CUSTARDS

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 23, 18 November 1938, Page 18

CUSTARDS

by

CHEF

CUSTARDS are a form of food adaptable for any occasion and are suited to almost every digestion. With eggs and milk as a base, they possess a marked nutritive value as invalid diet. The secret of success in making custards-steamed, baked or boiled -lies in cooking the mixture below boiling point, to prevent coagulation of the egg albumen. A perfectly baked or steamed custard is smooth, firm and jelly-like in consistency, retaining its shape when eut, and does not become watery with standing. "BOILED" CUSTARDS should not be heated to boiling point, and are best stirred over slowly boiling water until the mixture. smoothly eoats the spoon, then removed immediately from the heat. Starch in the form of cornflour, arrowroot, vice flour or plain flour may be eooked in the boiling milk before adding the beaten eggs. CUSTARD TARTS are best baked at a high temperature to set the rim and start the lower pastry crust cooking before the liquid custard soaks into it. Then use a lower temperature to complete the baking of the pastry and ensure a smooth, firmly set filling. Quick baking throughout causes the custard to Separate, toughen and become watery. The pastry should be carefully and loosely fitted into the pan to avoid stretching and consequent shrinkage of the pastry, or formation of air bubbles under the crust. Air bubbles cause blisters or "buckling" in baking, allowing the custard to escape into the pan.

In the issue of September 2, I mentioned that if custards are made of milk which has been scalded and allowed to cool, they will not turn to whey, no matter how long cooked, and. even if: if they boil. If you use fresh milk, take care it Is not too hot before adding your eggs and other ingredients, or else the mixture will be too stringy. The prize this week is for a real spring dish recipe-Fried Chicken and Corn Fritters-and this has been sent in by Mrs. M.. M. Lees, Taitua Street, Taumarunui. This is a great American dish, and very popular at this time of the year. It’s gooseberry time again, SO here’s a delicious spring pudding recipe, and one of my Napier Sister home-cooks has. sent in this simple, delicious rice cream. — Simmer until. soft ‘and er eamy 1 pint milk, 2 ounces ground rice, 1 ounce each of sugar and butter, and a piece of lemon rind, then pour over’ your stewed fruit, and serve hot or cold. This cream will be found very useful for your’ rhubarb or gooseberries, or, in fact, any of the small fruits which are now coming into season.

Custard Tart Six oz. good short pastry, 1 cup hot milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, pinch of salt, % teaspoon vanilla essence, 2 eggs, grated nutmeg. Line a deep tart plate loosely with pastry, pressing it well into shape without stretching. Beat the eggs, add salt, sugar and vanilla and gradually -add the hot milk, .Pour the hot custard into the cold pastry shell, sprinkle surface with grated nutmeg and bake in a hot oven (temperature 400 degrees Fabr.) for i0 minutes, then reduce heat of oven to 325.degrees Fahr., and bake for a further 30 minutes until the custard is firmly set and lightly brown.

Custard Cream

wWwO dessertspoons ‘powdered gelatine, 4 tablespoons cold water, 2 dessertspoons sugar, 2 eggs, 1 cup milk; 4 cup cream, % teaspoon vanilla essence, 4lb. soft pack prunes, water, sugar as reaquired, small piece lemon rind. Wash and soak the prunes in sufficient water to cover, then place softened prunes with the water and yellow lemon rind in saucepan and simmer until tender. Sweeten with sugar, simmer for few minutes and leave until cold. Remove lemon rind before serving, draining the prunes from the juice if required for garnishing. Moisten the gelatine with 4 tablespoons cold water in a cup or basin. Mix egg yolks with sugar in basin or upper portion of double saucepan, gradually add milk, then stir" with wooden spoon over boiling water until custard coats spoon -and remove from heat. Stir gelatine over boiling water until dissolved and gradually stir it into cooled custard. Whisk egg whites to stiff froth, add to custard and when quite cold, stir in the cream and vanilla. Pour into wet moulds until firmly set, then turn the creams on to serving dishes and garnish with prepared prunes. .

