Custard Recipe
This is my basic, 'can't mess it up' homemade custard recipe. You can use it anywhere vanilla pudding is called for in a recipe. Custard is endlessly versatile…it’s amazing served with fresh berries or in tarts; as the filling in chocolate éclairs; you can make it into a creamy sauce, and pour it over pound cake or gingerbread...you can bake it in a pie shell, flavor it, OR <closes eyes in reverence> you can freeze it. Be sure to factor in the chilling time. Variations are below the basic recipe. Yields: 2½ cups
Author: Gwen
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
- 2 c. milk (at least 2%…whole is preferred)
- ⅔ c. sugar
- 3 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ t. salt
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 T. butter
Instructions
- Cut butter into chunks and set aside.
- In a medium sized, heavy bottomed saucepan, combine all ingredients except butter.
- Whisk well, and set over medium heat.
- Cook, stirring casually and continuously until the mixture bubbles and thickens.
- Remove from heat, and stir in butter until incorporated.
- Pour through a strainer into a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Chill.
Notes
!Variations
!For Frozen Custard:
Omit the cornstarch and the butter. Instead of milk, you'll use 1 cup of half & half (the REAL stuff...fat free half and half is some sort of awful joke). Mix with sugar, salt and 3 eggs, and heat/stir until thickened. Pour into your ice cream freezer or a shallow pan. Freeze until slushy.
Whip up 1 cup of whipping cream with vanilla and fold into partially frozen mixture. Freeze. Holy. Moley.
!For Custard Sauce:
Just omit the corn starch and butter.
!For Super-Duper Silky Custard:
Use any combination of whole milk or half and half...or you can sub some whipping cream in with regular milk to bring up the fat content. Fat=silky. (At least until it hits my thighs…then it takes on more of a cottage cheese texture.)
!Vanilla Lovers Custard:
Use a vanilla bean, scraped, or 2 t. vanilla paste...stir in at the last, when adding the butter.
!Chocolate Custard:
Stir in half cup (or more) mini chocolate chip, along with the butter, into the hot custard.
!Lemon or Orange Custard:
Add zest of one lemon or orange, and ¼ t orange or lemon oil when you stir in the butter.
!For Frozen Custard:
Omit the cornstarch and the butter. Instead of milk, you'll use 1 cup of half & half (the REAL stuff...fat free half and half is some sort of awful joke). Mix with sugar, salt and 3 eggs, and heat/stir until thickened. Pour into your ice cream freezer or a shallow pan. Freeze until slushy.
Whip up 1 cup of whipping cream with vanilla and fold into partially frozen mixture. Freeze. Holy. Moley.
!For Custard Sauce:
Just omit the corn starch and butter.
!For Super-Duper Silky Custard:
Use any combination of whole milk or half and half...or you can sub some whipping cream in with regular milk to bring up the fat content. Fat=silky. (At least until it hits my thighs…then it takes on more of a cottage cheese texture.)
!Vanilla Lovers Custard:
Use a vanilla bean, scraped, or 2 t. vanilla paste...stir in at the last, when adding the butter.
!Chocolate Custard:
Stir in half cup (or more) mini chocolate chip, along with the butter, into the hot custard.
!Lemon or Orange Custard:
Add zest of one lemon or orange, and ¼ t orange or lemon oil when you stir in the butter.
Recipe by Gwen's Nest at https://gwens-nest.com/custard-recipe/