luscious vanilla custard

This custard is another one of those things I never thought I could make at home. I love a good store-bought pudding (Kozy Shack and I are pretty good friends by now…) but I feel like they never have quite the taste or texture I’m looking for. This custard, though… it’s rich and decadent while still feeling light and silky. The vanilla flavor is lovely, and it’s not overpoweringly sweet. A little goes a long way, so I ended up with about eight servings from the recipe. It’s a perfect pairing with the angel food cupcakes I posted earlier this week. Not only do the two textures and flavors blend well together, but together they use up six whole eggs. In my mind, the two combined make the perfect dessert!

Vanilla Custard
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

In a small saucepan or in the microwave, heat the milk until warm, then set aside. In the bottom of a small saucepan, off the heat, beat or whisk the egg yolks and sugar together vigorously, until it pales in color and a ribbon of batter falls off your whisk when you lift it from the bowl. Whisk in the flour until fully incorporated. Whisking the whole time, drizzle the warm milk into the egg yolk mixture, starting with just a small amount. Once you’ve added about 1/4 of the milk, add the rest in a thin stream, whisking constantly.

Bring the saucepan to your stove and heat it over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until it begins to bubble. Once bubbling, whisk it for 1 to 2 more minutes, then remove it from the heat. Immediately stir in vanilla extract and butter until combined.

To cool the custard quickly, place the saucepan in a larger bowl of ice water that will go halfway up the sides of the saucepan and stir the custard until lukewarm, then divide among serving dishes or ramekins. You can also pour it into serving dishes or ramekins still hot, but you should then press a film of plastic wrap against each custard in the fridge so it doesn’t form a pudding skin. Custards keep in fridge for up to 4 days.