Basic Vanilla Custard Recipes

SIMPLE CUSTARD

Steps:

• Cook and stir milk, vanilla extract, and butter in a saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove mixture from heat before it comes to a boil.
• Whisk eggs, sugar, and cornstarch together in a bowl until sugar dissolves.
• Set saucepan back over low heat. Pour in egg mixture slowly, whisking constantly, until custard thickens enough to coat the bottom of a spoon, 5 to 10 minutes.

EASY HOMEMADE VANILLA CUSTARD

Steps:

• In a large nonstick saucepan, add milk and half the sugar.
• Cook on medium-high heat until mixture comes to a to a boil.
• Then, reduce heat to low heat and allow mixture to simmer.
• In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together remaining sugar and cornstarch.
• Add whisked egg yolks to this sugar mixture and mix until smooth.
• Remove 1 cup of the warm milk from the saucepan and mix that into this sugar/egg/cornstarch mixture until smooth.
• Pour this mixture into the saucepan, while constantly mixing with a wooden spoon or whisk. You can bring up the heat from low to medium, if you like.
• Keep stirring until custard thickens and starts sticking to your whisk or spoon.
• Use a candy thermometer to ensure temperature reaches 185 degrees F. This ensures that custard does not become watery while cooling in the fridge.
• Remove saucepan from heat.
• Add butter, vanilla extract and mix until combined.
• Transfer to a large serving bowl or separate small bowls.
• Let it cool to room temperature.
• Cover with plastic wrap so that it is touching the surface of the custard.
• Let it cool to room temperature. Then, refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours. It will thicken more, as it chills.
• Enjoy with a topping of fresh berries or whipped cream.

SENSATIONALLY SMOOTH AND SIMPLE VANILLA CUSTARD PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a double-layered cookie sheet (to protect from overbrowning the bottom) with foil.
• Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to steam. Do not scorch or boil.
• Whisk 1 egg white in a bowl. Lightly brush on the inside and top of the frozen pie crust. Place crust on the prepared cookie sheet. Set aside while making custard filling.
• Whisk remaining eggs and yolk, sugar, vanilla extract, salt, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, and lemon zest together in a bowl until well mixed. Dribble in the steamed milk very slowly, whisking the whole time, about 2 minutes; it will be very frothy.
• Pour the frothy custard mixture into the prepared pie crust. Sprinkle top with 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Transfer to the oven very carefully.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and bake until a knife inserted near center comes out moist but mostly clean, about 45 minutes more; start checking 8 to 10 minutes before the hour is up due to variations with ovens.
• Cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about 30 minutes before transferring to a refrigerator to set.

VANILLA CUSTARD

Steps:

• Heat the milk in the saucepan until it comes just up to the boil, then take off the heat immediately. In a bowl, beat together the egg yolks, vanilla sugar and flours. Pour the milk slowly over the egg mix, beating well.
• Return the mixture to the pan and place over a low heat, stirring for 8-10 mins until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove and serve with the dumplings.

BAKED CUSTARD

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine eggs, sugar, spices and vanilla. Blend in milk. Pour into a 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Place baking dish in a cake pan in oven; add 1 in. water to pan. , Bake at 325° for 1 hour or until a knife inserted near middle comes out clean.

BAKED CUSTARD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• In medium bowl, beat eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt with wire whisk or fork. Gradually stir in milk. Pour into six 6-ounce custard cups. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
• Place cups in 13x9-inch pan on oven rack. Pour very hot water into pan to within 1/2 inch of tops of cups (see box, below).
• Bake about 45 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean. Remove cups from water. Cool about 30 minutes. Unmold and serve warm, or refrigerate and unmold before serving. Store covered in refrigerator.

VANILLA CUSTARD

Steps:

• Heat milk in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not boiling.
• While milk heats, whisk together yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heatproof bowl until smooth.
• Add 1 cup hot milk to yolk mixture in a stream, whisking, then add remaining milk, whisking constantly. Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and registers 170°F on thermometer, 6 to 10 minutes (do not boil).
• Immediately force custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl and stir in butter and vanilla. Chill custard, its surface covered with wax paper, until cold and thickened, at least 3 hours.