Fresh Fruit Custard/ Fruit Salad with Custard Sauce

Fruit custard

Fruit custard is the quickest dessert that you can ever imagine and is a perfect summer treat. It is chilled luscious creamy custard sauce served with a combination of fruits. Does that not sound like a delectable dessert? Of course, you can choose your favorite fruits. You can also add nuts to give an extra crunch. It is best when served chilled. You can dress up this simple custard-like a fancy dessert for special occasions. Spoon in custard sauce into layers of cake, biscuits, and fruits and serve it chilled. Serve it with a scoop of vanilla or mango ice cream, tutti frutti, or with jelly cubes. It can be effortlessly made well ahead of time and is a great time saver if you are having a party. Your guests will be surely impressed.

Custard is a thick creamy sauce made of milk, sugar, and egg yolk. There are two ways to make custard- the traditional egg custard and the one with custard powder. So for those who don’t want to include eggs in their custard, custard powder is a great substitute. Use a combination of your favorite seasonal fruits. Apple, pear, banana, lychee, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, mango, pomegranate seeds, papaya, seedless cherry, and grapes work well in fruit custard. It is best to avoid citrus fruits, watermelon, and pineapple. If you love the flavor of pineapple, you can add stewed pineapple to the fruit salad. This refreshing summer treat is one of my favorite desserts. Check the recipe below for two ways to make the custard, traditional egg custard, and the quick and easy custard

Custard powder is made with cornflour and it thickens to form a custard-like sauce when mixed with hot milk and heated. It is available in Indian grocery stores. It is mixed with hot milk and cooked until it is slightly thick. It will thicken as it chills. It is best to keep the sauce thick when you add fruits it will thin out naturally.
For the egg-based custard, combine egg yolks with milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. The thickening agent is cornstarch. If you are unable to find custard powder, you can substitute with corn starch and vanilla extract. Condensed milk also adds great flavor and taste to the custard. Almond milk or coconut milk can also be great substitutes if you want vegan fruit custard. Instant vanilla pudding is also a great substitute. For more taste chopped nuts like Cashews, Almonds, Pistachio.

Fruit custard recipe with Custard Powder

Ingredients

Milk-3 1/2 cup

Custard powder ( vanilla flavored)- 3 tbs

Sugar- 1/4 cup + 2 tsp
(according to sweet preference)
Condensed milk- 1/2 cup

Mixed chopped fruits- Around 3 cups

(Apple, Mango,stewed pineapple,green grapes,

red grapes,strawberry,blueberry and banana)

Chop all the fruits in a large bowl. Mix two tsp of sugar and let it chill in the refrigerator.
In a bowl add custard powder and pour 1/3 cup of warm milk. Mix to make a smooth lump-free paste of custard powder and keep aside.
In a saucepan bring milk to a boil and add sugar. When it dissolves slowly stir in the custard paste and continuously stir till the mixture thickens. Take off from heat and allow it to cool. Chill the custard for about two to three hours or till it is ready to be served. You can also make it overnight. To serve add the chopped fruits in a serving dish and pour over the custard and slightly mix. Garnish with cherries or chopped nuts or jelly cubes.

Note: You can keep the custard and the fruits separately in the refrigerator. Mix it just before serving for fresh-tasting fruit custard.

Recipe with Egg Custard

Ingredients
Egg yolks- 3
Sugar- 1/2 cup + 2 tbs
Corn starch- 3 tbs
Milk- 4 cups
Vanilla extract- 1 tsp
Yellow food coloring - a few drops optional

Chop all the fruits in a large bowl. Mix two tbs of sugar and let it chill in the refrigerator.
Bring milk to a boil and keep it in a low simmer. Mix sugar and let it dissolve completely. In a bowl whisk egg yolks. Add 1/2 cup of warm milk and whisk. Gradually pour the egg yolk mixture into the hot milk while continuously whisking. Keep whisking for 3 minutes in medium flame for the egg custard to cook or temperature reaches 190 F. In a separate bowl, mix corn starch with some milk or water into a lump-free paste. Mix this to the egg custard and whisk till the mixture thickens to desired consistency. Strain it using a mesh strainer. Mix vanilla extract and chill the custard for about two to three hours or till it is ready to be served. To serve add the chopped fruits in a serving dish and pour over the custard and slightly mix. Garnish with cherries or chopped nuts or jelly cubes.