Tag: Custard

Rhubarb & Custard Tart

  • I came across an English recipe for a Rhubarb & Custart tart, which I thought I could adapt to make it more Polish.
  • It takes many steps and takes a while to make.
  • *
  • It is easier to make the rhubarb, crumble and the budyń earlier.
  • 1 – The base is made from shortcrust pastry, which is baked blind.
  • 2 – The next layer is budyń – Polish custard.
  • 3 – The 3rd layer is baked rhubarb with sugar – it is sieved so you have a syrup to add to the finished tart.
  • 4 – The 4th layer is kruszonka – a crumble, which is baked seperately and then sprinkled on top.
  • I thought this crumble cooked seperately worked very well and will write a post about this soon.
  • INGREDIENTS – rhubarb
  • 400g rhubarb
  • 60g granulated sugar
  • METHOD
  • Pre – heat the oven to GM3 – 160 0 C.
  • Cut the rhubarb into 4cm pieces.
  • Place in a shallow roasting dish
  • Cook with the sugar for around 30 minutes.
  • Leave to cool.
  • Place in a large fine sieve.
  • Collect the syrup to use at the end when serving.
  • INGREDIENTS – budyń
  • 500 ml milk
  • 1 tablespoon of butter
    • 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons of potato flour
  • 3 yolks
  • METHOD
  • Mix some of the milk with the potato flour.
  • Heat the rest of the milk with the sugar in a saucepan.
  • Add the buter and stir.
  • Pour this over the milk and potato flour mixture.
  • Stir well.
  • Put this all back in the saucepan and heat with stirring until you have a thick mixture.
  • Add the yolks 1 by 1 with stirring until even and thick.
  • Leave this to cool completely before using.
  • INGREDIENTS – kruszonka crumble
  • 100g plain flour
  • 70g butter – cold
  • 70g granulated sugar
  • METHOD
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM6 – 200oC.
  • Mix butter with flour until the mix is like breadcrumbs.
  • Stir in the sugar.
  • Spread on a baking sheet.
  • Bake for around 30 minutes – stirring ocasionally.
  • It should be golden and crunchy.
  • NOTE – if you have too much store the excess in an airtight box.
  • INGREDIENTS – shortcrust pastry made with 250g plain flour.
  • METHOD
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM6 -200 0C.
  • Grease a loose bottomed 21cm tart tin.
  • Roll out the pastry thinly and line the tin.
  • Remove the excess.
  • Prick the base with a fork.
  • Cover with baking paper and baking beans.
  • Place the tin on a baking sheet.
  • Bake for 12 minutes.
  • Remove the beans and the baking paper and bake for another few minutes.
  • Leave to cool.
  • Turn the oven down to GM4 – 180 0 C.
  • Place a thick layer of budyń in the baked tart pastry ( if you have some left over – save it for other desserts).
  • Place a layer of the cooked rhubarb over the budyń.
  • Bake for around 15 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and sprinkle the kruszonka over the top.
  • Leave to cool completly before serving.
  • You can serve with some of the rhubarb juice.

Vanilla Sauce

    • Sos waniliowy – vanilla sauce and budyń are very similar.
    • They are both also similar to English custards.
    • In Poland these are both served chilled.
    • Vanilla sauce is more a pouring sauce and budyń is thicker and set.

    Ingredients

    • 250ml of milk (full fat is best)
    • 50g of granulated sugar
    • 2-3 drops of vanilla  essence
    • 1-1½ tablespoonfuls of potato starch (you can use cornflour – if potato flour is not available)
    • 2 egg yolks

    Method

    • Put 150ml of the milk, sugar and the vanilla essence into a saucepan.
    • Heat gently till the sugar dissolved, stirring all the time.
    • Take it of the heat.
    • Blend together the rest of the milk (150ml) with the egg yolks and potato flour.
    • Add some of the boiled mixture to this and stir well.
    • Add this to the rest of  the mixture and stir well.
    • Put the pan back on the heat and stir gently till thickened .
    • Pour into a glass dish (or several small dishes) – leave to cool.
    • Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

    This sauce is served with, bottled fruit, fruit salad, fruit sauces. or kisiel

     

Custard Tart

  • Whilst trying out some old English recipes I made this custard tart.
  • It is made with a shortcrust pastry case, which is filled with an egg custard.
  • Ground nutmeg is a popular spice in England.

