Creams and Custards Flashcards
What are custards?
Liquids the have been set with the help of egg protein and heat
What do unsweetened custards rely on to bake?
Coagulation of eggs
What should custards be baked at?
170C to avoid bubbles
Examples of custards
- Crème Caramel
- Crème Brulée
- Custard Cream (Pastry Cream)
- Quiche Custard
Crème Caramel
- Bottom of slightly buttered ramekins are lined with a light to medium caramel syrup
- Custard mix is filled to 1/4 of the rim
- Ramekins have to be placed in a water bath filed up to half the height with hot tap water
- Bake them at 170C until they seem wobbly when shaken
What is crème caramel made of?
- Milk
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Vanilla
Are crème caramel be served in a ramekin?
No, it should be kept in the ramekin until it is to be served
Crème brulée
- Poached in a water bath in the oven
- Before serving either sprinkle sugar or brown sugar over the top and then put it under a salamander to caramelize the sugar
- AKA burned cream
Pastry Cream
- Can add chocolate, nuts or spirits that will refine it and improve the flavor
- Stir the cream constantly to avoid burning and to avoid lumps
What is pastry cream used for?
Fillings for danishes, base for soufflés and to fill cakes and pies
Is there any danger of overheating or curdling the mixture?
No, because pastry cream is made with cornstarch or flour to stabilize the eggs
Can you save a burnt pastry cream?
No, once it is burnt the burnt flavor will go through the entire batch
What are the ingredients in a quiche custard?
- Milk
- Eggs
- Cornstarch
What seasonings are common in quiche custard?
- Salt
- Pepper
- Nutmeg
Examples of creams
- Chantilly cream
- Pastry cream
- St. Honoré cream
- Ganache cream
- Buttercream
- Mousseline cream
What is the difference between whipped cream and chantilly cream?
Chantilly cream has the addition of vanilla extract, vanilla sugar or vanilla powder
What texture should chantilly cream be?
Light and fluffy in texture
Does chantilly have to be refrigerated?
Yes, if not it will split
What is chantilly used for?
To compliment fresh fruits, berries, ice creams, meringues and to assemble fresh cakes and tortes
What is St. Honoré cream AKA?
Cream Chiboust
St. Honoré cream
- Hot pastry cream with added Italian Meringue
- Light and fluffy and should be made on the same day the product is sold
- Not only for the famous St. Honoré cream but can also be used for napoleons
- Can not be made before hand and stored in the fridge
What is an alternative commonly used instead of St. Honoré cream?
Pastry cream with gelatin and fold in whipped cream
What are ingredients in Ganache?
- Cream
- Couverture chocolate
- Butter
Ganache cream
- Can be used to glaze pastries when warm
- Can be used to make truffles or pralines when cold
- Can be whipped and used to produce a light cream to fill and decorate tortes and cakes
- Egg yolks, nuts, butter and flavorings can be added to refine the product
- Texture can be altered by using more or less couverture
What torte is ganache commonly used for?
Swiss truffle torte
What is mousseline cream?
Mixture of equal parts pastry cream and whipping cream
Mousseline cream
- Before the whipped cream is added make sure the pastry cream is softened
- Can be served in a glass as a dessert or can be used for filling flans cold pies and tortes
Examples of buttercream
- French buttercream
- Italian buttercream
- German buttercream
- Swiss buttercream
French buttercream
- Very light
- Should be used ASAP
- Won’t hold for a long time because of egg yolks
How is French buttercream made?
Made with beaten egg yolks the hot sugar syrup (116C) is added and whipped until cool. Then soft butter is slowly added while whipping.
Italian buttercream
- Good for keeping
- Since no egg yolks are used, it will keep much longer
How is Italian buttercream made?
Made with boiled sugar syrup (116C) that is added to soft peaks whipped egg whites. Once cool, slowly add the softened butter.
German buttercream
- Heaviest
- Can easily be kept in the fridge for upto a week
How is German buttercream made?
Pastry cream with the addition of butter. The pastry cream is cooled down and the soft butter is beaten in and whipped until the best possible volume is reached.
Swiss buttercream
- Very simple to make; very light
- Not classical
How is Swiss buttercream made?
Sugar and egg whites are placed over the double boiler until it reaches 60C constantly stirring. Whip them until cool and then slowly add the butter.
Can you use margarine for buttercream?
Yes, but not recommended and it should be a very high quality margarine
What is basic buttercream?
When only vanilla is added
