Egg custard is a delicious dish which is believed to have originated in America. It is mostly sweet in taste and made in the shape of tarts. A favorite with people from all age groups, especially children, this dish is commonly prepared in most American and European households during summer time. This custard is best consumed in its cold form for breakfast, brunch or in the evening. Easy to make, this dish can be prepared in very less time. The main ingredients used to make Egg custard are eggs, sugar, milk and vanilla. Often nutmegs are added to this dish to make it more sumptuous. This being an elegant dish, it can easily be served on special occasions like parties and festivals. Also, this is an ideal dish for family get-togethers.
Today egg custard has become one of the global desserts, and many variations of it are religiously followed throughout the world. The dessert is also favored by culinary experts because it is easy to cook and it can be served hot or cold as per taste preferences. The texture of the dessert is smoother when hot and thicker when cold. The egg white version of the dessert is enjoyed by health conscious people.
The Chinese believe that this dessert will equip them with better skin complexion and also give strength to their kids. Egg custards form basis for many popular desserts like egg tarts.
Origin of Egg Custard
It is believed that the Roman cooks were the first people to recognize the culinary benefits of eggs in binding the ingredients. They created several sweet and savory egg- based dishes like crustades, omelettes, etc. The exact origin of what is now known as custard using eggs can be traced back to the middle ages. The custards were either eaten alone or they served as a filling for various types of sweet and savory pies, tarts, and pastries. In 18th and 19th centuries, the Americans started replacing the egg in the egg custard recipe with custard powder. Towards the last decades of 19th century the Health reformers from Europe and America started working on creating healthy variants of this dessert.
Egg Custard Recipe: Ingredients and Method of Preparation
Eggs, milk, water, sugar and salt are required to make this dessert. At times, the dessert is flavored using nutmeg and vanilla. The custard preparation begins by whisking the egg yolks and white. Gradually other ingredients (except grated nutmeg) are added to the mixture and whisked until the sugar completely dissolves. The mixture is then added to several bowls or one big bowl and nutmeg is sprinkled over it. The mixture is heated in oven until the color of the concoction changes from light yellow to dark brown.
Popular Egg Custard Dessert Recipes Spanish Flan: This classic crème caramel or flan is enjoyed throughout all Spanish-speaking countries. It is prepared by combining sugar, Philadelphia cream cheese, evaporated milk, vanilla, eggs, and sugar. Also known as caramel custard, it finds place in most of the European restaurant menus.
- Egg Custard Tart: This popular Chinese dessert is found in restaurant dessert menus of most Asian countries. The outer shell of this pastry is made up of egg custard. Some of the regular ingredients used in the preparation of this dish include all-purpose flour, confectioners’ sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla extract, water, white sugar, and evaporated milk ..
Amaretto Crème Brulee: This gourmet dessert is prepared using egg yolks, almond extract, vanilla extract, amaretto, and sugar. Unlike the regular custard this dessert is differentiated by its crunchy hard caramel top. This egg custard based dessert is mostly served chilled.
