About custard powder

jackieng · Post by **jackieng** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 3:14 pm

Am not from Helsinki area so not able to get Bird's custard powder here locally. Anyone know or try before if kisseli is a suitable alternative for custard powder in Finland ? If not, any suggestion how to make my own custard powder ? Thanks in advance!

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Kupcake · Post by **Kupcake** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 3:24 pm

Have you tried the Asian stores in Hakaniemi for custard powder? I recall seeing some there ... but you should check the use by dates.

jackieng · Post by **jackieng** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 3:35 pm

Not going to Helsinki anytime soon..... and thinking of doing sweet corn custard in the weekend.

Jukka Aho · Post by **Jukka Aho** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 4:15 pm

jackieng wrote:Anyone know or try before if kisseli is a suitable alternative for custard powder in Finland ? If not, any suggestion how to make my own custard powder ? Thanks in advance!

Hmm... kiisseli is a generic name for a certain type of dessert which is typically made from berries, fruits, or even rhubarb (see the rubarb thread.) The Finnish kiisseli recipes typically use potato starch – not corn starch – as their thickening agent.

There are instant kiisseli powder packs (typically flavored) in the stores as well as ready-made kiisseli sold in cartons, but it’s not hard to make it yourself from the basic ingredients, either. Since these are typically potato starch based products, they’re probably not too useful as substitutes for custard.

Perhaps you could try making corn flour based vaniljakiisseli, instead? (Here’s another recipe which uses potato starch.)

Mook · Post by **Mook** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 4:27 pm

er, google is quite good at finding custurd receipes.

How about this one:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/datab ... 5614.shtml

sinikala · Post by **sinikala** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 4:58 pm

jackieng wrote:Am not from Helsinki area so not able to get Bird's custard powder here locally. Anyone know or try before if kisseli is a suitable alternative for custard powder in Finland ? If not, any suggestion how to make my own custard powder ? Thanks in advance!

If you want to make custard (as opposed to custurd) from scratch it's not that hard, as Mook wrote:

Mook wrote:er, google is quite good at finding custurd receipes.
How about this one:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/datab ... 5614.shtml

If you are thinking of using a substitute like potato based kiisseli as a substitute for instant custard powder to use on a regular basis then good luck with that one ... that's how Alfred Bird made his fortune.

http://www.behnfords.fi/ don't seem to have any in their webshop... maybe some kind soul could pick you up a tub from Hki and post it to you?

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 5:25 pm

I think Valio does mini tetra-paks of vanila sauce which looks like custard (without all the yellow colouring). Have you tried those?

They are milk-based though. No eggs.

Kai · Post by **Kai** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 6:18 pm

Valio does has a good custard , second from right in this pic http://www.valio.fi/portal/page/portal/ ... tuory=1887 More vanilla flavour than birds shop bought custard or powder

Kai · Post by **Kai** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 6:23 pm

The packs on the left of the pic are probably the ones that penelope suggested, not noticed those in the shops before, will try some next time i go shopping.

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 7:28 pm

I haven't tried any of them but if you look at the ingredients they are NOT custard (no eggs) but might be OK as a custard substitute if you are desperate. The one in the middle is "old-fashioned vanilla sauce" or something like that.

Kai · Post by **Kai** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 7:57 pm

penelope wrote:I haven't tried any of them but if you look at the ingredients they are NOT custard (no eggs) but might be OK as a custard substitute if you are desperate. The one in the middle is "old-fashioned vanilla sauce" or something like that.

No probs, I have read in books of real custard and am planning to make some when i get round to it (and real chicken stock)

will make do with the chemical powders meanwhile

raamv · Post by **raamv** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:22 pm

Have used all of them ..
They are basically vanilla sauce ( in milk n sugar)..
so no eggs!!
We use them for toppings on pancakes and dips for fruits..

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