Since eggs have the property of stiffening when heated, they are often used for thickening liquids, especially milk. Milk thickened with eggs is called custard.

All milk-and-egg mixtures should be cooked below the boiling temperature of water. They should never be cooked directly over the fire, but over hot water or in a double boiler. 

INFORMATION FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS

ABOUT CUSTARDS
If a custard is properly cooked, the egg is in a soft-cooked condition. It exists in a jelly-like mass throughout the milk. The custard has a creamy appearance. If, however, a custard is cooked too much, the egg becomes hard-cooked and the particles of egg appear in “lumps” in the milk mixture. The custard is then said to be curdled.

A curdled custard may be made smooth by placing the upper part of the double boiler in a pan of cold water and then beating the custard at once with a Dover egg beater.*

Custard can be made very cheaply and on the other hand, it may be made in such a manner as to be very expensive. The highest class custard is made by only using yolks of eggs instead of whole eggs, and uses cream in addition to milk. Six yolks of eggs, half a pint of milk, half a pint of cream, sweetened, would, of course, form a very expensive custard. 

*Dover egg beater – a hand operated rotary egg beater patented by the Dover company in 1873.

AN ORDINARY CUSTARD
Take four large or five small eggs, beat them up very thoroughly, and add them gradually to a pint of sweetened milk that has been boiled separately. In order to thicken the custard, it is a good plan to put it in a jug and stand the jug in a saucepan of boiling water, and stir the custard till it is sufficiently thick. Custard can be flavored in various ways. One of the cheapest and perhaps nicest is to boil one or two bay-leaves in the milk. Custard can also be flavored by the addition of a small quantity of the essence of vanilla; if you use a fresh pod vanilla, tie it up in a little piece of muslin and have a string to it. This can be boiled in the milk till the milk is sufficiently flavored, and this pod can be used over and over again. Of course, as it loses its flavor, it will have to remain in the milk longer.

A CHEAP CUSTARD
A very cheap custard can be made by adding to one pint of boiled milk one well-beaten-up egg and one good-sized teaspoon of corn-flour. The milk should be first sweetened, and can be flavored very cheaply by rubbing a few lumps of sugar on the outside of a lemon, or by having a few bay-leaves boiled in it. A rich yellow color can be obtained by using a small quantity of yellow vegetable coloring extract, which, like the green coloring, is sold in bottles by all grocers. These bottles are very cheap, as they last a long time. They simply give any kind of pudding a rich coloring without imparting any flavor whatever, and in this respect are very superior to saffron.

BAKED CUSTARD
Boil one quart of milk. Beat four eggs the eggs very light (six eggs are generally used, but four are plenty). Then add one teacup* of sugar and one-half teaspoon salt. Pour this mixture on the milk very slowly, stirring constantly. Bake in a pudding-dish or in cups. If in cups, set them in a baking-pan, and half fill it with boiling water. Grate nutmeg over each. The secret of a good custard is in slow baking and the most careful watching. Test often with a knife-blade, and do not bake an instant after the blade comes out smooth and clean. To be eaten cold. 

*teacup – same as a jill or gill (four ounces U.S.)

STEAMED CUSTARD
Scald one pint milk in a double boiler. Beat two or three eggs slightly, add one-fourth cup sugar, one-eighth teaspoon salt, and stir. Add the hot milk to this mixture. Strain the mixture, flavor with a little grated nutmeg, and pour it into a mold. Steam (without stirring) until the custard is firm. Let the water in the steamer boil gently rather than vigorously. Test for sufficient cooking by inserting a knife into the custard. If it comes out clean, the custard is done.

BOILED CUSTARD
Boil one quart of milk. Dissolve one teaspoon corn-starch in a little cold water, and boil in the milk for five minutes. It prevents the custard from curdling, which otherwise it is very apt to do. Beat three or four eggs and one cup sugar well together. Stir into the milk, and add one-half teaspoon salt and one teaspoon vanilla. Take at once from the fire and when cool, pour either into a large glass dish, covering with a meringue of the whites, or into small glasses with a little jelly or jam at the bottom of each. 

For Coconut Custard add a cup of grated coconut; for Chocolate, two tablespoons of grated chocolate dissolved in half a cup of boiling water.

APPLE CUSTARD
Good apple custard can only be made by using apples of a good flavor. When apples are in season, this dish can be made fairly cheaply, but it does not do to use those high-priced imported apples. Peel and take out the cores of about four pounds of apples, and let these simmer till they are quite tender in rather more than a pint of water. Add about one pound of sugar, or rather less if the apples are sweet. Add a little powdered cinnamon, and mix all this with eight eggs, well beaten up. Stir the mixture very carefully in a saucepan, or better still in a good-sized jug placed in a saucepan, till it begins to thicken. This custard is best served in glasses, and a little cinnamon sugar can be shaken over the top. Nutmeg may be used instead of cinnamon, and by many is thought superior.

LEMON CUSTARD
Take four large ripe lemons, and roll them under your hand on the table to increase the juice. Then squeeze them into a bowl, and mix with the juice a very small teacup full of cold water. Use none of the peel. Add gradually sufficient sugar to make it very sweet. Beat twelve eggs till quite light, and then stir the lemon juice gradually into them, beating very hard at the last. Put the mixture into cups, and bake it ten minutes. When done, grate nutmeg over the top of each, and set them among ice, or in a very cold place.

These custards being made without milk, can be prepared at a short notice, and will be found very fine. Orange custards may be made in the same manner.

Image from Deposit Photos

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Bird’s Custard Powder

England’s most popular custard powder.

Original homemade taste. Birds is the original custard brand, established in 1837 and loved by generations ever since. Bird’s custard is made and served in millions of homes where proper custard is at the heart of a good pud!

Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons to Measure Dry and Liquid Ingredients

ENGRAVED MEASURING MARKINGS – Every cup and spoon in this set has the accurate measurements size in US and Metric clearly engraved on the handle.

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