Hi

I need to make 50 desserts for my party, and I have settled on a "steamed"
coconut cream custard (basic egg-sugar-coconut cream firm custard).
I have done this many desserts each year for many years, but this is the
first custard-in-a-muffin-tin I have tried.

In order to handle and hold that many servings and to get nicely shaped
individual servings. I
plan to use several of my muffin tins as the baking dishes.
I also plan to turn the custards out on a cookie sheet and do a light
finish of a lightly gingered corn syrup glaze, under the broiler (on the
"bottoms" of the tin shape, so the top finish is not important for
appearance) before moving them to the serving plates

Any hints? Cautions? Tricks?

First note - several of my tins are enamel-coated metal, but I might choose
to use some of the coated-bakeware tins as well.
Will I get discoloration from the coated bakeware?
Any experience with coating the tins with "PAM" in doing a custard?

Second note - I plan to put the muffin tins and custard in a jelly-roll pan
of water in the oven to steam-bake the custard - or would it be better to
use a steamer?

Third note - any ideas about time doing custard in muffin tins in the oven
using the water-pan? In the oven without the water? In a steamer?

Any insights, information, or experiences would be appreciated.

Thanks

"hob" > wrote in message
...
> Hi
>
> I need to make 50 desserts for my party, and I have settled on a
"steamed"
> coconut cream custard (basic egg-sugar-coconut cream firm custard).
> I have done this many desserts each year for many years, but this is
the
> first custard-in-a-muffin-tin I have tried.
>
> In order to handle and hold that many servings and to get nicely shaped
> individual servings. I
> plan to use several of my muffin tins as the baking dishes.
> I also plan to turn the custards out on a cookie sheet and do a light
> finish of a lightly gingered corn syrup glaze, under the broiler (on the
> "bottoms" of the tin shape, so the top finish is not important for
> appearance) before moving them to the serving plates
>
> Any hints? Cautions? Tricks?
>
> First note - several of my tins are enamel-coated metal, but I might
choose
> to use some of the coated-bakeware tins as well.
> Will I get discoloration from the coated bakeware?
> Any experience with coating the tins with "PAM" in doing a custard?
>
> Second note - I plan to put the muffin tins and custard in a jelly-roll
pan
> of water in the oven to steam-bake the custard - or would it be better to
> use a steamer?
>
> Third note - any ideas about time doing custard in muffin tins in the oven
> using the water-pan? In the oven without the water? In a steamer?
>
> Any insights, information, or experiences would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks
=========
I am thinking, wouldn't the custards fall apart when removed from the muffin
tin? Wouldn't it be easier to bake the custards in a couple of large Pyrex
baking dishes and cut them into squares?

pfoley wrote:

>> Third note - any ideas about time doing custard in muffin tins in the oven
>> using the water-pan? In the oven without the water? In a steamer?
>>
>> Any insights, information, or experiences would be appreciated.
>>
>> Thanks
> =========
> I am thinking, wouldn't the custards fall apart when removed from the muffin
> tin? Wouldn't it be easier to bake the custards in a couple of large Pyrex
> baking dishes and cut them into squares?
>

I don't know that a straight sided muffin pan will work very well for
the custards...but it would be easy enough to test drive a batch and see?

hob wrote:

> I need to make 50 desserts for my party, and I have settled on a "steamed"
> coconut cream custard (basic egg-sugar-coconut cream firm custard).
> I have done this many desserts each year for many years, but this is the
> first custard-in-a-muffin-tin I have tried.
>
> In order to handle and hold that many servings and to get nicely shaped
> individual servings. I
> plan to use several of my muffin tins as the baking dishes.
> I also plan to turn the custards out on a cookie sheet and do a light
> finish of a lightly gingered corn syrup glaze, under the broiler (on the
> "bottoms" of the tin shape, so the top finish is not important for
> appearance) before moving them to the serving plates
>
> Any hints? Cautions? Tricks?

I supposed muffin tins could work if you carefully inverted the pans onto a
large flat.
perhaps you can find some heavy duty foil cups like those that are
included with the Oekter lava cake mixes.

I would imagine that inverting the custards onto a platter and then
trying to move them to a serving plate is frought with hazards.
Custards do not like being moved from my experience.
You may end up with a whole batch of 'cracked' custards for your
trouble.
I'd be inclined to hunt around packaging stores for a disposable creme
brulee type mould. (similar packaging as noodle box - watertight)
Or scounge at a local caferteria or school to borrow 50 moulds.
Or, given you'll be using a bain marie to cook them, try a test run
with some short glasses which are relatively cheap and will have the
sloped sides you need during inverting. No great need for pyrex when
cooking in a water bath at the temperature of the oven is generally
very moderate to low.
You could always sidestep the inverting onto serving plate, serve in
the container caramelising the top like a creme brulee... then you
wouldn't have to worry about perfect sides, inverting etc - but you'd
have to have 50 separate containers..
How large are the desserts? Maybe those disposable shot glasses would
be ideal?
I'd definitely stick with the water bath method.

LadyJane
--
"Never trust a skinny cook!"

