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The Perfect Basic Custard

Preparation time: 15 min
3.72 Average Rating

When it comes to conjuring up child-like comfort, nothing speaks louder than custard. So finally, here's your foolproof egg yolk custard recipe – to repeat time and time again.

Smooth, creamy and suitably sweet – you can finally say goodbye to packet custards for good. 

Quick to whip up and simple to prep, our perfect custard recipe contains 6 egg yolks for that textbook fluffiness you've been missing. The best part? You can serve it straight away with your puddings or cakes, or let it cool to add to your fresh-cold desserts.

Ingredients

  • 6 egg yolks
  • 300ml pure cream
  • 300ml milk
  • 2 tbsp cornflour (see tip)
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 75g (1/3 cup) caster sugar

Method

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  1. Combine cream and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to just a simmer.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk yolks, cornflour, vanilla and sugar together in a large heatproof bowl. Gradually whisk in the hot cream mixture until smooth.
  3. Return mixture to cleaned saucepan and place over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until custard thickens and thickly coats the back of a spoon.
  4. Serve warm or transfer to a glass bowl and cover surface with plastic wrap (to prevent a skin from forming). Set aside to cool then refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Video

Notes

Don't be afraid to stir continuously with a wooden spoon to avoid separating – you have to keep a close eye on it while cooking.

People often think that to make your custard thicker, you should cook it longer. This isn't true, as custard thickens when cooling, so consider that when you're serving it up.

Tip: For a thinner (Anglaise-style) custard, reduce cornflour to 1 tbs.

Nutrition Per Serve

  • 130g Serving size
  • 1370kJ 327kcal Energy
  • 5.6g Protein
  • 25.3g Total fat
  • 14.6g Saturated fat
  • 19.1g Carbs (total)
  • 17g Carbs (sugar)
  • 43mg Sodium
  • 3.1µg Vitamin D

Reviews

Overall Rating

Average Rating: 3.72

154 reviews