The Ancient Romans knew what they were doing. Even in the early days of the empire, those guys were mixing and heating eggs and milk creating a basic version of the treat we know as “custard”. In the Middle Ages, they built on that recipe and added it into a pie crust, creating a tart. These days, we use custard for everything from creating a sweet sauce to making a quiche, so it’s undoubtedly a good skill to have.
Custard is a cold weather treat and a versatile dish that can be dressed up or dressed down to match the occasion. And even though custard is a heavy dessert, it actually works for almost all seasons. Top it with fresh berries for a spring and summer appropriate dish, or drizzle with caramel or dulce de leche for something a bit more festive during the holiday season.
Custard can also be used as a filling for puff pastry or in pies, so having a good basic recipe for custard is always useful. And since it’s really based on four ingredients: milk, cream, sugar, and egg yolk, you’ll almost never find yourself in a bind where you don’t have the necessary ingredients to whip something up on the fly.
How to Make Custard
Custard is fairly simple once you get the hang of it. And it’s not terribly time consuming, so you can make some custard one evening, refrigerate it and have it the next day for dessert (or a little pick me up during the day – because why not?). Start by rounding up the following ingredients:
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 3 cups of milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 tbsp of cornstarch
- 1 cup of sugar.
In a saucepan, heat the milk and heavy cream to boiling, then lower heat to just under boiling. While the milk mixture is coming to a boil, grab a large bowl and add the egg yolks, vanilla, cornstarch, and sugar. Whisk until the mixture is completely combined. Once the milk is just under boiling, pour the hot mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Whisk quickly to combine the two mixtures and to make sure you get any lumps out.
Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens. Serve the custard hot or let it cool completely and serve it cold (you can also refrigerate it and serve it chilled).
Have you got a favorite recipe for custard? Share your tips with us in the comments below!
