 A delicious dish of crème caramel. Photo by Rafa Irusta | Dreamstime.
September 2006
Updated May 2009
|
|
Custard Glossary
Page 2 Terms & Definitions: C
The “C” page has the most custard terms of any letter of the alphabet, including caramel custard, cream custard, crème brûlée and custard pie.
This glossary is protected by copyright and cannot be reproduced in whole or part.
Use this index bar to visit other pages.
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
Cambridge Burnt Cream
See crème brûlée.
Caramel Custard
Not to be confused with crème caramel, where a layer of caramel as added on top of the custard, in caramel custard, caramelized sugar is mixed into the custard prior to baking.
Charlotte
A molded custard that can be cold or hot. Traditionally, the mold used is  smaller in diameter at the base than at the top, or bucket-shaped, but almost any mold is acceptable.
For a cold charlotte, the mold is lined with sponge cake, ladyfingers, biscuits or bread and filled with layers (or a mixture) of fruit and custard or whipped cream that has been fortified with gelatin (Bavarian cream) or mousse. The dessert is chilled thoroughly and unmolded before serving. Charlotte Russe, said to have been created for the Russian Czar Alexander, uses a ladyfinger shell filled with Bavarian cream, and is decorated elaborately with whipped-cream rosettes. Apple Charlotte (Charlotte aux Pommes) is typical of a hot charlotte, which uses a buttered-bread (or brioche) shell filled with
sweetened fruit or fruit purée, baked and served hot with fruit sauce.
In an Apple Charlotte, the apples are sautéed with Calvados, an apple brandy.
Cheesecake
A cheesecake is essentially a baked cheese custard. A pie is a custard when an uncooked custard filling is poured into an unbaked or partially baked pie crust, and then baked. Thus, the cheesecake is actually a pie! Similarly, pumpkin pie is a pumpkin custard, lemon meringue pie is a lemon custard. A cream pie, on the other hand, starts with a fully baked crust. A cooked filling is poured into it; the pie is then chilled until the filling sets.
|
Cheesecake is a cheese custard pie, quiche is a savory custard pie. |
Coconut Custard
Baked custard which has had shredded coconut folded in prior to baking.
Coffee Custard
Baked custard which has had instant coffee folded in prior to baking.
Cream Custard
While many people search for “cream custard,” the term they should be seeking is custard sauce or crème anglaise, the pourable, unbaked version of custard that is used as a sauce. Seek no more: Here’s a quick and easy recipe. Over low heat, or in a double boiler over hot water, combine 6 large egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 cups scalded whole milk and 1/8 teaspoon salt until the custard coats a spoon (about 7 minutes). Cool, flavor to taste with 1-2 tablespoons of brandy, dark rum, Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur or sherry, or 1 teaspoon or more of vanilla. Jar and refrigerate until ready to use—you can keep it for a week.
Cream Puff
A cream puff is a choux pastry (pâte à choux) filled with whipped cream or custard. It originated in Italy in the 1600s and is said to have been created by Poelini, a chef to  Catarina de’ Medici; in 1533 she married the duc d’Orléans, the future King Henri II of France, and brought her favorite foods (including ice cream) to France. The name derives from the old French meaning “to cherish,” which is the same as the word for cabbage (choux). Some say pâte à choux, or cabbage paste, is so named because the cream puff looks like a cabbage, but “cherish” has a stronger hold. The paste is a mixture of water, butter and flour which rises due to steam expansion. It crusts on the outside, trapping steam inside, creating a puffed shape with a hollow interior to be filled. The pastry is finished with a glaze. Classic French desserts made with cream puff pastry include croquembouche, éclairs, Gateau St. Honoré and profiteroles. The cream puff debuted in America at the 1924 Wisconsin State Fair.
Photo of cream puff courtesy of American Egg Board, IncredibleEgg.org.
Crema Catalana
See crème brûlée.
Crème
The French word for custard.
Crème Anglaise
French for “English custard,” a rich, pourable custard sauce that can be served hot or cold over cake, fruit or other dessert.
Made with eggs, sugar and milk or cream, it is stirred over heat until it thickens into a light sauce. However, it’s a delicate operation: too much heat turns it into scrambled eggs! Vanilla is the basic flavoring, but coffee, chocolate or liqueurs can be added. With additional yolks and with heavy cream, it becomes the “custard” used for French ice cream. With additional yolks, gelatin, whipped cream and flavoring, it becomes Bavarian cream.
