The Best Vanilla Custard Recipes

JULIA CHILD'S VANILLA CUSTARD RECIPE

Steps:

• 1. Heat the milk in a saucepan over a low heat until just simmering then remove from the heat. 2. In a large bowl, using an electric whisk, beat the egg yolks until smooth and then beat in the sugar. Beat until thick and pale. 3. Continue to beat the egg yolk mixture while carefully and very slowly pouring the boiling milk in. Do it in a slow stream to prevent the eggs from scrambling. 4. Beat the mixture until all of the milk has been poured in and the mixture is smooth. 5. Pour the custard back into the saucepan and place it back onto a low heat. 6. Stir continuously until the custard coats the back of your spoon, taking it off the heat before it reaching simmering point. 7. Once the custard coats the back of your spoon, remove from the heat and continue to whisk for a couple more minutes to help the custard cool down. 8. Pour the custard through a sieve and briefly stir through the vanilla extract.

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.

BASIC VANILLA CUSTARD

Steps:

• Have eggs ready in a bowl, and set aside where it will be within reach.
• Using a whisk, combine milk, sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan over medium heat on stovetop. Allow milk to scald (heat to the point when tiny bubbles form around edges of pan). Whisk occasionally to prevent cornstarch from clumping on bottom edges of pan.
• Remove milk mixture from heat, preferably to a burner that's turned off.
• Mix about 2 tablespoons of scalded milk mixture into eggs using whisk, then introduce eggs into milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking milk mixture constantly.
• Immediately return pan to heat and whisk gently until custard thickens, another two or three minutes. Do not allow to boil. (If you find that you have egg white strands in custard, feel free to pass it through a fine-mesh sieve into a different bowl now.)
• Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla.

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.

HOMEMADE VANILLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients, stirring to dissolve sugar completely. Fill cylinder of ice cream maker no more than two-thirds full; freeze according to manufacturer's directions. (Refrigerate any remaining mixture until ready to freeze.) Serve immediately or store in covered containers in freezer.

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.

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.

HOMEMADE CUSTARD

Steps:

• Put the cream and milk into a large pan and gently bring to just below boiling point. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the yolks, cornflour, sugar and vanilla. Gradually pour the hot milk mixture onto the sugar mixture, whisking constantly.
• Wipe out the saucepan and pour the mixture back into it. Heat gently, stirring with a wooden spoon (see Steps 1 and 2, for stirring tips) until the custard is thickened, but before any lumps form. Eat hot or cold.