Cookbooks often assert the importance of beating yolks with sugar until they lighten in color and thicken sufficiently to form a ribbon when trailed from a spoon This stage does not mark any critical change in the yolk components It’s simply a sign that much of the sugar has dissolved in the limited yolk water (about half the volume of the yolks themselves), which makes the mix viscous enough to pour thickly and retain air bubbles (the cause of the whitening) Sugar grains are a convenient means for mixing the yolks and albumen remnants thoroughly, but the quality of a cream or custard will not suffer if you mix the yolks and sugar thoroughly but stop short of the ribbon Savory Custards: The Quiche The quiche (a French version of the German Kuchen, “little cake”) can be thought of either as a savory custard or a close relative of the omelet It is a pie-shaped mixture of eggs and cream or milk that contains small pieces of a vegetable, meat, or cheese To make it firm enough to be cut into wedges for serving, a quiche normally contains 2 whole eggs per cup/250 ml of liquid, and is baked unprotected by a water bath, either alone or in a precooked crust The Italian frittata and Egyptian eggah are similar preparations that omit any milk or cream Crème Caramel and Crème Brûlée Crème caramel is a freestanding sweet custard with a layer of moist caramel on top It’s made by coating the bottom of the dish with a layer of caramelized sugar (see p 656) before the custard mix is poured in and cooked The caramel does harden and stick to the dish, but moisture from the custard mix softens it, and the two layers become partly integrated The custard is turned out of the dish while still slightly warm and the caramel soft If the custard must be refrigerated before serving, leave it in the mold; the caramel can be ... caramel does harden and stick to the dish, but moisture from the custard mix softens it, and the two layers become partly integrated The custard is turned out of the dish while still slightly warm and the caramel soft If the. .. layer of moist caramel on top It’s made by coating the bottom of the dish with a layer of caramelized sugar (see p 656) before the custard mix is poured in and cooked The caramel does harden and stick to the dish, but... bath, either alone or in a precooked crust The Italian frittata and Egyptian eggah are similar preparations that omit any milk or cream Crème Caramel and Crème Brûlée Crème caramel is a freestanding sweet custard with a