Vanilla Bean Custard Food

THE BEST VANILLA CUSTARD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Put a full kettle of water on to boil.
• Whisk egg yolks, sugar, vanilla extract and salt in a medium bowl.
• Split vanilla beans down the middle, then use the tip of a sharp knife to scrape all the black paste from them into a medium saucepan. Add the bean pods and milk to the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Slowly whisk into the egg mixture. Place a fine sieve over a large bowl and strain the custard into the bowl (discard the pods).
• Place eight 6-ounce ovenproof baking dishes (or ramekins) in a large roasting pan that's at least 2 inches deep and fill with the custard. Pour the boiling water around the baking dishes until it comes about halfway up the sides. Cover the pan loosely with foil.
• Bake the custards until set around the sides but still a bit wobbly in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. Using oven mitts, transfer the baking dishes to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.

VANILLA CUSTARD

Steps:

• Combine the dry ingredients: In a medium, heat-proof mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
• Whisk in the egg yolks: Add the egg yolks and whisk until the mixture is pale and smooth, about 1 minute. If your mixing bowl doesn't have a non-slip bottom, place the bowl on a damp towel so it doesn't slide in the next step. Keep your bowl close by the stove.
• Bring the milk and cream to a simmer: In a heavy-bottomed, medium saucepan over medium-low heat bring the milk and cream to a simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent the milk from scorching. The milk and cream should just come to a simmer with small bubbles along the edges of the pan. Don't let it reach a rolling boil.
• Temper the egg yolks: As soon as the milk and cream come to a simmer, take the pan off the heat. With one hand, slowly pour the hot milk into the yolk mixture a splash at a time, while whisking constantly with your other hand. The damp towel under the mixing bowl should prevent it from sliding around while whisking.
• Cook the custard: Pour the custard back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the custard begins to simmer and thickens, about 5 minutes. Once it begins to gently bubble, continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds longer to cook out the starch.
• Whisk in the butter: Remove the custard from the heat. Whisk in the butter until melted and completely incorporated. Stir in the vanilla extract.
• Strain and chill: Pour the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard. Refrigerate until cool, at least 2 hours.
• Stir, serve, and store: Whisk the custard until smooth before serving. Try serving this creamy homemade custard alongside a slice of pound cake , baked apples or apple crisp , fruit cobbler , or simply with fresh fruit like berries or banana slices. Vanilla custard will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator, stored in an airtight container covered with plastic wrap directly on the surface. Did you love this recipe? Give us some stars below!

VANILLA BEAN CUSTARD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Place an oven rack one-third of the way up from the bottom. Choose a small roasting pan large enough to hold four 6-ounce custard cups, and fill it with enough water to go halfway up the sides of cups. Place pan without cups in the oven. Meanwhile, combine cream, milk, and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan; bring to boil.
• Whisk together the yolks and sugar in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Slowly whisk in the hot milk until completely combined, then pour into custard cups, and place them in the pan of hot water. Bake on the lower shelf until the custard has set and is no longer liquid when lightly touched in the center, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove pan from the oven, remove custard cups from the water, and place on a wire rack to cool. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

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.

RED WINE POACHED PEARS WITH VANILLA BEAN CUSTARD

Steps:

• For the pears: Remove a large strip of peel from the lemon and set aside. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into a medium bowl filled with water. Peel, halve and core the pears, adding the pears to the lemon water as you work (this will prevent them from browning).
• Combine the wine, sugar, vanilla, cloves, cinnamon stick and reserved lemon peel in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar dissolves.
• Remove the pears from the lemon water and add to the wine mixture. Boil the pears until tender, 8 to 10 minutes on each side. Remove the pears from the poaching liquid to a wire rack to cool. If desired, continue to boil the poaching liquid until syrupy, about 10 minutes.
• For the vanilla bean custard sauce: Combine the cream and milk in a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the cream mixture along with the scraped bean. Place over medium heat until bubbles form around the edges, then remove from the heat and remove the vanilla bean.
• Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until combined. Gradually add a little of the hot cream mixture, whisking constantly until combined. Gradually add the remaining cream, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 6 minutes. Remove the custard from the saucepan and cool slightly.
• To serve, spoon some of the custard sauce onto serving plates and top each with a pear half. Dollop with whipped cream and sprinkle with candied pecans, if desired.

VANILLA BEAN CUSTARD WITH SOUR CHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F Heat milk to a low simmer in a small saucepan. Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, sugar and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Gradually whisk hot milk into egg mixture. Stir in vanilla and Kirschwasser.
• Pour custard mixture into 6 ramekins. Place ramekins in a large baking pan, and fill baking pan with water almost to ramekins' rims. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until custards are set but still quivery when shaken. Let cool, then shake on chocolate sprinkles. Garnish also with mint leaves and fresh cherries if desired.
• For a pretty presentation, ladle Sour Cherry Sauce onto 6 dessert plates, dividing evenly. Place a ramekin in center of each. Place whipped cream in a zippered plastic bag, and snip a corner to make a piping bag. Pipe dots around each plate, and drag a toothpick through dots, making them into hearts.
• For Sour Cherry Sauce: Place sour cherries, sugar and cinnamon in a blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher before dividing among plates.

THE BEST HOMEMADE VANILLA BEAN FROZEN CUSTARD

Steps:

• 1. Heat the half + half, sugar, and vanilla beans and pod in a medium saucepan over low heat, whisking constantly to avoid a skin forming on the top of the mixture. Turn off the heat when the mixture is just about ready to start simmering - the mixture should coat the back of a metal spoon.
• 2. Beat the egg yolks by hand or in a stand mixer until slightly thick. Slowly drizzle in about half of the half + half mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. This is tempering the eggs - if you pour it in too fast, your eggs will scramble... and no one wants Scrambled Egg Ice Cream.
• 3. Pour the egg mixture back into the pan with the remaining half + half mixture and heat on low or medium-low heat until thick, stirring constantly. It will start to get really thick and custard-like, which is what we are going for! Remove from heat when it begins to simmer.
• 4. Pour the now custard into a bowl with the heavy whipping cream and stir to combine. Take a piece of plastic wrap and gently press it on to the top of the custard so the entire top surface is covered. This will help prevent it from forming a skin on top. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. (After 2 hours, mine was not nearly cold enough, so I let it sit until the next day. Just gently touch the top to feel how cold the custard is.).
• 5. Following the manufacturers directions, freeze in an ice cream maker until it reaches your desired consistency, about 20-30 minutes. Place mixture in an air tight container and place in freezer to harden for at least 8 hours.
• 7. Before cleaning the blade, lick off every last inch and moan in ecstasy. 8 hours is entirely too long to wait for something this delicious!
• 8. Top with your favorite toppings, or just eat it plain. IT IS THAT GOOD!