Best Italian Custard Recipes

BERRIES WITH ITALIAN CUSTARD

Steps:

• Cook's Note: For a nonalcoholic version, substitute the port with 1/4 cup white grape juice mixed with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• In a medium bowl, combine the berries with 1 tablespoon port and 1 tablespoon sugar. Allow to sit and macerate while you prepare the zabaione.
• Bring a small pot of water to a boil over medium heat. In a bowl that will fit over the top of the pot, beat the egg yolks with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with an electric hand mixer until pale. Place the bowl over simmering water and, with the beater running slowly, drizzle in the remaining 3 tablespoons port. Continue to beat until the mixture becomes very thick and has doubled in volume, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Divide half the berries among 4 serving glasses. Top each with a generous dollop of zabaione, garnish with the remaining berries and serve immediately.

ITALIAN CUSTARD

Steps:

• 1. In a heavy saucepan, stir together the milk and 1/4 cup of sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
• 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and egg. Stir together the remaining sugar and cornstarch; then stir them into the egg until smooth. When the milk comes to a boil, drizzle it into the bowl in a thin stream while mixing so that you do not cook the eggs. Return the mixture to the saucepan, and slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly so the eggs don't curdle or scorch on the bottom. Add Lemon Peel if desired.
• 3. When the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, remove from the heat and remove lemon peel. Stir in the butter and vanilla, mixing until the butter is completely blended in. Pour into a heat-proof container and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled before using.

ITALIAN SPONGE CAKE WITH VERMOUTH & LEMON CUSTARD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F and cut a circle of parchment paper for the bottom of a 10" spring form pan. Prepare the vermouth soak by combining the coffee and vermouth, set aside.
• Cake; beat the eggs for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add the sugar and beat on high for 10 minutes, or until the batter has tripled in volume. (The longer the batter is beaten, the better the result). Blend in the oil just until blended. Gently fold in the flour and baking powder just until the batter is free of any lumps, do not over mix.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until the cake tester comes out clean. Cake will fall slightly once removed from the oven. Leave the cake in the pan until completely cool.
• Cut the cooled cake into 2 layers and brush all of the vermouth soak on both of the layers on the cut sides. Using the top of the cake as the bottom layer (the flat bottom for the top), spread the bottom layer with the lemon custard, then top with the second layer. Frost the entire cake with whipped cream.
• LEMON CUSTARD; Prepare the whipped topping mix with 1/2 cup of milk and vanilla extract according to the package directions. Prepare the pudding according to the package but using only 1 cup milk. Fold the pudding into the topping mix until completely incorporated.
• SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM; Beat the whipping cream with the 6 tablespoons of sugar until firm peaks are formed when the beaters are lifted, do not overbeat. Refrigerate until ready to use.

ITALIAN CREAM PUFFS WITH CUSTARD FILLING (ST. JOSEPH'S DAY PASTRIES) RECIPE

Steps:

• For the pastry Preheat oven to 425. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Sift the flour, salt, and baking soda together and set aside. In a heavy saucepan, heat the water. Add the butter. When melted, remove the pan from the stove and add the flour mixture all at once. Beat with a wooden spoon, then return the pan to medium-high heat, beating the mixture until it comes away from the sides of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and add the eggs one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon or hand mixer in-between additions to mix well. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch tip with the cream puff batter. Squeeze out 3-inch puffs, about ½ inch apart on a cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. When done, carefully slit the side of each cream puff with a knife to allow steam to escape and to prevent the puffs from becoming soggy inside. Transfer to cooling racks and let cool. For the custard In saucepan over moderate heat, combine sugar, flour and salt. Add milk gradually, cooking and stirring until mixture is thick and bubbly. Lower heat, stirring for 2 minutes and remove from heat. In a small bowl, add cream mixture to eggs slowly. Return mixture back to pan. Bring to gently boil for 2 more minutes, adding butter, rum, and vanilla. Tranfer to a shallow bowl to cool, placing plastic wrap on the top of the custard to prevent a skin forming. Refrigerate. Once custard has cooled completely, pipe into opened pastry shells until they are so full they might pop, top with a cherry, and dust with powdered sugar.

