Basic Custard Food

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.

CUSTARD

Steps:

• Mix 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
• When the cornstarch is dissolved, slowly add the rest of the milk and sugar, and cook over moderate heat until the sauce starts to thicken and comes to a boil.
• Remove from heat.
• In a small bowl, beat egg yolks with a fork.
• Take a cup of the sauce, and slowly add to the eggs, beating briskly as you pour.
• Return the egg/sauce mixture to the saucepan, stirring into the hot sauce.
• Bring back to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat, and add the vanilla extract.
• Pour custard into a jug or pitcher, and serve.
• Tip: To prevent custard forming a skin as it cools, cover jug with plastic wrap.

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.

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.

EASY EGG CUSTARD

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
• 2. Place six 4-ounce ovenproof cups (you can use ramekins, or coffee cups marked as oven-safe) in a deep baking pan just large enough to hold them.
• 3. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer over medium-low heat.
• 4. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks, sugar, and vanilla.
• 5. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the simmering milk, whisking gently to combine.
• 6. Pour the mixture through a fine strainer into the cups (if the strainer clogs, use a spoon to scrape it clean), then sprinkle lightly with the nutmeg.
• 7. Pour hot (not boiling) water into the pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cups.
• 8. Bake until the custard is just set (it can still be a little loose), 30 to 35 minutes.
• 9. Let the custard cool in the water bath for about 2 hours before serving.

EGG CUSTARD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Whisk milk, eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla together in a bowl until completely combined. Pour egg mixture into 6 custard cups; sprinkle tops with nutmeg. Place cups in a baking pan and fill pan with enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the custard cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until custards are set, about 1 hour. Cool completely.

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.

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 CUSTARD ICE CREAM BASE

Steps:

• Have a strainer in a bowl ready over an ice bath.
• Bring the dairy to a simmer in a medium pot over medium-high heat--about 5 minutes. Watch it carefully so it doesn't boil over. Remove from heat as soon as you see bubbles forming and let sit until it's cooled to room temperature--about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat the eggs, sugar, and pinch of salt into a thick paste. When the dairy has cooled, stream it in while stirring the egg mixture.
• Once combined, return everything to the pan and cook over medium-low heat. Stir gently in an "S" shape, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan.
• The sauce is ready when it looks silky, has thickened so it coats the back of a wooden spoon, and has reached a temperature of about 170-degrees. Strain it into a bowl set over an ice water bath and stir in the vanilla.
• When cooled, freeze mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

VANILLA ICE CREAM (BASIC CUSTARD STYLE)

Steps:

• Beat eggs very well with a mixer, gradually add sugar beat until thick and lemon colored.
• Stir in milk and heat, stirring until thickened.
• Remove from heat and cool mixture.
• Add cream and vanilla, cover and chill mixture.
• Pour into ice cream maker and follow manufactures directions.

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.

SIMPLE SOFT BAKED CUSTARD

Steps:

• In a bowl, beat egg. Add the milk, sugar, vanilla and salt; stir well. Pour into 2 ungreased 6-oz. custard cups. Sprinkle with nutmeg., Place cups in a baking pan. Fill pan with hot water to a depth of 1 in. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

QUICK AND EASY CUSTARD

Steps:

• Add the milk and cream and the vanilla pod (not extract yet) to a large saucepan and bring to a simmer slowly. once simmering take out the pod.
• Mix the yolks, cornflour and sugar in a large bowl until they are well mixed. into this slowly add the simmering milk and cream mix making sure to mix well all the time.
• Return all the mix back to the pan (add extract now if using that rather than pods) and use a wooden spoon to mix over a low heat until the custard begins to thicken, check to see if it is coating the back of the spoon to do this.
• You can either serve right away or it can be stored in the fridge and warmed later but you will want to cover the top with something so that you don't get a skin over the top. This can be eaten warm or cold.

BASIC CUSTARD (VANILLA)

Steps:

• Combine milk and 1 tbsp sugar in a heavy saucepan, scald, and remove from heat.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and 1/2 tbsp sugar together.
• Temper yolks with the scalded milk, then whisk everything back into your pot.
• Return pot to medium heat, add 8 tbsp (1/2 cup) of sugar.
• Bring custard to the boil, stirring constantly, then IMMEDIATELY remove from heat (otherwise your custard will be lumpy).
• Add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, or any flavor extract of your choice! (nutty flavors, mild spices, coffee, and chocolate work best).
• Serve hot and fresh or chilled.
• Tip: Many people (myself included) consider the skin on top the best part of the custard. If you don't like custard skin, however, you can cover your cooling container with any airtight seal like a tupperware lid or plastic wrap. Just don't put it in a glass jar and screw the top on!
• EDIT: People have been having trouble getting this to thicken, like in the comment. DON'T make this recipe unless you're willing to experiment. I need to do something to fix it, but I don't know how to make the recipe private -- sorry sorry everybody! Thanks to jetta_mel for pointing out the trouble with it!