"pfoley" > wrote in message
k.net...
>
> "hob" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hi
> >
> > I need to make 50 desserts for my party, and I have settled on a
> "steamed"
> > coconut cream custard (basic egg-sugar-coconut cream firm custard).
> > I have done this many desserts each year for many years, but this is
> the
> > first custard-in-a-muffin-tin I have tried.
> >
> > In order to handle and hold that many servings and to get nicely
shaped
> > individual servings. I
> > plan to use several of my muffin tins as the baking dishes.
> > I also plan to turn the custards out on a cookie sheet and do a light
> > finish of a lightly gingered corn syrup glaze, under the broiler (on
the
> > "bottoms" of the tin shape, so the top finish is not important for
> > appearance) before moving them to the serving plates
> >
> > Any hints? Cautions? Tricks?
> >
> > First note - several of my tins are enamel-coated metal, but I might
> choose
> > to use some of the coated-bakeware tins as well.
> > Will I get discoloration from the coated bakeware?
> > Any experience with coating the tins with "PAM" in doing a custard?
> >
> > Second note - I plan to put the muffin tins and custard in a jelly-roll
> pan
> > of water in the oven to steam-bake the custard - or would it be better
to
> > use a steamer?
> >
> > Third note - any ideas about time doing custard in muffin tins in the
oven
> > using the water-pan? In the oven without the water? In a steamer?
> >
> > Any insights, information, or experiences would be appreciated.
> >
> > Thanks
> =========
> I am thinking, wouldn't the custards fall apart when removed from the
muffin
> tin? Wouldn't it be easier to bake the custards in a couple of large
Pyrex
> baking dishes and cut them into squares?

A reply to all who have provided input -

I see a common thread that I need some care with the custards possibly
falling apart when inverted - additonal info:

1) I am making it in tapered muffin tins rather than in a large pan, to get
that "inverted flan" look - ( it's kind of a "fancier dinner" dessert). I
will check out some disposable containers.

Making them the day before and keeping them cold, I had planned to put a
cookie sheet over four tins worth and flip them over as a unit, and then
lift the tins off. I can slide each onto the dessert plate with an inverted
metal spatula once finished (or, if I don't use the broiler, I can finish
after they are on the plates)
The cookie sheet thing has worked well for me before, and I can do 48
desserts in easily under ten minutes, but with other desserts I had prepped
the insides of the tin for easy release. I am not sure how well custard
releases.

2) I understand that the coconut cream custard recipe I am using is an
asian custard, firmer than the soft french custards.

So I will make a test run -

I was hoping for some feedback on time and temperature for custards done in
small containers like a muffin tin size amount... ??


>
>

hob wrote:

> "pfoley" > wrote in message
> k.net...
>
>>"hob" > wrote in message
...
>>
>>>Hi
>>>
>>> I need to make 50 desserts for my party, and I have settled on a
>>
>>"steamed"
>>
>>>coconut cream custard (basic egg-sugar-coconut cream firm custard).
>>> I have done this many desserts each year for many years, but this is
>>
>>the
>>
>>>first custard-in-a-muffin-tin I have tried.
>>>
>>> In order to handle and hold that many servings and to get nicely
>
> shaped
>
>>>individual servings. I
>>> plan to use several of my muffin tins as the baking dishes.
>>> I also plan to turn the custards out on a cookie sheet and do a light
>>>finish of a lightly gingered corn syrup glaze, under the broiler (on
>
> the
>
>>>"bottoms" of the tin shape, so the top finish is not important for
>>>appearance) before moving them to the serving plates
>>>
>>>Any hints? Cautions? Tricks?
>>>
>>> First note - several of my tins are enamel-coated metal, but I might
>>
>>choose
>>
>>>to use some of the coated-bakeware tins as well.
>>> Will I get discoloration from the coated bakeware?
>>> Any experience with coating the tins with "PAM" in doing a custard?
>>>
>>>Second note - I plan to put the muffin tins and custard in a jelly-roll
>>
>>pan
>>
>>>of water in the oven to steam-bake the custard - or would it be better
>
> to
>
>>>use a steamer?
>>>
>>>Third note - any ideas about time doing custard in muffin tins in the
>
> oven
>
>>>using the water-pan? In the oven without the water? In a steamer?
>>>
>>>Any insights, information, or experiences would be appreciated.
>>>
>>>Thanks
>>
>>=========
>>I am thinking, wouldn't the custards fall apart when removed from the
>
> muffin
>
>>tin? Wouldn't it be easier to bake the custards in a couple of large
>
> Pyrex
>
>>baking dishes and cut them into squares?
>
>
> A reply to all who have provided input -
>
> I see a common thread that I need some care with the custards possibly
> falling apart when inverted - additonal info:
>
> 1) I am making it in tapered muffin tins rather than in a large pan, to get
> that "inverted flan" look - ( it's kind of a "fancier dinner" dessert). I
> will check out some disposable containers.
>
> Making them the day before and keeping them cold, I had planned to put a
> cookie sheet over four tins worth and flip them over as a unit, and then
> lift the tins off. I can slide each onto the dessert plate with an inverted
> metal spatula once finished (or, if I don't use the broiler, I can finish
> after they are on the plates)
> The cookie sheet thing has worked well for me before, and I can do 48
> desserts in easily under ten minutes, but with other desserts I had prepped
> the insides of the tin for easy release. I am not sure how well custard
> releases.
>
> 2) I understand that the coconut cream custard recipe I am using is an
> asian custard, firmer than the soft french custards.
>
> So I will make a test run -
>
> I was hoping for some feedback on time and temperature for custards done in
> small containers like a muffin tin size amount... ??
>

Have you considered making paste linings for the muffin tins? i
sometimes use a short paste to line a tin with and then bake a cheese
cake in it.

brioche paste, baba paste, mazarine paste, chou paste, genoise paste all
would be suitable for a custard filling.

An English egg custard could be poured into pre made paste holder and
allowed to cool. There are even specific "flan cases" for custards.
--
JL
>
>
>>
>
>