Make Vanilla Custard

A simple, rich vanilla custard is good enough to eat one its own or with fruit, chocolate, and pastries. Whether you're making the custard as a stand alone dessert or using it to fill pastries, this simple dish takes only a few ingredients and minutes of your time. A great vanilla custard, after all, is supposed to be light and refreshing, not arduous or complex.

Ingredients

  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 cups milk (preferably whole; not skim)
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 vanilla pod (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

Steps

Cooking a Vanilla Custard

  1. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. An ice bath will quickly stop the cooking custard, which allows it to cool rapidly without curdling. While you can make custards without one, professional pastry chefs know that this little trick will make better custards every time.[1]
  2. Cutting the vanilla pod in half and remove the seeds, saving for later. A shallow cut all the way down the pod should allow you to gently pry the pod open. Save both the husks and the beans inside.
    • If you are using vanilla extract, ignore this step and add the vanilla later, after cooking.[2]
  3. Lightly scramble the egg yolks in a small bowl and set aside. This is your last bit of prep. Separate the yolks from the whites and then lightly whisk the yolks with a fork -- they don;t have to be pure liquid, just "roughed up." Set this aside near your ice bath.
  4. Whisk milk, sugar, and cornstarch in a tall, heavy-bottomed saucepan, then add the vanilla. Stir until their are no more clumps of cornstarch or sugar, even if it isn't totally dissolved yet. Once it's mixed, use the end of a knife to scrape out the vanilla seeds and toss the husks in as well.[3]
  5. Heat the milk mixture on medium heat until the edges start to bubble. Stir the mixture occasionally. You want the mixture to "scald," which is when small bubbles start forming around the edges of the surface. When it does, stir for 20-30 seconds and remove from heat.
  6. Remove the mixture from heat and pour 2-3 tablespoons of the milk into the egg bowl. This is called "tempering" the eggs, which brings them up to heat faster. After you add the hot milk, use your whisk to whip the whole mixture together.[4]
  7. Add the egg mixture back to the saucepan full of milk and cook on low until thickened. This should only take 2-3 minutes. You want it too coat the back of your stirring spoon or spatula without immediately dripping off.
    • If you're using vanilla extract, stir it in now.[2]
  8. Pour the hot custard into a bowl and place that bowl in your ice bath to cool. Make sure, of course, that water cannot get into the custard. Then simply cover it with a towel or cheesecloth and let it cool down to room temperature.
    • For an even smoother custard, run it through a fine-mesh strainer before pouring into the chilling bowl.[1]
  9. Chill the custard in the fridge, covered, once it has reached room temperature. The custard should keep for several days in the fridge. It can be severed with berries, on it's own, or stuffed into pastries, like eclairs.[5]

Fine-Tuning Your Custard Recipe

  1. Add more egg yolks for a richer custard, adding a bit more sugar for each egg. There are some recipes that call for as many as six eggs, which have a deep yellow color and thicker body. If you add more eggs, be sure to add a bit more sugar as well, about a tablespoon. An extra teaspoon of cornstarch, too, can help keep the custard together.[6]
  2. Consider adding another flavor to your custard with extracts and liquors. A simple teaspoon of almond or cherry extract will quickly change the flavor profile of your desert. Similarly, a touch or spiced rum, chocolate liquor, or other strongly-flavored alcohols have long been used in custards. Add it after you've mixed the egg yolks in and stir well.[1]
  3. Add 1-2 tablespoons of butter for a clean, pastry-shop sheen to your custard. The butter goes in towards the end, after you mixed in the eggs and the milk mixture. Simply stir it in until melted.[2]
  4. Add 2 teaspoons instant coffee or cocoa powder (or both). Add these with the corn starch in the beginning and mix well. While you can't exactly call it "vanilla custard," you can drastically change up the desert with just this simple addition to the recipe.[1]



Tips

  • The sauce is thick enough when you can draw a line along the surface of the spoon with your finger and the line remains visible.
  • Do not try to speed up this process by increasing the heat -- it may take a while to thicken!
  • The custard should never be allowed to come to a boil. The moment it begins to thicken, remove from the heat. If it's overcooked the custard will curdle and you'll have to start again!

Things You'll Need

  • 1 saucepan
  • 1 whisk
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • 1 sieve
  • 1 cutting board
  • 1 knife
  • 2 bowls

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 http://www.incredibleegg.org/recipe/pastry-cream-vanilla-custard-filling/
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 http://www.marthastewart.com/340405/vanilla-custard-sauce
  3. ↑ http://www.food.com/recipe/basic-vanilla-custard-344870
  4. ↑ http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/vanilla-custard-pie
  5. ↑ http://joepastry.com/2011/simple-vanilla-custard-pudding/
  6. ↑ http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/vanilla-custard-with-raspberry-mash-recipe.html
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