I think that this would be liked in Poland as it is similar to Budyń – Polish custard which is also made from milk, egg yolks and sugar.

  • Shortcrust pastry or a richer pastry such as  kruche ciasto is used.
  • The pastry case is baked blind first in a loose bottomed tart tin.
  • This can be made the day before.

Ingredients

  • Shortcrust pastry to line the base and sides of a 20cm diameter loose bottomed tin
  • 300ml of milk
  • 3 tablespoons of sugar
  • 4 eggs – beaten
  • Freshly grated nutmeg

Method

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM6 – 200°C.
  • Roll out the pastry thinly and line the base and sides of the tin.
  • Bake blind for 15 minutes.
  • Take out the “beans” and bake for another 5 minutes.
  • Leave the pastry to become completely cold.
  • Lower the oven to GM4 – 180°C.
  • Put the tart tin on a baking sheet (makes it easier to handle).
  • Have the beaten eggs in a large bowl.
  • In a deep saucepan, add the sugar to the milk and gently bring to the boil, stirring a few times.
  • Pour the hot milk mixture onto the beaten eggs and whisk together quickly.
  • Allow the mixture to cool completely.
  • Pour the egg mixture into the baked pastry case.
  • Grate the nutmeg liberally over the surface of the custard.
  • Bake for 30 – 35 minutes until the custard is nearly set.
  • Turn of the oven and open the door slightly.
  • Leave the custard in the oven for around 15 minutes.
  • Take it out and leave to cool on a wire cake rack.
  • Leave it to cool before taking it out of the tin.
  • Serve at room temperature.

 

Tea plates:

  • Burleigh Ware – Burges and Leigh Ltd – Blue Mist from the 1930s
  • Aynsley – Las Palmas from the 1960s.

 

Meringue Cake with Rhubarb

Tort Bezowy is a meringue cake.

Meringues are popular in Poland and often made because lots of other dishes contain many egg yolks so there are egg whites needed to be used rather than wasted.

A little tip – freeze two egg whites at a time in a little container – then you have them ready for use later – bring them back to room temperature first.

The meringue that is used here has the addition of potato or cornflour and a little vinegar which gives a soft marshmallow centre to the meringue.

This style of meringue dish was named in honour of the Russian ballerina Anna Pawlowa (Pavlova) after her tour of Australia in 1926.

It is made up of 3 parts

  • 1 Pavlova style meringue
  • 2 Budyń (Custard)
  • 3 Rhubarb compote

Pavlova style meringue

Ingredients

  • 4 egg whites
  • 225g caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of potato flour or cornflour
  • 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar
  • 2-3 drops of vanilla essence

Method

  • Use the loose base of a baking tin 25cm in diameter.
  • Lightly grease the circle.
  • Cut a 25cm circle of greaseproof and stick it on the metal circle.
  • Place the circle on a large baking tray – one without sides is best.
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM1 – 140°C.
  • Whisk the egg whites until stiff.
  • Add the sugar and whisk again till stiff.
  • Fold in the potato or corn flour, the vinegar and vanilla essence.
  • Using up to ½ of the mixture cover the circle on the tin.
  • Using the rest of the meringue put spoonfuls around the edge.
  • Bake for 50 minutes.
  • Turn off the oven and leave the meringue inside for 20 minutes.
  • Take out and leave to cool completely before filling.