Crème Anglaise Collée
Custard thickened with gelatin, for pastries.
Crème Bavarois
See Bavarian cream.
Crème Brûlée
The richest and thickest of the three classic, silky, baked French custards (crème caramel and pot de crème are the others). All three are made of eggs, sugar, milk and/or cream in different proportions, along with a flavoring such as vanilla. Crème brûlée is made of all heavy cream and egg yolks, and is topped with a brittle layer of caramelized sugar (brûlée is French burnt, crème brûlée means “burnt custard”). The sugar is usually burned under a salamander or other intense heat source. Crème brûlée can be served cold or warm, and is usually served in individual ramekins. While the traditional custard base is flavored with just vanilla, variations include chocolate and the entire international spice cabinet, liqueurs, green tea, et al.
|
Crème brûlée. |
The Spanish crema catalana, which has been made since the 18th century, predates the French crème brûlée, which dates from the late 18th century, and the U.K.’s Cambridge Burnt Cream or Trinity Cream, which was introduced almost century later, in the 1860s.
Crème Caramel or Flan
The lightest of the classic French custards, crème caramel is made with whole eggs as  well as yolks, milk as well as cream. Caramel syrup is poured into the mold or ramekin before adding the custard base. After the custard has set, it is unmolded, leaving the caramel sauce on top and pooling around it. Note that crème caramel will usually cook much faster than the other custards because of the extra egg whites—their proteins coagulate at a lower temperature than egg yolks. Also due to the egg whites, crème caramel is stiff enough to stand on its own. Crème caramel came to the U.S. in the 19th century via New Orleans, but did not become popular until the 1980s when it was introduced by French chef Alain Sailhac of New York’s Le Cirque restaurant. See photo at top of the page.
Crème Pâtissière
Pastry cream—a stirred custard thickened with cornstarch or flour and typically flavored with vanilla, although other flavors can be used. It is used to fill éclairs or to top fresh fruit tarts. It is made of egg yolks, sugar and cream or milk like crème anglaise, but the addition of starch gives it the stability to be brought to a boil. With the addition of beaten egg whites, it becomes a crème Saint-Honoré, a filling for cream puffs.
Crème Plombières
A custard filing into which beaten egg whites and a flavoring (e.g. chocolate) or fresh fruits are folded. It is spooned over sponge cake or ladyfingers, then chilled.
Crème Saint-Honoré
A crème pâtissière with stiffly beaten egg whites added, used as a filling for tarts and cream puffs, and as a dessert cream. It can be flavored with virtually anything: vanilla, chocolate, liqueur, grated orange peel, et al.
Curd
Not a custard because it lacks cream,
curd is made from fruit juice, typically citrus, plus sugar, eggs and butter. It is used to fill tarts, as a spread and as a base for mousse.
Custard
Custard is a range of preparations based on milk or cream and eggs, thickened with heat. Most commonly, it refers to a dessert or a dessert sauce; but custard bases are also used for quiche and other savory foods.
|
Custard tart. |
Custard Cups
Ramekins used to bake custard in individual portions. They can be porcelain, earthenware or Pyrex, elegant or simple. The classic shape shown in the photo can be purchased on Amazon. See a photo of Pyrex custard cups on the previous page.
Custard Ice Cream
See frozen custard ice cream.
Custard Pie
An open (single crust) pie with a custard filling. It can be a simple custard (cream and eggs, flavored with vanilla), chocolate, coconut, lemon, pumpkin; or a savory custard pie like a quiche. A cheesecake is essentially a cheese custard pie. See our Pie & Pastry Glossary for more information about pies.
Custard Pudding
This term can refer to baked custard, to soft custard that has been thickened with cornstarch into a pudding consistency, or to any of a number of commercial pudding mixes, such as Bird’s Custard in the U.K. or Jell-O Cook & Serve Custard Pudding & Pie Filling in the U.S.
Custard Sauce
A thinner version of crème anglaise.
Continue To Page 3: Terms With D ~ F
Go To The Article Index Above
© Copyright 2005-
2012
Lifestyle Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. Images are the copyright of their respective owners.
|
|
|
|
