2many, that cake is just absolutely amazing. Your patience is far greater than mine, those little gold pearls would be abandoned after the first hundred or so.

Like you, I just don't like fondant, marshmallow or otherwise, but I love to play with the stuff, it's like playdough. (grin) solsthumper is much, much better than I am, you and she would love to play together, I think. This is her blog:

http://memoriesinthebaking.blogspot.com/

Here we have a cottage food law, so I could sell any baked item out of my house, although not the custards, just things like cakes, pies, breads, cookies, muffins, etc. I just have to label it with a disclaimer that my kitchen isn't inspected, add a label with all the ingredients, noting some common allergens if they are present, like nuts or peanuts, and I can't make more than $25,000 a year or I have to go commercial. I still only bake for friends and family, because I just want to do what I want to do, not what others want me to do. So, I guess I'd make a lousy baker.

None of my stuff is as pretty as yours as I am absolutely not an artist. I don't draw or paint, even my photos aren't that great, but I still love to play at it all. Since it mostly tastes good, my family is happy with that, LOL.

Annie

Thank you for the link Annie - I'd never seen pavlava piped! So pretty!

I suppose I should be grateful our laws are as strict, otherwise I'd have let it consume me, and honestly, savory is more important - one can't live on desserts!

Your comment on playing with fondant... that's when I really started to love it. I enjoy sculpting, and it made a great medium, plus it takes liquid food coloring as a paint fairly well!

Annie, I've come to greatly realize, pretty is nice, but good-tasting is far better. Last night I was so tired I almost threw our dinner on the plates, it was a mess... but it tasted good! I'm learning so much from you, from others here : ) You are all opening doors for me I'd have otherwise missed.

You do realize, you are the one who encouraged me to join this forum (when I said my entrees weren't pretty)? I'll always be grateful to you. I've enjoyed and learned from this forum more than any others from my past : )

ETA: I'd give up all the pleasure I had making pastries and playing with all my hobbies for enough land to garden and raise livestock - and the youth to establish it! My Mom grew up on a farm, and I wish I could live the life she told me about : ) You do that.

LOL, it didn't turn out at all! After four hours, it's runny with a little grainy gelatin goo in the bottom of dishes. It's probably because the liquid cooled too much and the gelatin didn't thoroughly mix. Wonder if I rewarm it and add a bit more gel if it might set, can't hurt to try. It needs more spice flavor, anyway.

I've seen enough of Annies cakes, cookies, desserts& breads to know they are spectacular looking...I just never get to taste test them. LOL

I could have written the exact, same thing. I/we love custards or any other cust.-based desserts, too. I've made Croque en Bouche many times. I DO have a dilemma: I buy plain custard from a well-known upscale market with a large, prepared foods section. They offer the flan (the sauce is made separately and poured over your purchase if desired) that is, literally, at least 3" high and is as smooth as silk - they make it in a large baking tray and cut into squares - you buy it by the pound. The custard is perfect and even the outside pieces are silken smooth with none of the bubbles I often get from the bain marie. I've tried reducing the oven, bringing the water higher, etc. Any suggestions how to achieve this to make it so perfectly smooth? The mouth-feel is just fabulous.

2ManyDiversions, I am changing your handle to 2ManyDedications.

it takes a lot of dedication to become as good as you are.

Life is exiting. So many things you want to do and so little time.

Therefore, it makes you want to live to 200 and stay healthy to the end. I really believe that.

dcarch

2many

when dost thou sleep?

WOW and THUD! Stunning creations that have me drooling, it's a good/bad thing that I'm dairy free and gluten free. Annie, I was also thinking that we'd better hook her up with Sol!

Ah 2many...I just knew you had an artistic side to you....good for you....mine was in a younger time, no longer tho.

A bit OT.......Dcarch no way till 200 yrs old.....but then when I was a kid I can remember thinking and even saying “ I wanna live to be a hundred” now no way...I would be out there by myself. Sitting here at 82 I’m on my last lap with lots of thing left on my list, seemly good health, things can change instantly tho....I look forward to tomorrow and checking some of those things off. But you are right life is exiting!

dcarch, did you mean "exiting" or "exciting"? Life is both, of course. (grin)

2many, I'm so happy you decided to stay, and you sure bring your own strengths to our "table". Lars is the person who convinced me to stay, years ago, he was telling a story and I thought "now that's an interesting guy, I've got to stick around here". I've met nearly 30 members now, and love them all, it's like a family you get to choose, LOL.

