An American question about UK Food

Chuck S

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Hi All, I've been getting caught up on Dr. Who episode, and saw an episode where the characters eat custard. But instead of the Flan consistency we Americans think of for custard, it looked more like a vanilla topping sauce for pies, cobblers and perhaps even fruits.

I found some Bird's Custard Powder on Amazon that gives directions for making a pint.

My question is, in the UK, is custard a pourable topping rather than the pudding we think of in America? If so, it sounds wonderful.
 
Yea it's pourable. Ambrosia make good custard in the UK. All supermarkets here also sell it fresh, normally fresh vanilla custard. You can eat it hot or cold but generally pour it on sticky toffee puddings and the like. YUM
 
Thank you for the info, it sounds delicious. I ordered the Bird's mix and can't wait to try it. :)
 


$5 to $6 per 14 ounce can seems to be the going for Devon Custard here in the US, on Amazon and at Walmart. The Bird's brand mix was $6 for a 300g container that makes several pints.
Probably not a premium brand, but I hope it is decent.

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Birds Custard Powder is the standard best selling and what most people think of when you say custard. . Most Irish and UK families grew up with it. Its a basic store-cupboard staple, like you would have icecream or flour or eggs always in your house. Birds Custard is either powered which you make at home using fresh milk or ready-made ambient / UHT and does not need to be stored in the fridge.

Its supposed to be a sweet, yellow, thick, not lumpy, milky consistency, you spoon it rather than pour it.

It can be eaten
cold in trifle or fruit fools

hot
poured over icecream or stewed fruit like apple or rhubarb or mince pies at Christmas, or sticky toffee pudding or apple tart, or rhubarb tart, apple crumble, or rhubarb crumble etc.

Nowadays most grocery stores sell their own brand fresh custard, which needs to be stored in a fridge and has a short sell by date. Shops such as high end supermarkets like Waitrose and Marks & Spencers to Tesco and Sainsburys.

Ambrosia is the second standard best selling. Ambrosia is usually ready made ambient / UHT and does not need to be stored in the fridge
 


We don't see many UHT products here in the states, I do buy the UHT milk, being single, it keeps on the shelf, as well as keeping better once opened and in the fridge than regular milk.
 
Hi All, I've been getting caught up on Dr. Who episode, and saw an episode where the characters eat custard. But instead of the Flan consistency we Americans think of for custard, it looked more like a vanilla topping sauce for pies, cobblers and perhaps even fruits.

I found some Bird's Custard Powder on Amazon that gives directions for making a pint.

My question is, in the UK, is custard a pourable topping rather than the pudding we think of in America? If so, it sounds wonderful.

I won't answer question as that's been covered though I will add you can get the more 'flan like' consistency in things like custard tarts.

You'll have to let us know how you liked it.

But I'd avoid eating it with fish fingers if I were you... ;)
 
Hi All, I've been getting caught up on Dr. Who episode, and saw an episode where the characters eat custard. But instead of the Flan consistency we Americans think of for custard, it looked more like a vanilla topping sauce for pies, cobblers and perhaps even fruits.

I found some Bird's Custard Powder on Amazon that gives directions for making a pint.

My question is, in the UK, is custard a pourable topping rather than the pudding we think of in America? If so, it sounds wonderful.
Whilst in the UK custard is as described (try 'spotted dick and custard' for a treat) a custard can also mean a flan type dessert, aka 'egg custard'.
 
To me, Bird's custard is similar to vanilla flavor American pudding, but thinner and not set, and served warm if you're going to pour/spoon it over a fruit dessert (apple crumble, for example).

One day I wanted to make some and my tin of Bird's custard powder was nearly empty. Guessing that there wasn't much more to it than cornstarch and vanilla, a Google search turned up an easy recipe. The finished product is very similar to Bird's, except it doesn't have that traditional pale yellow color. Bird's custard powder is colored yellow, I assume so that the finished product looks more like real egg-based custard. Along with a recipe, the Google search turned up a Wikipedia entry with the story behind Bird's custard. Alfred Bird was a chemist. His wife was allergic to eggs so back in 1837, he invented a cornstarch-based alternative for her. It turned into a family business: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Bird

If anyone is interested, here is the recipe I found. I would normally give credit to the site where I found it but didn't save the URL along with the recipe as I normally do. My DH thought it was a bit too sweet and I thought there was a bit too much vanilla so you might want to make some adjustments.

Birds Custard

For 2 servings:
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
Pinch of salt

1 cup milk (I used skim)
1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan. Stir to break up any lumps. Stir in some of the milk to make a paste, then thin it with the remaining milk.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens and coats the spoon. Take off heat and stir in the vanilla.
 
Anyone else considering throwing a few packets of Birds instant custard in their suitcase for selling on once in the US????
Obviously I'm joking if anyone from US customs is monitoring my posts while my ESTA application is being considered!
 
Because of the large number of British tourists who visit WDW, most Publix grocery stores near WDW have a British Foods section. They probably carry Bird's custard powder there.
 
You won't be disappointed. Make sure you have some sticky toffee pudding to pour it over xx
 
I prefer my Birds custard with sliced bananas:) it's also used in making trifles. Ambrosia Devon custard works well with hot fruit or chocolate puddings especially "fruit buckles" or as we know then fruit crumbles. I'm partial to fresh custard it's not hard to make if you don't want to buy it in the supermarket ready made in the chillers next to the creams.
2 egg yolks
1 ounce of sugar
1/2 a pint of milk
1 teaspoon on vanilla extract
Beat the egg yolks and sugar together. Heat the milk until close to boiling but don't allow it to boil.
Add the vanilla extract to the eggs and sugar and mix well.
Steadily add the warmed milk a little at a time. Return the mixture to the pan and gently heat once again. Keep stirring until it thickens to a smooth consistency. Do not allow it to boil.
Once the sauce coats the back of a spoon it is ready to pour. Serve and enjoy.
 
I prefer my Birds custard with sliced bananas:) it's also used in making trifles. Ambrosia Devon custard works well with hot fruit or chocolate puddings especially "fruit buckles" or as we know then fruit crumbles. I'm partial to fresh custard it's not hard to make if you don't want to buy it in the supermarket ready made in the chillers next to the creams.
2 egg yolks
1 ounce of sugar
1/2 a pint of milk
1 teaspoon on vanilla extract
Beat the egg yolks and sugar together. Heat the milk until close to boiling but don't allow it to boil.
Add the vanilla extract to the eggs and sugar and mix well.
Steadily add the warmed milk a little at a time. Return the mixture to the pan and gently heat once again. Keep stirring until it thickens to a smooth consistency. Do not allow it to boil.
Once the sauce coats the back of a spoon it is ready to pour. Serve and enjoy.
Thanks for the recipe. I assume the "1/2 pint of milk" in the recipe is half of an Imperial pint, correct? Imperial pints are about 20% larger than US pints. In the US, 1/2 of a US pint would be 8oz (one cup) so we would need to add about 1.5 ounces to that to make it 1/2 of an Imperial pint.
 
Thanks for the recipe. I assume the "1/2 pint of milk" in the recipe is half of an Imperial pint, correct? Imperial pints are about 20% larger than US pints. In the US, 1/2 of a US pint would be 8oz (one cup) so we would need to add about 1.5 ounces to that to make it 1/2 of an Imperial pint.
A half pint is about 250ml if that helps;)
 
I might be wrong, but I'm sure I saw some Birds custard in the UK pavilion shop at epcot on our last trip.
 

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