282

CUSTARDS, PUDDINGS, MOUSSES, AND FROZEN DESSERTS

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Starch-Thickened Puddings

CUSTARDS AND PUDDINGS

These are also called boiled pudding, because they are

boiled in order to cook the starch that thickens them.

It is vety difficult to come up with a definition of pud

ding that includes everything called bv that name. The
term is used for such different dishes as chocolate pud
ding, blood sausages (blood puddings), and steak-and
kidney pudding. In this chapter, hmve\'er, we are con
sidering only popular American dessert puddings.
Two kinds of puddings, starch-thickened and baked,
are the most frequently prepared in food sen'ice
kitchens. A third type, steamed pudding, is less often
setved, and then only in cold weather, because it is usu
ally r~Hher heavy and filling.
Because custards ate the basis of so nunv puddings,
we will begin with a general discussion ot this type ot
preparation. A custard is a liquid thickened or set bv the
coagulation of egg protein. There are two basic kinds
of custards: stirred cust,nd, which is stirred as it cooks
and remains pourable when cooked, and baked C/fst,mi.
which is not stirred and sets firm.
One b~lsic rule governs the preparation of both types
of cust~1td: Do not heat custards higher thall elll illtema!
temperature olI8'i F (8'1 C). This temperature is the
point at \vhich egg-liquid mixtures coagubte. It they arc
heated beyond this, they tend to curdle. An overhaked
custard becomes watery because the moisture separates
from the toughened protein.
Crhllf' Angl,/ise, or vanilla cust~1td sauce, discnssed
in detail in (Iupter 7 (p. 118), is a stirred custard. It
consists of milk, sugar, and egg yolks stirred mer wry
low hea t until lightlY th ickened.
Pastry cream, also discussed in Chapter -, (p. 120),
is stirred custard that cont:lll1S starch thickeners as well
as eggs, resulting in a much thicker and more stable
prodnct. Because of the stahilizing eHect ot the starch,
pastry cream is an exception to the rule ot not heating
custards over llUo F. In addition to being used as a
component of m~1I1v pastries and cakes, pastry ClT:lm is
also the basis for cream puddings.
Baked cllstard, like custard sauce, also consists ot
milk, sugar, and eggs, usually vV'hole eggs for greeHer
thickening power. Unlike the sauce, it is haked rather
than stirred over heat, so that it sets and becomes firm.
Baked custard is used as a pie filling, as a dessen by
itself, and as a basis for many baked puddings.

1. Cornstarch pudding

or blanc mange

Cornstarch pudding consists of milk, sugar, and fla

vorings, and is thickened \yith cornstarch (or some
times ~1t1other starch). If enough cornstarch is used,
the hot mixture mav be poured into molds, chilled,
and unmolded for senice.

2.

Cream puddill?,s
Cream puddings, as we haw suggested, are the
S~lme as pastry cream. Puddings are usually made
with less starch, however, and may contain any of
sever~11 f1a\,(lring ingredients, such :lS coconut or
chocola te. Butterscotch pudd ing is given its flavor
bv using brown sugar instead of white sugar.
If YOU look again ~1t the recipe for pastry cre~lm
(p. 120), vou will see th~1t the only difference be
t\\'een cornstarch puddings and cream puddings is
th~1t the Luter contain eggs. In taet, cream pud
dings m:1\ be nucie bv stirring hot C(ltnst~Hch pud
ding into be~1ten eggs and then heating the en
tire mixture to just below a simmer. Care must be
taken to :1\oid curdling the eggs if this method is
used.

Because these puddings arc basicallv the S~lme as P:1S

trv cream, which in turn is used for cream pie tillings,
it is not necessary to gi\'C separ~1te recipes Iwrc. J() pre

pare ,IllY ol the fiJI/Olcill?, puddzngs, sill/p!y prepare the

c'orrespondll1?, cre,llli PIC fil/illg (p. 188), hut lise only
Ihl!l the stench. The following puddings on be made on
that hasis:
Vanilla pudding
Coconut cre:1m pudding
Banana cream pudding (puree the bananas and
with the pudding)

IllIX

Chocobte pudding (two wrSlOl1S, US111g cocoa or

melted chocolate)
Butterscotch pudding

188

PIES

Vanilla Cream Pie Filling

Yield: About 2 1/ 4 qt (2.25 I), or 6 Ib 4 oz (3.1 kg)

Five 8-inch (20-cm) pies
Four 9-inch (23-cm) pies
Three 10-inch (25-cm) pies

Ingredients

U.S.

Milk
Sugar

4 pt

Egg yolks (8)

Whole eggs (4)
Cornstarch
Sugar
Butter
Vanilla

Metric
2000 ml
250 g

oz

oz
oz
oz
oz

150
220
150
250

oz
oz

125 g
30 ml

7
5
8

4
1

g
g
g
g

Procedure:
Before beginning production, review the discussion of pastry cream on p. 120.

1. In

a heavy saucepan or kettle, dissolve the sugar in the milk and bring just to
a boil.

2.
3.

With a whip, beat the egg yolks and whole eggs in a stainless steel bowl.

4.
S.
6.
7.

Temper the egg mixture by slowly beating in the hot milk in a thin stream.

8.

Pour into baked, cooled pie shells. Cool, then keep chilled. Chilled pies may
be decorated with whipped cream, using a pastry bag with a star tube.

Sift the starch and sugar into the eggs. Beat with the whip until perfectly
smooth.
Return the mixture to the heat and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly.
When the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, remove it from the heat.
Stir in the butter and vanilla. Mix until the butter is melted and completely
blended in.

Variations

Coconut Cream Pie Filling:

Add 8 oz (250 g) toasted, unsweetened coconut to the basic filling.

Banana Cream Pie Filling:

Using vanilla cream filling, pour half the filling into pie shells, cover with sliced
bananas, and fill with remaining filling. (Bananas may be dipped in lemon juice
to prevent browning.)

Chocolate Cream Pie Filling I:

Melt together the following ingredients and mix into hot vanilla cream filling:
Unsweetened chocolate
Sweet chocolate

4
4

oz
oz

125 g
125 g