Posted: 6/4/2010 11:14:34 PM EDT
I'm trying to make some custard pudding, but can't seem to get it to thicken right. I'm sure it's just my lack of cooking skillz/knowledge. 
I'm using: 
Birds Custard Powder And following their directions on the back (I've done both microwave and stovetop). 1 2T custard powder + 2T of sugar into bowl 2. Mix to smooth paste with 2T of milk (taken from 1 pint) (Stove top below, skip to second set for microwave directions) 3. Heat remaining milk to nearly boiling, pour onto custard mix stirring well. 4. Return to saucepan, bring to boil over gentle heat stirring continuously. Microwave Steps 1 and 2 3. Add remaning milk and cook on full power for 6 mins. Stir half way through. 4. Let stand 1 minute. Tonight I did the microwave one. Came out looking like pudding does when you first cook it. Had a bit of a skin on top, but it wasn't scorched. Let it sit and had a taste. Very good flavor, but still soupy. Stuck it in the fridge. It thickened a bit, but still had the consistency of "cream of mushroom" soup. What do I need to do to make it more "pudding" like? 
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Use a bit less milk, or keep it at a boil, stirring CONTINUOUSLY, a bit longer to reduce it further. Be very careful with the heat.
Or, use the recipe I use. http://www.filipinofoodrecipes.net/leche-flan.htm Filipino Leche Flan Recipe
Preparation time: 30 minutes Estimated cooking time: 1 hour Leche Flan Ingredients: * 1 can (390g) evaporated milk * 1 can (390g) condensed milk * 10 egg yolks * 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or lemon essence For the caramel: * 1 cup sugar * 3/4 cup water Leche Flan Cooking Instructions: * In a saucepan, mix the sugar & water. Bring to a boil for a few minutes until the sugar caramelize. * Pour the caramelized sugar into aluminum moulds - you can use any shape: oval, round or square. Spread the caramel on the bottom of the moulds. * Mix well the evaporated milk, condensed milk, egg yolks and vanilla by hand or blender. * Gently pour the mixture on top of the caramel on the aluminum moulds. Fill the moulds to about 1 to 1 1/4 inch thick. * Cover moulds individually with aluminum foil. * Steam for about 20 minutes (the traditional way to make Leche Flan is by open-air steaming on either an open cooking fire or stove top) OR * Bake for about 45 minutes. Before baking the Leche Flan, place the moulds on a larger baking pan half filled with very hot water. Pre-heat oven to about 370 degrees before baking. * Let cool then refrigerate. * To serve: run a thin knife around the edges of the mould to loosen the Leche Flan. Place a platter on top of the mould and quickly turn upside down to position the golden brown caramel on top. Cooking Tips: You can tell when the Leche Flan is cooked by inserting a knife -if it comes out clean, it is cooked. I use an electric rice cooker with a steaming basket to steam it. Turns out great. Make sure you keep the sides of the pan with the water and sugar mixture completely devoid of sugar grains, or it will mess up the caramel. I like the caramel to be a little thicker than most Filipino folks do. IF you choose to bake it, make sure to use a baking pan half-filled with hot water to act as a heat sink, or your flan will burn. Good luck! |
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Raven: Mmm...that looks tasty. I need to try that for Sunday breakfast one of these days!
kpel: I will try a bit less milk and cooking it longer. One of the things I didn't mention was the "skin" that formed on top (and some on the bottom of the bowl) was almost the perfect texture. Sounds like longer heat might help. Also, nice recipe! Bit beyond me at the moment, but I saved it for future use. Thanks! :) Mdter: Yes, I am using skim. Should I switch to whole or 2%? |
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Quoted: Raven: Mmm...that looks tasty. I need to try that for Sunday breakfast one of these days! kpel: I will try a bit less milk and cooking it longer. One of the things I didn't mention was the "skin" that formed on top (and some on the bottom of the bowl) was almost the perfect texture. Sounds like longer heat might help. Also, nice recipe! Bit beyond me at the moment, but I saved it for future use. Thanks! :) Mdter: Yes, I am using skim. Should I switch to whole or 2%? Powdered puddings (ala jello, and Im betting that stuff) need milk fat to gel. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Raven: Mmm...that looks tasty. I need to try that for Sunday breakfast one of these days! kpel: I will try a bit less milk and cooking it longer. One of the things I didn't mention was the "skin" that formed on top (and some on the bottom of the bowl) was almost the perfect texture. Sounds like longer heat might help. Also, nice recipe! Bit beyond me at the moment, but I saved it for future use. Thanks! :) Mdter: Yes, I am using skim. Should I switch to whole or 2%? Powdered puddings (ala jello, and Im betting that stuff) need milk fat to gel. Ah.... (the dim bulb brightens over here.) Okay, I will add that to the list of things to try. :) |
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If you're used to skim milk then 2% is probably a safe bet for you to try next. When I drank skim back in the day I hated the consistency of whole milk.
Nowadays I could probably drink half and half though. lol. You can also try adding a little bit more cornstarch assuming the wiki of it being a cornflour based product being correct. |
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Quoted:
If you're used to skim milk then 2% is probably a safe bet for you to try next. When I drank skim back in the day I hated the consistency of whole milk. Nowadays I could probably drink half and half though. lol. You can also try adding a little bit more cornstarch assuming the wiki of it being a cornflour based product being correct. I love myself some whole milk. Not very fond of skim, but my husband likes it so I get it for him. :) I will try 2% next time with additional heating. If that doesn't quite do it, I'll add some cornstarch to the next batch. Thanks for all the input!!! 
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