weeping custard

I made 2 different versions of a baked rice pudding recently. One worked brilliantly and the other didn't.
Recipe 1:
2 cups dairy (combination 2% milk and heavy cream)
2 eggs
2 cups cooked rice
1/4 cup white sugar
raisins
cinnamon and nutmeg.
Baked at 350 in a bain marie.

As usual, this recipe was firm and although my favorite, I decided to go for something more custardy and less ricey.

Recipe 2
2 cups 2% milk
3 eggs
1 cup cooked rice
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
raisins
cinnamon and nutmeg
Baked at 350 in a bain marie.

This pudding turned out more custardy but the eggs looked slightly scrambled and there was weeping once the first serving was removed from the dish.
Reasons? Solutions?
Thanks!

Trish Crew
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  • 4 Comments
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4 Comments

scruz
scruz February 28, 2016
doesn't it possibly have to do with the fat content of the milk? i have read that lower/low fat milk tends to separate and become watery in recipes for potatoes au gratin among others. it has happened to me. i dislike the water and curds and even though it tastes ok, the look is awful.
 
scruz
scruz February 28, 2016
doesn't it possibly have to do with the fat content of the milk? i have read that lower/low fat mile tends to separate and become watery in recipes for potatoes au gratin among others. it has happened to me. i dislike the water and curds and even though it tastes ok, the look is awful.
 
amysarah
amysarah February 28, 2016
The 'scrambled' texture and fluid weeping out sounds like it curdled...usually, that happens when a custard is baked/cooked too long, or at too high a temperature. But you're using a bain marie and a reasonable oven temp, so I'm not sure here - maybe you're leaving it in the oven too long. Baked custards are usually 'done' when a knife comes out clean near the edges, but it's still somewhat jiggly in the center.
 
sydney
sydney February 28, 2016
I'm curious what the cooking-chemistry experts say. I bake (no bain marie) rice pudding every few days. I throw together about 4 eggs, 2-3 cups of whole milk, 4ish cups of cooked brown rice (plus sugar, raisins, spices) and nothing weeps. I do mine at 325 degrees. (It's not the most artful pudding, and a long way from my fancier creme caramel custard, but I have growing boys who need fast food.) I hope you get an answer!
 
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