吉士馅 Cooked Custard Filling for Asian Bakery Breads and Street Snacks

Custard is a french invention but has become very popular throughout Asia. It is frequenlty seen as a filling or decoration in Asian Bakery pastries and breads and in street snacks. My readers that have been to Japan or Taiwan, this is the filling used in 車輪餅Wheel Cakes, 雞蛋糕Egg Cakes and 銅鑼燒Dorayaki as well as many 麵包店蛋奶麵包bakery custard breads. I have included the Chinese Character so you can browse the internet and look and all the yummy creations Asian has to offer and for some to take a walk down memory lane. This recipe for custard is top of the line in custard recipes. The Japanese and Taiwanese took a delicious French invention and made it even better if that is possible. Feel free to use it in anyway you want, not just in Asian cooking.

These custard buns 卡士達 are just one example of how to use this custard in Asian Bakery bread and pastries. Hokkaido Milk Bread dough is filled with custard and formed into rolls; flattened then a swirl of custard piped on top before baking.

Picture from https://cookidoo.thermomix.com/recipes/recipe/en-US/r69061

This is 卡士达网纹面包 Net pattern custard bread. Hokkaido Milk Bread dough is rolled out into a 1/2 in thick rectangle and then rolled up into a baton shape; finally, a net pattern of custard is pipped on top before baking. Once baked icing sugar is sprinkled on top, the roll is split open and piped to fill with custard or whipped cream or both.  Pictures from https://m.jkmeishi.com/xcms/6530.html

This is 面包 Hokkaido Milk Bread is rolled out and cut into squares then topped with custard and raisins, stacked and placed into a loaf pan before proofing and baking. Picture from https://blog.xuite.net/darla630430/twblog/365082779-%E9%A6%99%E8%94%A5%E8%B5%B7%E5%8F%B8%E5%90%90%E5%8F%B8

This is 铜锣烧Dorayaki with custard filling, a Japanese dessert. This picture is of my most recent trial run. I have yet to post the recipe on the blog, sorry guys. 

Many more recipe are coming in the future that showcase this custard in delicious ways. On to the recipe for Cooked Custard Filling...

2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup creamer powder or milk powder
6 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup starch (corn, tapioca or arrowroot)
1/4 cup butter, room temperature

Mix milk and creamer powder together in a small-medium size pot and bring to a boil then remove from the heat.

Whisk egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a bowl until the color turns pale yellow.

Mix 1/4 cup of hot milk into the egg yolks then mix the rest of the hot milk into the egg yolks.

 Pour back into the pot and heat over medium heat just until thickened.

Prepare and ice bath then place custard in a bowl and place the bowl into the ice bath.

Stir frequently until custard is warm, not hot, to the touch and starts to thicken up.

 Stir in the butter and mix until butter has melted and the custard is smooth and silky.

 Cover with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until use.