Eggs in Custards and Puddings

New Zealand Listener, Volume 29, Issue 742, 2 October 1953, Page 22

Eggs in Custards and Puddings

AM often asked how to make a simple "boiled custard" with eggs (not custard powder), such as Grandma always made and poured. out of a jug over stewed fruit or jelly, or what not. Or a plain baked or steamed ‘custard, no gelatine or powder, just "plain custard." Well, to begin with, the custard is not boiled, because boiling would curdle it. Here you are: Thin Boiled Custard To each scant cup of milk (a bare '2 pint), allow 1 egg and 1% tablespoons sugar. Bring milk nearly to boil and pour it over eggs and sugar already well beaten together in a _ basin, whisking gently al] the time. Then pour all into a double boiler or a basin standing in a saucepan of boiling water (Grandma always used a tall jug standing in a saucepan, remember?) and cook, stirring all the time, until it thickens enough to coat the spoon. It must not curdle. It will be a little thicker when cold. Pour over fruit or pudding, hot or cold, generally cold. Baked or Steamed Custard Use egg and milk in the same propor-tions-scant ¥2 pint milk to each egg beaten with 14% tablespoons sugar (or to your own taste), and pour the hot milk on to the beaten egg and sugar, stirring all the time. Pour it: into a lightly-buttered besin or piedish, and either steam or bake until set, when a silver knife inserted at the side will come .out clean. It is much safer to bake it with the piedish standing in an outer tin of hot water, to prevent curdling. A little nutmeg pS ig ever the top is very nice, instead of adding flavouring to the beaten egg.

Cream Caramel Custard One pint milk, 2 oz. sugar, 2 eggs, a little cream. For the caramel:

4 oz. loaf sugar (if possible) and % pint water. Bring milk nearly to boil and pour on to beaten eggs and sugar whisking well all the time. Strain into mould coated with caramel (made by boiling the loaf sugar in the water until it is golden brown) Cover with greased paper and place in a> baking. tray half filled with water. Bake in cool oven 40 minutes, when it should be well set. ' Turn out when cold, and decorate with a little whipped cream. Apple Cheesecakes Twelve large apples, juice of 2 large lemons, and the pee] grated, % lb. butter, yolks of 3 eges, sugar, puff pastry. Pare and core the apples, and boil them as for apple sauce with a small quantity of water. Mash them very smooth, and stir in the juice of the lemons, the peel grated, the yolks of the eggs and the butter beaten to ea cream. Sweeten to taste, and bake in patty tins lined

with rich puff pastry. Use the egg whites in apple snow (see below). Apple Snow Have 2 cups un, sweetened -apple

sauce (apples stewed to pulp with hardly any water, and beaten smooth with a fork). Add a dash of nutmeg, a pinch of salt, and a little vanilla or lemon flavouring, as desired. Chill. A short time before serving, beat your 3 egg whites until they will stand in peaks, add % cup sugar gradually beating until stiff. Fold this into the chilled applesauce. Serve with cream. or with the boiled custard in the first recipe. Make prune snow as for apple snow, substituting sieved cooked prunes for the apple sauce, and using 2 tablespoons lemon juice for flavouring. Use a little less sugar in the beaten whites. Mother's Delight This is excellent for children. Three éges, 4% Ib, sugar, 2-3 oranges and 1 lemon, 14 oz. gelatine. Beat egg yolks and sugar together, add juice of fruit, melt the gelatine in % tumbler hot water and add. Then beat the whites of eges to stiff froth with a pinch of salt and mix all together and pour into a mould to set. Serve with cream or custard. Lemon Snow One pint weter, 1 small cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cornflour, juice 2 lemons, 4 eggs, 1 pint milk. Put the water into a saucepan, and boil, add sugar, then cornflour mixed with lemon juice. Boil 3 minutes, take off, add stiffly-beaten egg. whites. Put into mould to set. Make a custard with milk and egg yolks, pour round the pudding when cold.

Angel's Food One quart cold milk, 1 oz. gelatine. Dissolve gelatine in a little of the milk, and add to the rest. When thoroughly

dissolved add 3 well-beaten egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, and juice of 1 lemon. Let all come to the boil, stir. Let codi, and when nearly cold stir in gently the stiffly-beaten egg whites. Add flavouring to taste, and let set. Orange Souffle Three eggs, 3 tablespoons sugar, 3 oranges, juice and rind, 1°lemon. Line glass dish with pieces of plain sponge cake. Pour over 1 or 2 tablespoons wine or sherry. Into a saucepan put yolks of 3 eggs well beaten with 3 tablespoons sugar and juice and rind of 3 oranges and 1 lemon. Heat slowly until thick, stirring continually. Do not let it boil. Whip whites of eggs to stiff froth and lightly fold into mixture in saucepan after removing from fire. Pour over the sponge cake in the dish and serve cold.