Custard
Custard is a mixture of milk or cream and egg, cooked until thick. It is served as a sauce, filling, or dessert.
Egg coagulation: Egg proteins unfold and aggregate when heated, changing liquid eggs into a firm or thickened structure. This protein change thickens custard as it cooks.
Milk: A nutrient-rich liquid produced by mammals to nourish their young. Milk supplies custard’s main liquid and contributes proteins, lactose, and water.
Crème anglaise: A pourable custard sauce made from egg yolks, sugar, and milk or cream. It is the classic thin, sauce-like form of custard.
Pudding: A broad class of soft desserts, including spoonable preparations thickened with starch or eggs. In American usage, pudding often means a starch-thickened dessert rather than egg custard.
Tempering (cooking): A cooking technique that gradually raises the temperature of eggs by whisking in warm liquid. Tempering helps prevent the eggs from forming lumps when added to hot dairy.
Cream: The fat-rich portion of milk separated by settling or mechanical processing. Replacing some milk with cream makes custard richer and softer.
Crème brûlée: A baked custard dessert topped with a thin layer of caramelized sugar. Its set custard base is finished with a brittle caramel crust.
Gelatin dessert: A dessert whose structure forms when dissolved gelatin sets into a network during cooling. Gelatin sets custard-like desserts without relying on egg coagulation.
Water bath: A cooking setup in which a dish sits in hot water to receive gentler, more even heat. Baking custard in a water bath slows heating and reduces curdling.
Egg yolk: The yellow part of an egg, rich in fat, proteins, and emulsifying phospholipids. Yolks give custard richness and help stabilize its mixture of fat and water.