Gooseberry Cake

ALF cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 4 teaspoons cold water, 1 teaspoon soda, 2 eggs, 2 cups wholemeal flour, i cup stewed gooseberries, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, % teaspoon mixed spice. Cream butter and sugar together, add beaten yolks, gooseberries and water alternately with soda, spices and flour well mixed. JBeat thoroughly, fold in beaten whites and bake in greased tin, moderate oven about 45 minutes. When cold, ice with butter icing flavoured with rum essence-Mrs. E. J. (Motueka).

Creamed Asparagus

NE bunch asparagus, cook in poiling salted water, drain well. Melt 2ozs. butter, and add 1 ~~ "

oz. flour, blend well and stir in 1 pint milk, and 80zs. grated cheese. Cook for a few minutes, add 1 dessertspoon of onion juice, 2 well beaten eggs, seasoning to taste. Stir over a low heat, to cook cheese and egg. Turn into wellbuttered dish,, putting alternate layers of the sauce and asparagus. Bake in moderate oven 10 mniutes. New and _ delicious--Mrs. L.T. (Hastings).

BIG PRIZES FOR BEST CHRISTMAS RECIPES FUNNY how even in our New Zealand summer, we cling to English Yuletide traditions. And when it comes to Christmas dinner, we may substitute lamb and mint sauce for turkey, but our Christmas pudding and our Christmas cake ave almost exact replicas of the puddings end cakes under which English dinner tables will be groaning. Now, most "Record" home cooks have their own special recipes for Christmas puddings and cakes, and here’s some good news. The "Record" is conducting a big Christmas recipe competition, to be judged by Aunt Daisy end "Chef." There will be a prize of Two Guincas for the best Christmas pudding recipe submitted, and Two Guineas for the best Christmas cake recipe. . Recipes, which should be addressed "Christmas Recipe Competition," c/o "Radio Record," Box 1680, Wellington, must be sent in before November 25. This competition does not interfere in any way with the "Chef's" weekly competition, in connection with which prizes of 10/6 are awarded weekly for the best recipe sub- . mitted, : — . 4 t to. rar aoe . . ; } aor ees er sober be I ne ee , ni hd ‘ 4 i 0 -.- a 4 Li | r) i .-- . e

Christmas Cake QNE AND A QUARTER Ibs. butter, llb. sugar, 14lbs. flour, 12 eges, 1lb. currants, ilb. raisins, 1 th. sultanas, 3lb. peel, 40z3. of cherries, 4ozs. ground almonds, 2 tablespoons glycerine, 2 tablespoons brandy, 1 nutmeg (grated), 1 teaspoon cinnamon, pinch salt, bottle ginger ale, Cut up fruit very fine and scak all night in ginger ale (a 6d. bottle for the amount of fruit will do). Cream the butter and sugar, add eges well beaten, little by little, not to have the mixture curdle, beat well. Then add flour and spices, fruit and lastly the glycerine and brandy. * Note:-Do not dry the fruit after : has been soaking in the ginger ale. . This cake requires 43 hours cooking. For an electric oven 400, -bottom element low, when range comes down to 300 put top element ‘on. for a while. For a gas oven, ‘the same time for cooking, shelf three ledges from the top: all the time. Regulo at four for an hour, then down to two for the remainder of the time.

Macaroon Custard

THREE dessertspoons powdered gelatine, 4 cup cold water, 4 | cup sugar, 8 eggs, 22 cups milk, 4 cup cream, 6 macaroons, 4 teaspoon vanilla, 6 drained cherries, whipped cream. Mix the egg yolks and sugar, gradually add milk and stir over boiling water until custard coats the spoon, and remove from heat. Moisten gelatine with cold water and dissolve over boiling water, then stir into custard. Whisk egg whites to stiff froth, and add, with the vanilla and crushed macaroons to custard. When cold, add the cream and pour the mixture into wet moulds. Leave until firmly set, then unmould and serve on glass dishes garnished with cherries and whipped cream.:

Ham Custard

F{AIF-POUND good short pastry, | , 4 to 4lb. ham, 3 eggs, salt and pepper to taste, 14 pints milk. Line ‘a pastry dish with pastry. Beat eggs, add milk, ham cut up finely, salt and pepper. Pour into ‘pie dish, bake in slow oven 1 to 14 hours or until pastry is cooked and custard get: Leave ‘until quite ; Cola" Ad ‘sé¥ve ~ With" Salta. -Mes. "" , Ec. (Aucicland), |