SC - A question of Custard

[Phil & Susan Troy]

Diamond wrote:
> 
> Greetings all,
> I have a question about custard pies.
> How well do they keep?
> How far in advance can I cook them ?
> Thanks,
> Arabella

Custards don't freeze very well, in my experience. It's kind of like freezing
cheese; the protein matrix holding the water in and thickening the custard
wasn't "designed" to hold ice crystals, the water leaks out and you may find
it has become both watery and tough, if you can imagine such a thing. There
will be a textural change, and any pastry involved is very likely to become
soggy. (Custards stabilzed with various starches, like pastry cream, freeze
fairly well in comparison to other custards.)

What you _can_ do is cook and refrigerate them a day or two in advance, maybe
three if you're lucky and don't have anything else in the fridge with them to
contribute funky, non-custard flavor overtones. Say, salami and onions, salt
herring, that sort of thing...maybe a cover of some kind, laid over the tops
but not touching the custard, if you can avoid it, might help keep the custard
from drying up and also keep out off-flavors.

What I normally do is "blind" bake (bake empty except for something like a
pound of dry beans to help them hold their shape) the shells (if any) in
advance, allow them to cool completely, wrap them and store them. They
basically need no refrigeration, pastry has very little water in it when
baked. Then I fill them, either with a yolky stirred custard, and chill them,
or else fill with raw custard mixture and bake till the custard is done. If
you're going to do that, you should bake them somewhat less so they don't get
overly brown in the second baking.

Adamantius 
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com
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