My "creations" aren't perfect and sometimes they aren't even pretty, but I have a lot of fun. I find something on the internet, watch a youtube or tutorial and buy powdered sugar, and the mess commences! If I have grandkids to help me, double bonus!!

Annie

Arlinek, the silky mouth feel comes from exact temperatures so with a circulator as I said above is the easiest and most foolproof.

mercurygirl, I’m so sorry I didn’t get back to you yesterday. I don’t think re-heating it would set it, but I could be wrong. Please don’t let this shy you away from trying panna cotta again… when at first you don’t succeed, try, try again (so you’ve got another attempt to go!)

Sounds like your gelatin didn’t dissolve completely. I used to worry about this too. Here are some tips for the recipe above that should help:

To bloom gelatin, pour it into a shallow bowl – but, before doing that, get out a small saucepan and put some water in it, then place your shallow bowl inside, being sure the water is lower than your bowl. Remove the shallow bowl and heat the water in you sauce pan to just a simmer, then remove from the heat and allow it to cool slightly. Now pour the 3 Tbs. of room temp water (not hot, not cold) into your shallow bowl, and sprinkle the measured gelatin into it evenly. Allow it to sit 8 minutes, then place it in the pan of water to further melt it. It should be completely melted, liquid, before adding it to the other ingredients. Gelatin can actually be finicky – too cold, it won’t dissolve, too hot, it’ll act atrociously!

Make sure the sugar gets fully dissolved in the gelatin/heavy cream mixture. And yes, heavy cream for success.

I like to chill mine more than 2 hours. It should set!

Regarding the coconut cardamom recipe on the NYT site, I’ve now exceeded my limit of views, and refuse to pay weekly for their recipes so I can’t view it any longer. Try my recipe above, adding the coconut cardamom flavor to it… should work!

I once made 12 panna cottas for a special occasion. I took my time, used my silicon molds, and it set beautifully – but attempts to remove it from 2 extra molds failed – I was in a panic and out of time, so I put the molds on a tray in the freezer (I don’t suggest freezing panna cotta) and got it chilled just enough to push it from the molds! No adverse affects on the panna cotta either! Disaster averted, whew!

Arlinek, you used my favorite words: “mouth-feel”! Regarding your flan dilemma, first start with gentle whisking – that will help avoid that pesky bubbles, and use a fine mesh strainer, after which, remove any bubbles that have formed by skimming with a spoon (and yes, I sometimes use my fingers to pop the bigger ones). I zap my water for the bath instead of heating it in a saucepan (you don’t want boiling water, and zapping a large glass pitcher of only water prevents boiling but gets it nicely hot). Make sure you have enough water to baby your flan it it’s bath. This should make your flan silky! Also, you can remove your flan just a wee bit early, but let it sit in the water bath on your counter for a several minutes (I’ve left it up to 20) – it will continue to cook but gently. Or, you could use a sous vide as Islay mentions!

Which, by the way Islay, if I mention one more appliance to DH to pack before reno, he’d consider murdering me (except what would he eat?)

dcarch, you keep making my head swell! I strongly doubt I’ll live to be 200 – nor would I wish to truthfully, but your comment about staying healthy resonates with me. I admit to indulging, but I do try to balance!

As shirl36 said, I just look forward to tomorrow, and what new discoveries each day brings.

bragu, I sleep a full 7-8 hours… deeply! I’m always exhausted and look forward to a day when life slows down… uh, I am kidding myself! I won’t slow down until my body and mind make me!

Annie, creating a fine mess with Grandkids is the best way!

