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Steamed Egg Custard
Learn how to make this easy, simple, and quick 10 minutes Chinese steamed custard using only eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla.
Chinese steamed egg custard is one of the earliest recipes I learned as a kid. Although this may not be a fancy dessert, steamed custard always feels very cozy and satisfying to end a meal.
We only use eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla to make the custard. I think this is a handy recipe to learn because if you need a last-minute treat, you will most likely be able to pull this off.
Ingredients for Chinese steamed egg custard
We only need four ingredients:
- eggs
- milk
- sugar
- vanilla
I almost always use regular milk to make the steamed custard, but I also like the version with soy milk. So if you are lactose intolerant and want to use soy milk, feel free to do so.
The amount of sugar stated in the recipe assumes using non-sweetened milk. If your milk is already sweetened, you may want to skip or reduce the amount of sugar.
How to prepare Chinese steamed egg custard
This treat is simple to prepare. Let’s go through the step-by-step:
- Prepare a steamer pot with about 1 inch of water over medium heat.
- Whisk eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl.
- Use a strainer to strain the egg mixture into four bowls/ramekins to get an extra silky smooth custard.
- Cover the bowls/ramekins with aluminum foil, and arrange them in a steamer basket.
- Once the steamer is ready (water is boiling and there is plenty of steam), place the steamer basket and steam the custard for 10 minutes.
- Remove the custard from the steamer, discard the aluminum foil, and serve immediately.
Steamed Egg Custard
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup of warm milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Prepare a steamer pot with about 1 inch of water over medium heat.
- Whisk eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl.
- Use a strainer to strain the egg mixture into four bowls/ramekins to get an extra silky smooth custard.
- Cover the bowls/ramekins with aluminum foil, and arrange them in a steamer basket.
- Once the steamer is ready (water is boiling and there is plenty of steam), place the steamer basket and steam the custard for 10 minutes.
- Remove the custard from the steamer, discard the aluminum foil, and serve immediately.
Comments
simplicity at its best! :D
I'm rather curious, what is the difference between milk and water that you'd use water for the savory version and milk for the sweet one? I've only ever made the savory type and I added mushrooms, which was delicious, but I'm planning to make the sweet one soon. :-)
It is actually a matter of tradition, and perhaps perception. Chinese savory dishes almost never contain any milk, and dishes with milk often end up being desserts. ;) I guess there is no harm in using milk in the savory version if you want to experiment.♥
It may also have to do with the high percentage of lactose intolerance in Asian populations.
The milk adds fat to help make it more rich like a custard while the water is intended for the savory or chicken stock(mild flavored liquid) to keep it very plain and simple for savory foods so you can add stuff on top of the savory one. Im not Chinese im just some Italian American in NY who happens to like Chinese food a lot so take my information with a pinch of MSG ;). e
I'd also like to say thank you for the ratios of liquid to egg. A lot of recipes are pretty vauge and the last time i made it had too much liquid and took for ever to set properly.
Phew, then I am really glad you get good result from my recipe, Michael. :) And thank you so much for your input on using milk vs. water in a custard.
Super late to the discussion, but milk has sugar (in the form of lactose) while water does not! This makes milk more fit for a dessert, in my opinion :)
This tastes exactly like my mom's steamed custard growing up, only she steamed it in the oven. (It must be a universal comfort food: mom grew up in the US Midwest.) So simple and yet so sublime.
This is one of the best custard recipes I've ever made! The flavor and the texture are absolutely amazing.
I love how simple this custard recipe is!! Made it for dessert last night and it was a hit!
This was so unique and delicious! Thank you for the great recipe!
This was such a quick and easy dessert with hardly any ingredients! My whole family loved it!
Wow! What a divine dessert, Quick and easy, too!
Oh wow! You had me at 10 minutes and four ingredients. That texture looks absolutely fantastic.
Love how simple this recipe is!
Simple and straightforward recipe that anyone can make! A great change from Western-style cooking in our household! Was pleased to learn new techniques! And the fact that the custard was delicious was a great bonus! :)
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