# What's the difference between pudding & custard?



## vilasman (Aug 28, 2010)

And what would be like a basic recipe for a vanilla pudding?


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## forty_caliber (Aug 28, 2010)

Custard is a sweetened mixture of milk and eggs and thickened by the coagulation of egg proteins.

Pudding is a sweetened mixture of milk thickened with (corn)starch and has no eggs. 

Cream-puddings could be classified as a custard pudding hybrid...boston cream pie, eclair fillings, etc.

.40


Butterscotch Pudding
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Recipe By: Gourmet
Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Accompaniment:  lightly sweetened whipped cream

Directions:

Whisk together brown sugar, cornstarch, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a heavy medium saucepan, then whisk in milk and cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking frequently, then boil, whisking, 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla. Pour into a bowl, then cover surface with buttered wax paper and chill until cold, at least 1 1/2 hours.


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## Kayelle (Aug 29, 2010)

I just love the flavor of butterscotch, .40.  TSM for the recipe .


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## BreezyCooking (Aug 29, 2010)

Butterscotch pudding aside - didn't the OP ask for a basic VANILLA pudding recipe????  Because I'd like to see some of those too.


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## forty_caliber (Aug 29, 2010)

BreezyCooking said:


> Butterscotch pudding aside - didn't the OP ask for a basic VANILLA pudding recipe????  Because I'd like to see some of those too.



I would like to have a good TNT one too.

.40


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## mollyanne (Aug 29, 2010)

BreezyCooking said:


> Butterscotch pudding aside - didn't the OP ask for a basic VANILLA pudding recipe????...


Breezy's back!...so everyone just shape up and pay attention! . 

Whoever posted butterscotch pudding is in BIG trouble 

...welcome back Breezy 

.


.


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## Alix (Aug 29, 2010)

The flavor for "butterscotch" would be from the dark brown sugar in that recipe. Vanilla would be easy to get if you just subbed white sugar and tossed in a tbsp or so of vanilla I would think.


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## Mimizkitchen (Aug 29, 2010)

mollyanne said:


> Breezy's back!...so everyone just shape up and pay attention! .
> 
> Whoever posted butterscotch pudding is in BIG trouble
> 
> ...



Who cares about vanilla Mimi loves butterscotch...


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## bakechef (Aug 29, 2010)

Since moving to the south, I noticed that most everybody refers to pastry cream or pudding as "custard".  For me custard has always been as forty_caliber described, eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla baked until the eggs thickened and "set" the custard.  Pumpkin pies, and cheesecakes are examples of custards.  My mom used to make an amazing, melt in your mouth plain egg custard pie!

It actually bugs me a little when people refer to pudding an pastry cream as "custard".


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## BreezyCooking (Aug 29, 2010)

That's wonderful Bakechef.  

Now - can we please get back to the OP's original question for a TNT vanilla pudding???


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## Kayelle (Aug 29, 2010)

Vanilla pudding - Google Search


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## DaveSoMD (Aug 29, 2010)

Try this one.  It is a very basic vanilla. Remember when cooking, low and slow and stir, stir, stir...(this is the voice of burned-pot experience.)

Homemade Vanilla Pudding Recipe - Allrecipes.com


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Aug 29, 2010)

Forty Caliber is partly correct.  custards are normaly sweet deserts with dairy, egg, and flavorings added.  Puddings, however, is a fairly complicated term, depending on how much you really want to know. 

Puddings can be savory, or sweet, can be used as a desert, a side dish, or even as the main course.  Bread pudding is made from bread, milk, egg, vanilla, Cinnamon, sometimes nuts, and raisins.  It is a baked or steamed dish and is not creamy at all.  

Yorkshire pudding is much like a popover in texture.  The recipe is basically the same as for making a popover, but is cooked in beef fat and drippings.  The batter is sometimes spooned into muffin tins that have had beef fat used to grease and flavor the pudding, while at other times, it is poured around a roast to cook with the meat.

Suet pudding is made by filling a pie crust, where suet is the fat used in the crust,  with a mixture of meats and vegetables, much like the Canadian Tortiere.  But this pie is steamed rather than baked.  Steak and kidney puddings are of this type.

The word pudding is thought to come from the French word Boudin, which is the filling stuffed into casings to make sausage.

The famous Irish Haggis is a type of savory pudding, as is black pudding, and a host of others.

In the U.S., puddings primarily refer to a sweetened dairy mixture of milk, flavoring, sugar, and a thickener such as cornstarch, tapioca, or flour.  We are most familiar with the pre-made pudding mixtures that come in the little Jello brand boxes.

Custards include such things as the filling of a pumpkin pie, cheesecake, Sabayon (also know as zabaglinoe), Mexican Flan, Creme Brule, and other deserts of that nature.

Interestingly, trifles and fools are also considered creamy puddings.

So, again, how much do you want to know about puddings?

A couple of recipes for vanilla pudidng:  Old-Fashioned Vanilla Pudding Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Honey Vanilla Pudding Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Vanilla Pudding From Scratch Recipe - Food.com - 141267

Now for contrast, here's a recipe for a pretty standard Yorkshire Pudding:
Sky High Yorkshire Pudding Recipe - Allrecipes.com  Though the recipe calls for cooking oil, I prefer to use the fat drippings from a good roast.  It gives a richer flavor.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## forty_caliber (Aug 29, 2010)

Great write up GW.  I agree with you, "pudding" is an ambiguous term dependent on context.

.40


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## kadesma (Aug 29, 2010)

Why is it necessary to argue over custard and pudding..Simply  put up a new post asking for vanilla pudding or vanilla custard. The op first asked for the difference between custard and pudding, then went on to ask about vanilla  pudding. So if you want a recipe for vanilla pudding please put up a post asking for it. Please stop makeing war over a recipe.Thank you
kadesma


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## bigdaddy3k (Aug 30, 2010)

This pudding/custard controversy is TEARING US APART!!!! *sob*


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## ChefJune (Aug 30, 2010)

Growing up in our house, "pudding" was always a custard cooked on top of the stove. I realize the technical name for that is Creme Patissiere, but for my mom (and her's, before that) it was just "cooked custard" or vanilla pudding. We always preferred that to the stuff that came out of the little Jello Pudding boxes, and I still do.


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## DaveSoMD (Aug 30, 2010)

I am guessing a lot of folks use the package puddings (cook or instant).


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## kadesma (Aug 30, 2010)

DaveSoMD said:


> I am guessing a lot of folks use the package puddings (cook or instant).


we do


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## zfranca (Sep 1, 2010)

* VANILLA SAUCE*

(Pastry cream)​3                      egg yolks
3 TBS              sugar
3 TBS              flour
2 cups              milk (hot)
1 tsp                 vanilla
 
 
 Beat egg yolks with sugar until creamy, in a small saucepan that can take direct heat. Slowly beat in flour.
Bring the saucepan on to a medium flame. Add milk, and vanilla. Reduce heat to simmer, and cook until thick whisking constantly, for about 10 minutes. Let it cool, stirring occasionally. Keep refrigerated.
Pastry cream is to desserts what béchamel is to food, a binding agent.
Makes 2 cups ​P.S. You caught me red handed...I called it Sauce and the book is already in print...


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## justplainbill (Sep 1, 2010)

Thanks, ZFranca, for the recipe.


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## zfranca (Sep 1, 2010)

YOU ARE WELCOME justplainbill.
Now..if you wanted to add a touch of soaked gelatin to the Vanilla hot sauce and then let it cool, and then refrigerate it, you would get a more stable dessert. What you want to call it is up to you...I know it tastes good...


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