Budyń  (Custard) 

Ingredients

  • 4 egg yolks
  • 400ml of milk
  • 1 tablespoon of butter
  • 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
  • 2½ tablespoons of potato flour or cornflour
  • 2-3 drops of vanilla essence

Method

  • Put 250ml of the milk, the butter, sugar and vanilla essence into a saucepan.
  • Heat gently until the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved, stirring all the time.
  • Bring to the boil and then take off the heat.
  • Blend together the rest of the milk (150ml), the egg yolks and the potato or corn starch.
  • Add some of the boiled mixture and stir well.
  • Add this to the rest of the boiled mixture and stir well.
  • Put the pan back on the heat and gently bring back to boiling point and keep stirring.
  • Keep on the heat  – stirring for 1 minute.
  • Pour into a glass or china dish and cover with a circle of grease-proof paper.
  • Leave to go completely cold before using.

Rhubarb Compote

Ingredients

  • 250g fresh rhubarb*
  • 75g granulated sugar

Method

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM3 160°C
  • Cut the rhubarb into 4cm chunks.
  • Put the cut rhubarb into a small roasting dish.
  • Sprinkle the sugar over the top.
  • Cover with a piece of foil.
  • Place in the oven for around 30 minutes.
  • Leave to go cold before using.

*You might want to roast more rhubarb for other uses and just use some for this dish.

Assembling the Pavlova

All three parts must be cold.

  • Place the meringue nest on a large serving plate or stand.
  • Using a tablespoon – pile the budyń (custard) into the centre.
  • Arrange the rhubarb chunks and some of the syrup over the custard.

Lead Crystal cake stand  – Tortenplatte – Venus  by Nachtmann(Germany).

Plates – Lavender by Jet for Ter Steege in The Netherlands.

Budyń – Polish Custard

Budyń is similar to the thick English custard that is used on trifles, rather than the pouring type.

The word comes from the French  –  boudin, as does the English word pudding.
It is made from milk, egg yolks, sugar  and potato flour & flavoured most often with vanilla.

I have found numerous recipes – this one is my favourite.

I think this is best eaten after it has been very well chilled.

Ingredients

  • 500ml of milk (full or semi-skimmed)
  • 1 tablespoonful of butter
  • 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
  • 3 drops of vanilla  essence
  • 2- 3 tablespoonfuls of potato starch (you can use cornflour – if potato flour is not available)
  • 3 egg yolks

Method

  • Put 300ml of the milk, the butter, sugar and the vanilla essence into a saucepan.
  • Heat gently till the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved, stirring all the time.
  • Bring this to the boil for a few seconds and then take of the heat.
  • Blend together the rest of the milk (200ml) with the egg yolks and potato flour.
  • Add some of the boiled mixture to this and stir well.
  • Add this to the rest of  the boiled mixture and stir well.

  • Put the pan back on the heat and bring back to boiling point, stirring gently.
  • Keep at boiling for 1 minute, stirring all the time.
  • Pour into a glass dish (or several small dishes) – leave to cool.
  • You can cover the budyń with greaseproof paper to stop a skin forming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
  • Serve with grated chocolate, fruit or fruit syrup.

 

Grated chocolate on top

Served  here in Art Deco sundae/trifle glass dishes from the 1930s.

Raspberries on top

Packet Budyń

Budyń can be made from packet ingredients with fresh milk.

The ingredients are cornflour & potato flour with flavouring.

 

This is similar to  British Birds custard which is made from cornflour and flavouring and added to fresh milk.

The budyń comes out thicker – not a pouring sauce,

Using Budyń

Budyń is used in cakes and pastries as a filling and to make  vanilla pastry cream used in several recipes including Karpatka (recipes to follow in future posts) Carpathian Mountain Cake.

Vla

When I visit my friend in The Netherlands we often have vla for dessert – this is very similar to budyń.

Vla used to be sold in bottles but more often now comes in cartons.  Originally it was also made from milk, sugar and eggs  but now the thickening is more usually cornflour.

With yoghurt

In the Netherlands,  vla is often mixed with yoghurt.

I mix roughly equal parts of budyń with chilled Greek yoghurt and whisk it together to get a well combined mixture.

This can be served with grated chocolate, fruit or fruit syrup.

 

 

 

1930s Art Deco glass dish