Thank you, 2MD; maybe you might share your specific recipe for a tray of custard, incl. the oven temp. Just to clarify, the "bubbles" I mentioned referred to the bubbles along the (typically) perimeter of the tray of custard, visible from the very bottom to the top of the custard, as though the water bath was boiling during the bake and causing the cust. to over-cook. I usually make the custard in a ceramic baking dish that is, say, 9" X 12" X 2.5" tall. I place the dish into a larger, stainless roaster pan that is maybe about the same height or slightly taller. I pour in the raw custard and carry that to the oven and slide onto rack. I then pour in the hot water (perhaps using boiling water, which may be part of the issue based on what you said) around the dish and close the oven door. When finished baking, I use a rubber bulb turkey baster to remove the hot, hot water from the stainless pan as it's impossible to lift out the custard dish with that hot water in the pan. I then cool and chill the custard. If I invert the dish later onto a large platter, you can see all the little bubbles around the perimeter of the custard and that's what I want to avoid. The store where I buy it at an ungodly price has NO bubbles around the outside and I'm sure it's not sous vide.

arlinek... I just searched my recipes on my hard drive (I've packed all others for the renovation) and can't find my flan recipe - must be on hard copy, and I don't want to give you one that's not tested by me. I apologize for not having one to share! I won't unpack my kitchen boxes for 8 months to a year now!

I do know, I make flan in smaller ramekins (4 oz.) and set them in the water bath.

I understood, you meant those awful hard bubbles that bake into the flan. Other than the techniques mentioned above, and making your flan in individual servings, I can't think of anything else...

Does anyone have their tried and true flan recipe to share?

I can agree with everything in your reply and thanks, 2many! I'm sure it was my lack of care with the gelatin. I'll definitely try again. My obsession with panna cotta after having a good one about a year and change ago led me to the linked article after my first attempt bombed. I saved it and forgot all about it, lol. Anyway, I admired this writer's so helpful report and will refer to it, as well, next time. I recall the one I liked had coconut in the name, so it may be in the mix in future also.

https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/3-keys-to-perfect-panna-cotta/

This whole thread is a gem and love reading everyone's contributions!

MG

Thanks, 2MD. I'll do some searching to see if I can find a recipe for a large tray - don't need the recipe for the caramel syrup.

Is flan the same thing as a crème caramel? This Delia Smith recipe is foolproof.

Make your caramel and coat the bottom of your dish.

Heat 150ml or 5fl oz milk with 1/2 pint cream. In a bowl whisk together 4 large eggs and 1 1/2 oz Brown sugar together. When the milk,cream is hot, pour it onto the egg mix and whisk. Strain this mix into the dish and put the dish into a deep baking tray. Pour cold water round the dish and bake for 1 hour at 300F it should still have a nice wobble In the middle. it will firm up cooling.

OK, got a craving for custard every time I saw the subject title so I caved and poached some peaches and made creme Anglaise to go with it. After I had put in the egg yolks required I ended up added another two eggs yolks as I discovered the fridge had frozen the eggs and cracked two shells. So my creme Anglaise was rather more set than usual, not really pourable but about the consistency of softly whipped cream, not as set as creme patisserie. Was a really nice consistency, I'll probably do that again :-)

Proper custard, Colleen!

OMG - you are a gifted professional! These are all AMAZING! What time should I stop by for dessert? Ha!

I used to make creme brûlée all the time, but I cheated. Jello used to make a wonderful custard mix (NOT pudding), that one could add cream and egg to for a richer custard. It was delicious and fool-proof - the kind of thing one makes for a family dinner on a weeknight. A bit of brown sugar, run it under the broiler, and it was heaven. The best thing on earth for breakfast is left-over creme brûlée...

I do make an excellent anglaise sauce - use Julia Child's recipe. And I do the occasional Floating Island - love those!

colleenoz, I’m glad you found a way to make the crème anglaise something you preferred over the poured custard texture. I once over-cooked my standard recipe, and it thickened to a pudding. Not what I was looking for!

Anglophilia, thank you so much, you are very kind. I just realized my photos are all kind of yellowish looking! Not sure why. Perhaps the older lighting in my older kitchen! Ok, I confess as well.. I have a crème brûlée recipe that’s a shortcut, and yes, uses pudding, torching the brown sugar on top (but like you I broiled it quickly before I bought a little torch)! As you said, in a pinch on a weeknight, it works and no one complains!

One can never go wrong with Julia : ).

Yea! Another floating island fan!!!! I should make it more often… I do love it!

Anglophilia, I agree. You could offer me anything for breakfast and I'd always take the leftover creme brulee.

