- In a large pot pour milk and half of the sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium.
- Keep the milk at low simmer. In a bowl whisk egg yolks. In a separate bowl combine the remaining sugar and cornstarch. Add egg yolks to the sugar and cornstarch mixture and whisk to combine.DO NOT MIX THE sugar, egg yolks and cornstarch too far in advance, do it when the milk is starting to boil and you are ready to add them to it.Add 1 cup from the warm milk and carefully mix, then add mixture to the remaining warm milk and heat gently (on medium/high heat), stirring with a wooden spoon or a whisk. Keep stirring until custard thickens, or for 3-5 minutes. This custard needs to be cooked to 185 F in order for it to become thick and not turn wattery in the fridge.
- Turn off heat and add butter, which will thicken the custard even more, after it cools down. Add vanilla.Stir again and remove from heat. You can strain custard to get rid of any lumps.
- Transfer to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap on top. Cool to room temperature.
- Serve at room temperature or cold.
Video
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="O0D9VVUx" upload-date="2019-03-14T00:00:00.000Z" name="Homemade Custard Recipe" description="Homemade Custard Recipe (Pastry Cream) – quick and easy to make, foolproof custard recipe that can be served on its own, or used as a cake, pie, tart and pastry filling." player-type="default" override-embed="default"]
Notes
Why is my custard not thickening?
There are several reasons for this and here are some of the most common: cooking the mixture not long enough, not heating it to the right temperature (185 F), not using enough cornstarch as a thickening agent.
Please refer to the blog post for more information and possible troubleshooting.
Can I fix custard that didn’t thicken?
You can try to, by returning it to the heat and cooking it for a few more minutes.
There is an option to add some more cornstarch to the mixture, but it has to be dissolved in a little bit of cold water.
Can overcooking the custard prevent it from thickening?
Yes, overcooked custard may separate and not thicken properly.
My custard is too sweet
You can reduce the amount of sugar with up to 1/4 cups of sugar. The reicpe makes custard, which is great for pastry and cake filling, so sometimes we need the extra sweetness.
The homemade custard came out "lumpy"
If you followed the recipe instructions and you strained the custard through a fine mesh sieve, there should be no problem. Overcooked or burt custard could be difficult to go through a strainer.
Can I make this recipe gluten-free?
If you use pure cornstarch, it is 100% gluten-free.
Is it possible to make this custard dairy-free?
The recipe works with almond milk. I have not tried it with any other milk substitutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 170mg | Sodium: 259mg | Potassium: 177mg | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 1035IU | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 0.4mg
