When is a custard not a custard?

According to the editor of my cookbook “A Treasury of Southern Baking,” published by HarperCollins in 1993, if the filling is baked in a crust, it is not a custard. This explanation became necessary when I included an egg custard and a sweet potato custard in the cookbook. I was told that I had to call them “pies.”

No matter what you want to call them, custards have been a favorite Southern specialty for many years, and most of us bake them in a crust.

Recently, a reader of my column mentioned that she had tried several times to make an old-fashioned egg custard, but hers never seemed to turn out well. I had the same problem when I tried to make my first egg custard. It took three tries before I got it right.

I started with what I thought was a good basic egg custard recipe. The directions called for creaming together the butter and sugar, which I thought unusual for a custard, but I had to start somewhere, so I followed the recipe closely.

The recipe didn’t say how long to cook the custard. I guessed about 45 minutes. When the 45 minutes were over, I checked and the center still seemed unset, so I cooked it another 10 minutes. I shouldn’t have done this. As one reference source puts it: “Overcooking custard results in an undesirable product.” That was a good description of my first egg custard.

Although the custard was delicious and somewhat smooth when it was still warm, as it cooled, the filling coagulated.

After doing some more research, I came up with a couple of helpful hints when making an egg custard. When beating the eggs, do not allow them to foam too much. The eggs should be only slightly beaten. (This was my first mistake. I had used my mixer and overbeaten the eggs.)

Another hint: Straining the custard through a fine sieve or through a double layer of cheesecloth eliminates air bubbles and helps to keep the custard smooth.

Another favorite custard is my friend Eva Simmons’ coconut custard. That one is baked in a crust, also. When I make this dessert for a special family dinner, it doesn’t last very long. It is delicious and quite easy to make.

Southern Egg Custard

5 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon melted butter
1 ¼ cups milk
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust
½ to 1 teaspoon nutmeg (best if freshly grated)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, beat eggs slightly with a fork. Add the sugar and melted butter. Stir until well-mixed. Gradually add the milk, stirring well. Line a metal strainer with a double thickness of cheesecloth. Strain the custard through the cheesecloth into the unbaked pie crust. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a thin knife blade comes out clean when inserted into the custard halfway between the edge of the pan and the center of the custard. Remove to a rack and cool completely before slicing. Refrigerate after completely cooled.

Eva's Coconut Custard

3 eggs
¼ cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar
¼ cup butter, room temperature
1 cup coconut
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs. Add buttermilk, sugar and butter. Mix well. Stir in coconut. Mix well. Pour into pie crust. Bake until delicately browned (about 35 to 40 minutes).

Contact Prudence Hilburn at prudencehilburn463@att.net.