ITALIAN GIANDUIA LOAF WITH CUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Line 5 1/2- to 6-cup metal loaf pan with plastic wrap, overlapping sides. Melt chocolate and butter with corn syrup in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth. Cool to lukewarm, whisking occasionally.
• Whisk 1/4 cup cream, 4 tablespoons Frangelico, yolks, sugar and 2 tablespoons water in small metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly until candy thermometer registers 160°F., about 3 minutes. Remove from over water. Add yolk mixture and remaining 2 tablespoons Frangelico to chocolate mixture in pan; whisk until smooth. Mix in nuts. Chill until cool, about 10 minutes. Using electric mixer, beat remaining 1/4 cup cream with sour cream in large bowl to stiff peaks. Add chocolate mixture and fold together. Pour filling into prepared pan; smooth top. Cover and chill overnight.
• Combine all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until melted. Cool to lukewarm. Pour 1/2 cup glaze over filling in pan; shake pan gently to smooth top. Freeze until glaze sets, about 20 minutes.
• Line cookie sheet with foil. Lift loaf from pan. Turn loaf out onto foil; peel off plastic. Whisk remaining glaze over low heat until just spreadable. Pour all but 1/4 cup glaze over loaf. Spread over top and sides with icing spatula, spreading glaze that runs onto foil up sides of loaf to cover completely. Chill 1 hour. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and chill loaf and reserved 1/4 cup glaze separately.)
• Bring half and half to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Whisk yolks and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Whisk in hot half and half mixture. Return mixture to saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 5 minutes; do not boil. Strain into bowl. Mix in cream and Frangelico. Cover and chill until cold. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead.)
• Melt milk chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Spoon all but 2 tablespoons melted chocolate into parchment cone. Remove loaf from foil and transfer to platter. Pipe chocolate lines crosswise atop loaf, spacing 1/8 inch apart. Dip 1 hazelnut halfway into chocolate in pan; place atop center of loaf. Repeat with remaining nuts, spacing evenly and forming line down center. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead; refrigerate.)
• Using long thin knife, cut loaf into 1/2-inch-thick slices, wiping knife clean between cuts. Place slices on plate; surround with sauce. Whisk reserved glaze over low heat until melted. Spoon into parchment cone. Pipe Zs atop sauce.

ITALIAN VEGETABLE CUSTARD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450.
• In a medium bowl, beat together eggs and the flour until smooth.
• Stir in squash, zucchini and 1/4 cup of the olives.
• Spread in a greased 8x8x2-inch baking dish or pan.
• Bake just until set, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together Parmesan cheese, basil and garlic salt.
• Sprinkle over baked squash mixture.
• Top evenly with tomato slices, remaining olives, onion slices and Monterey Jack cheese.
• Continue to bake until cheese is melted, about 4 minutes longer.

ITALIAN VEGETABLE CUSTARD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450°F. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and flour until smooth. Add the yellow squash, zucchini, and ¼ cup of the olives. Mix well. Spread the mixture into a greased 8-inch by 8-inch baking pan. Bake in the center of the oven until custard is set, about 10 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the Parmesan cheese, basil, and garlic powder. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the custard. Top the custard with the remaining olives, tomato slices, onion rings, and Monterey Jack cheese. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 4 minutes.

CAKE ADDITION, ITALIAN CUSTARD CREAM (CAKE BOSS) RECIPE - (4.7/5)

Steps:

• Put the milk and the vanilla in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. In a bowl, whip the sugar, flour, and egg yolks with a hand mixer. Lake a cup of the milk-vanilla mixture into the bowl and temper the yolks as you are whisking the yolks.. move the pot on and off the flame so that you don't scramble the eggs. Ad yolk mixture to pot and beat with hand mixture and beat until creamy., about 1 minute. Remove the pot from the heat, add the butter, and whip for 2 minutes to thicken the cream. Transfer to a bowl. REFRIGERATE AT LEAST 6 HOURS (To make chocolate cream, add 1 1/2 ox of melted cooled baker's chocolate along with the butter. Add more for a richer chocolate flavor.)

KIWI FRUIT TART (ITALIAN 'CROSTATA') WITH CREAMY ENGLISH CUSTARD

Steps:

