To expect Bird's custard to set??? | Mumsnet (2024)

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To expect Bird's custard to set??? | Mumsnet? ›

Custard doesn't normally set unless it is left to go cold. I normally mix the custard powder & sugar in a jug with a small amount of milk and warm up the rest of the milk in a pan. When the milk is hot (but not bubbling) I pour it into the jug and whisk it up quickly.

It is slightly thicker after being refrigerated overnight, but the texture is not good... not lovely and smooth (as in the photo at Bird's web site), but soupy with clumps.

Place pie plate in a large shallow baking dish, and fill with boiling water to come halfway up side of pie plate. Place in oven and bake until custard is set, about 1 hour.

1 Break each sponge finger into 4 pieces, place in a serving dish and cover with 2 tablespoons of cold semi-skimmed milk to soften. 2 Make custard and pour immediately over sponge fingers, cool completely. 3 Make whip and spread evenly over cooled custard, place in refrigerator for 10 minutes to set.

Insert knife about 1 inch from the center of a one-dish custard; midway between center and edge of cups. If knife is clean when pulled out, the custard is done. If any custard clings to the blade, bake a few minutes longer and test again.

It is not necessary to boil Bird's Custard® for any length of time - the instructions will tell you that once it reaches the boil, it is done. You should never boil Birds custard as it can burn on the bottom of the pan,as soon as it thickens stirring all the time on a low heat should be enough.

In order for a successful gelling of a starch in the recipe, the enzyme has to be killed by cooking the custard almost to boiling (a little less than 212 degrees F). Otherwise the left-over enzymes digest all of the nice firm starch gel and your custard is nothing but liquid.

The custard will thicken though as it cools, so if you want a cold custard then please do look at the custard recipe in Nigella's Boozy British Trifle as this makes are relatively thick custard once it is chilled. For a thick, hot custard you need to add cornflour (cornstarch) as a thickener.

One way to combat a custard that will not set is to reboil it. If you thought your custard was thickening up, and then refrigerated it to let it set, only to find that it had thinned out, simply pour the custard base back into a pot and cook it more (via Crafty Baking).

I normally mix the custard powder & sugar in a jug with a small amount of milk and warm up the rest of the milk in a pan. When the milk is hot (but not bubbling) I pour it into the jug and whisk it up quickly. I then usually pour the whole lot back into the pan and heat gently til it thickens.

How do you make custard set faster? ›

Because if it's a stovetop custard like a creme anglaise you can chill it fast with an ice bath (put it in a bowl surrounded by ice and then stir stir stir until it cools down).

1. Add 1/4 pint of milk and 1/2 tbsp of sugar to a jug and heat in an 800W microwave for 1 minute. 2. Add the custard pod and whisk vigorously with a fork until dissolved, reheat in the microwave for a further 1 minute until thickened.

You don't want the custard so cold that it sets and breaks up as you spread it. The easiest way to cool the custard is to put it into a large bowl in a sink of cold water. It will take about 15 minutes. If you want it to set, put it in the fridge for an hour.

The powder was invented by Alfred Bird in 1837 because his wife, though she liked custard, was terribly allergic to eggs. Bird's custard powder is simply cornflour with some vanilla flavouring and colouring.

Generally, a fully cooked custard should not exceed 80 °C (~175 °F); it begins setting at 70 °C (~160 °F).

The custard will thicken though as it cools, so if you want a cold custard then please do look at the custard recipe in Nigella's Boozy British Trifle as this makes are relatively thick custard once it is chilled. For a thick, hot custard you need to add cornflour (cornstarch) as a thickener.

Keep an eye on the heat when cooking the custard - too low and it won't thicken, too high and you'll have scrambled eggs.

SARAH SAYS: Pierce a piece of plastic wrap large enough to cover the custard, in about a dozen places with the tip of a sharp knife or a toothpick; place pierced plastic wrap directly onto surface and refrigerate to set.