Don't feel daunted by the task of making homemade custard - it's much easier to make than you think and once you've tried it, you won't be able to go to pre-made custard again!
How to make custard:
- Use a small sharp knife to split a vanilla pod lengthways. Scrape out the seeds with the back of the knife.
- Add the seeds and vanilla pod to a pan of cold milk. If using vanilla extract instead, add to the finished custard after removing it from the heat. Bring mixture to just under boiling point, then turn off the heat and leave to cool for 5min.
- In a bowl, add your egg yolks and sugar and whisk to blend.
- Remove the vanilla pod from the milk and gradually whisk the warm milk into the egg mixture. This is called tempering the eggs.
- Pour the custard back into the rinsed out pan, and heat gently, stirring constantly for 5min, until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon in a thin layer, and hold its shape when a line is drawn through it. Don’t let the custard get too hot, otherwise it will scramble. If not serving immediately, cover the surface with cling film to stop a skin forming.
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An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