• The day before you're planning to serve the tart, make the shortcrust sweet shortcrust pastry. Add the soft butter and icing sugar to a bowl and beat together with a whisk until smooth and fluffy. Combine the egg yolks, vanilla, lemon zest and salt and stir until dissolved. Add the yolk mixture to the butter and sugar and continue to mix until fully incorporated and you achieve a smooth cream.
• Sift the flour and corn flour together and add one third to the butter and egg cream. Using a wooden spoon or a spatula, start to incorporate the flour ensuring no lumps form. Add the remainder of the flour and mix with the spoon until it comes together to a soft pastry. If it's looking too dry, add a splash of cold water to finally bring it together. Fold the pastry a couple of times with your hands to form a ball. Flatten the ball on a piece of cling film, wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours, ideally overnight.
• After you've made your pastry, marinate the kiwi fruit for your compote (1 day ahead). Peel the kiwis and chop each one into medium sized chunks. Transfer them to a large bowl and weight them to check you have 1 kilogram of peeled fruits. In a separate medium bowl, combine together the sugar (I suggest you use fructose, if you can find it) and lemon juice and mix with a spoon to form a thick syrup. Pour the syrup onto the chopped kiwis and mix to coat. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.
• The next day, make the compote. Transfer the fruit and all the juices to a pan or saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium-high heat. When it starts bubbling, lower the heat to medium-low and leave to simmer, uncovered, for 50-60 minutes, stirring from time to time. The compote will visibly start to thicken and become more jammy-like in the last 10 or 15 minutes of the process. Keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn't catch to the bottom of the pan. Don't wait for it to be overly thick, as it will thicken more when cooling down. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Assemble and bake the tart. Pre-heat the oven at 180°C. Take the pastry out of the fridge and leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes before working it. In the meanwhile, take a 20cm tart tin and coat the inside with butter and flour. Roll out half of the pastry to a 6mm thickness, cut a 20cm diameter disc and lay it on the bottom of the tin, as the tart base. Reserve the pastry scraps.
• Take the other half of the pastry and, using your hands, form a 2cm thick and long log. Pick it up and lay it inside the tart tin, all along the border. Trim the two ends so they perfectly connect with each other and save the rest of pastry for the decoration. Using your fingers or a piece of pastry, press the log against the border of the tin to flatten it and create the sides of the tart. Take your time and ensure the sides are equally thick all around. Using a small and sharp knife, trim and overhanging pastry and make holes all over with a fork to keep the tart flat while cooking.
• Pour the kiwi fruit compote into the centre of the tart and, using a spatula, spread a flat and even layer to completely fill the case. Bring all the leftover pastry together and roll out to a 6mm thickness. Using a straight object as a guide, cut as many long strips as you can fit (thick or thin is up to your liking) and lay them to decorate the top of the tart with a criss-cross pattern. Transfer the cake to the fridge to set for 15 minutes before baking. Bake over a metal tray for 40 minutes at 180°C. Cover with foil for the last 5 to10 minutes if you notice it's browning too quickly.
• Make the creamy English custard. While the tart bakes, pop a small metal tray or bowl into the freezer. Pour the cream and vanilla extract into a small pan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. In the meanwhile, combine the egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl and stir with a spatula to combine. When the cream starts to boil, remove from the heat and, using a fine sieve, pour half of it over the eggs and sugar, stirring constantly to prevent any egg to overcook. Once the mixture is smooth, add the remainder of cream, stir to combine. Remove any residue of cooked cream from the pan and pour the cream and egg mixture back in.
• Heat the cream and eggs over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the mix thickens and becomes a smooth custard. If you have a food thermometer, it should read 82°C. Remove from the heat and pour the custard onto the frozen tray or bowl and whisk gently to cool it down as quick as possible. Once it is reasonably cold, leave at room temperature if serving immediately, or refrigerate with a cling film covering the surface for later.
• Finish and serve your tart. Once baked, take the tart out of the oven and leave to cool completely before unmoulding. Spray or brush some clear gelatine or apricot glaze over the pastry top and serve sliced accompanied by the warm custard.

ITALIAN CREAM PUFFS WITH CUSTARD FILLING (ST. JOSEPH'S DAY PASTRIES)

Steps:

• Italian Custard
• Adapted from Go Ahead and Snicker
• Ingredients
• cup sugar
• 2 cup flour
• 4 tsp salt
• cups whole milk
• egg yolks
• tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• tbsp rum
• Instructions
• In saucepan over moderate heat, combine sugar, flour and salt. Add milk gradually, cooking and stirring until mixture is thick and bubbly.
• Lower heat, stirring for 2 minutes and remove from heat. In a small bowl, add cream mixture to eggs slowly. Return mixture back to pan. Bring to gently boil for 2 more minutes, adding butter, rum, and vanilla. Tranfer to a shallow bowl to cool, placing plastic wrap on the top of the custard to prevent a skin forming. Refrigerate.
• Once custard has cooled completely, pipe into opened pastry shells until they are so full they might pop, top with a cherry, and dust with powdered sugar.

ITALIAN CUSTARD CREAM FILLED CANNOLIS

Steps:

• For the custard cream filling:
• In a large pot mix together milk, 1/2 of the vanilla bean and the peel of 1 lemon. *Be sure there is no white skin left on the peel, which adds a bitter taste.
• Place the pot over medium heat and bring to a boil
• Meanwhile, pour the egg yolks and sugar into a small bowl, and whisk together until the color begins to lighten
• Sift flour and then mix into eggs until all lumps are gone.
• When milk has come to a boil, remove the vanilla and lemon peel, and slowly pour about 1/4 cup of hot milk into egg and flour mixture. Mix well.
• Transfer the egg mixture back into the pot of milk, stirring thoroughly.
• Bring to a boil again for a couple of minutes.
• Allow cream to cool entirely before piping.
• For the shells:
• Sift the flour, salt, cinnamon and granulated sugar.
• Then mix in the butter and eggs with a fork.
• Slowly add in the Marsala wine until the dough comes together.
• Form it into a large ball and let it rise for 15 minutes.
• Dust a cutting board with flour.
• Roll out the dough until it is ¼ of an inch thick.
• Roll out this dough and fold it into the shape of a cannoli shell. *You can also use cannoli forms to make this easier.
• You then use the egg whites as a glue to hold the shell together.
• Have about 3 cups of oil slightly boiling at 350 degrees.
• Fry the shells one at a time for about one minute.
• Then lightly remove them using tongs and let them sit.
• Once the shells are prepared, you can begin to fill them.
• Add custard cream into a piping bag and squeeze the filling into your shells.
• Optional: Arrange cannolis on a plate and dust with icing sugar.