Annie

2manydiversions, my spouse and I totally agree with you. Custard should NEVER have cornstarch or any stabilizer. Ick.

I like a very delicate baked caramel custard. The caramel syrup is cooked to a dark golden brown, so it loses that excessive sweetness. Whole milk, very little sugar, good vanilla.

So fragile it can't be unmolded and in fact, when served will "break" into big soft pieces, like homemade silken/custard tofu. Fannie Farmer's cookbook is where I found the recipe, of all places.

I use a variant of this recipe for my holiday eggnog. We, and some of our friends, are hooked on it. A custard eggnog is so much smoother than a raw eggnog. Of course, the double dose of Mt. Gay rum and Black Saddle bourbon probably help, LOL!

We introduced said friends to a restaurant that serves a dessert of chocolate budino. I'm not a chocoholic but it beats any pot de creme we've had. It is a very soft, flowing dark chocolate pudding, no starch used. Our friends ate some, looked at us and asked, "So what is it all these years we've thought was pudding?"

My spouse said, "Jell-O!"

I said, "Glue!"

Pudding isn't pudding?? LOL

My late grandma was born and raised in England, married a English gentleman (grandpap) and moved to the US once their children were all born. I remember grandma always complaining Americans had no idea how to properly cook anything. LOL. Anyway on Sunday dinners at grandmas we always had either a egg custard sprinkled with nutmeg which was too delicious for words or tiny tiny cups of what my mom said was chocolate pudding...it was unbelievably smooth and slid across the tongue like the finest silk (not that I've ever polished my tongue with silk)...these two desserts must be amoung the luciousness in this thread. I've never had these two treats since grandma died 50 years ago but I will never forget how they tasted or the wonderful mouth feel.

mamapinky0, who says pudding isn't pudding? It is! And it can also be custard : ) I've never tried egg custard with nutmeg, although I know it's not uncommon. Just haven't gotten around to it! Aren't those memories great?!

The custard in tiny tiny cups that is like silk... sounds exactly like Pots De Crème, or a version of it!

I'm sad you've not experienced those puddings again, and if I could, I'd make Pots De Crème for your and send it immediately : ) Though I doubt they'd ever be as good as your Grandma's. Nothing is ever as good as what our mom's or grandmom's made us.

jakkom, we've finished our pots de creme, and your description of caramel custard makes me want it! Now!

chocolate budino... I've never heard of it, but again, your description has me curious and hungry... someone is going to have to post a recipe!

>> Nothing is ever as good as what our mom's or grandmom's made us.>>

This made me chuckle. My mom was a great cook, but all of my aunts and uncles agreed their mother, my grandmother, was one of the worst cooks ever!

She had an excuse though. She was from a well-to-do Tokyo Japanese family, a favored eldest daughter, and was one of the first graduates from Peeress' School, the first school established for women's education, by the amazing Sutematsu Oyama:

http://www.rejectedprincesses.com/princesses/sutematsu-oyama

My grandmother wanted to become a teacher, so cooking was, ummm....not exactly very high on her list of things to learn!

One of my aunts said, "She was such a terrible cook! Everything was sugar and shoyu, ugh."

jakkom, thank you for sharing the story of your Grandmother's education - and the link. The story is fascinating, incredibly sad, triumphant, and tragic again. I found the old photographs to be captivating. What an amazing story for your Grandmother, and to pass that down, as well.

we need a custard forum .. wink wink nudge nudge

Sounds like my kind of forum... ok, you start it, bragu ; )

2Many, I tried your panna cotta on V day as a treat for my family. I had only one cup of cream, but I went ahead and quartered the ingredients. It tasted nice, but didn't set well. Since there was so little gelatin, I figured reducing the recipe threw off the ratio of ingredients. I will master this yet!

I'm sorry it still hasn't worked for you... do take your time and try again, I'd hate to think of you getting panna cotta phobia : )

Oh no, now I'm just mad...going to buy cream later and start over. I think I'll make fool-proof lemon pie in the meantime. Last week, I bought gluten-free piecrusts thinking of your quiche, but pie would please DD. :)

Don't custards technically have to have eggs in them?

Probably so, but I snuck some gelatin-ey dishes in here, oops!

