Custard is a preparation based on milk, eggs and flour. We’ve all tried it, at least once. It’s the basis for Italian homemade pastries and you can’t help but love it. You can use it to fill cakes, cannoncini, garnish fresh fruit tarts, and inject it into freshly baked croissants. It’s a delicacy for anyone who tastes it. Unfortunately some people have intolerances: especially to eggs, gluten or lactose. Others, like vegans, have make food choices based on ethics. And then there are those who are always on a diet. So how do you solve this problem, without giving up this delight? With vegan turmeric custard. The real secret is in the Indian spice.
How to make vegan turmeric custard
The starting point is the difficult choice of vegetable milk, which also depends on how you plan to use the custard. Is it better to use a milk substitute that has a more neutral flavor, such as rice, soy, oat or almond milk? Or maybe one with a hint of coconut or hazelnut?
In a small pot, heat 2 cups of the chosen vegetable milk with 4 oz of sugar, cane sugar, malt or maple syrup. The quantity varies depending on whether and how much your milk is already sweetened. Be careful, though, honey is not vegan! Also, add a grated lemon peel (so that you won’t have to worry about cutting the bitter white part too) and a vanilla bean open in half lengthwise. And now comes the turmeric: just the tip of a teaspoon to start (you can add more later if you want).
Heat and slowly sift 4 ½ ounces of rice flour, rice starch or corn starch in the saucepan. Help yourself with a whisk to keeps lumps from forming and stir until the cream boils. Keep the heat low and stir until you get the desired density.
How to use vegan turmeric custard?
Sometimes you just can’t get enough of a good thing! And vegan turmeric custard can be used in the same way as the traditional version. You can fill cakes, tarts, small pastries, scoop it up with cookies or eat it by the spoonful. If you prefer a firmer cream, increase the flour or starch by 1 ½ ounces and flavor the vegan turmeric custard with cardamom, cinnamon, star anise or orange peel.