Ha. I like them all - even the ones with eggs. But panna cotta is my favorite (no eggs).

Me too!

Came across this today and posting for 2Many.

https://smittenkitchen.com/2009/10/silky-decadent-old-school-chocolate-mousse/

Now that it real chocolate mousse! Like the blog reads, raw eggs???? But oh what a difference! Yum!

BTW, first time I ever made chocolate mousse, I kinda freaked on the raw eggs, and bought pasteurized for the yolks, and used the regular for the whites (white pasteurized just aren't the same for me). I don't bother now.

For an everyday mousse,

Melt a good bar of dark chocolate

Separate 6 eggs.

Beat the yolks into the chocolate, whip the whites til stiff, fold in and chill.

Islay, you said the magic words... dark chocolate : )

Almost V-day, bringing this up for dessert makers!

ah, an old friend/thread returneth.

The prodigal thread.

Break out the sherbet dishes and fill them with custard ...

What a memory you have mercurygirl! “Break out the sherbet dishes and fill them with custard” Oh, if only, bragu... if I only I had a kitchen! This will be the first year I’ve not made DH’s beloved cheesecake.

In the interest of ‘adding’… I see above that I abhorred chocolate pot de crème due to the grainy texture, but since then I’ve acquired a sous vide, and as Islay wisely said, no better (or easier) way to make the perfect pots de crème, even non-grainy chocolate. Here’s my recipe:

Sous Vide Chocolate Pots De Crème

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of heavy cream
• 1, 9.7-ounce bar of Schaeffer bittersweet chocolate (or your favorite brand)
• 3 t espresso powder, divided
• 6 T sugar plus 1 t sugar, divided
• 2 pinches kosher salt
• 8 egg yolks

Directions:

1. Heat the cream in a pan over medium-high heat until the cream around the edges of the pan just starts to bubble. Do not let the cream come to a full boil. Remove from heat.
2. While the cream is heating, coarsely chop the chocolate. While the cream is hot, whisk in the chopped chocolate, espresso powder, sugar, kosher salt. Whisk until smooth.
3. Whisk in egg yolks one or two at a time, whisking completely after each addition. Pour the mixture into a large measuring cup suitable for pouring.
4. Pour 6 ounces of the cream and chocolate mixture into 8, 8-ounce mason jars, leaving about 3/4" of air space in each jar. Do not fill to the top.
5. Screw the lids on using your fingers only until the lids are finger tight. Do not overly tighten as air needs to escape from the jars during the cooking process.
6. Fill a large pot or a 12-quart storage container with room temperature water and secure your sous vide circulator onto the vessel. Place the jars in the pot or container. Turn the sous vide circulator on and set it to 176 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water reaches 176 degrees set the timer for one hour. The water should cover the lidded jars.
7. When the timer goes off, turn off the circulator and remove the mason jars from the circulator with a pair of tongs. Set the jars on a dry kitchen towel and allow to cool for a few minutes and then store in the fridge for at least two hours and up to several days.
8. Top with sweetened crème fraiche, fresh raspberries, shaved chocolate, chopped toasted almonds, or best of all, serve plain : )

I hope others will chime in and add some of their recipes to this!

Long time, no read. Thinking about making panna cotta again for a celebration in a few weeks and revisiting this, having just acquired milk and cream. Must master it this time. :)

I haven't been visiting Cooking much, but hope all are well!

Missed a huge section of this in 2018....i'll post the pink adobe's flan recipe tomorrow.
wonder if I could sub chevre for cream cheese in a cheese cake?

I did it! 2Many, your recipe worked great, and the tips about the gelatin were very helpful. I'll try it again with something other than vanilla and also with coconut milk.

How about a posset? Some interesting ideas at this link.

https://onedishkitchen.com/honey-lemon-custard-for-one/

You always delight!

I'm decidedly giddy. Thank you for my titillation.

-fellow custard devotee

In the last few days, I tried the recipe with coconut cream and milk. It didn't work very well, as the "cream" separated and made it runny. However, I contacted the Vegas resort where I had the good dessert and got a prompt reply this time. The secret is coconut puree, which I wasn't aware of. If anyone wants the ratios, I'll post it. It has to be scaled down to about 1/16 as far as I can tell.