There are probably a dozen different varieties of custard at the supermarket - full fat, low fat, skinny, extra thick, pouring, chocolate flavoured, brandy flavoured, snack size ... you name it. But do any of them even come close to homemade? Nope!
The beauty of a good custard is you can just eat it straight out the pot or serve it very simply with some passion fruit or sliced bananas and you have a little bowl of heaven.
I was inspired to make some yesterday afternoon after watching Gary make a gorgeous apple strudel with cream and custard on Masterchef. This is his recipe with only a few minor changes. It is seriously the best custard I have made. Ever. It will most definitely be served with our Christmas pudding this year, and probably quite a few times before then as well!
Custard
Recipe very slightly adapted from MasterChef
300ml pure cream
200ml low fat milk
5 egg yolks
1/4 cup caster sugar
25g corn flour
1 ts vanilla extract
Place the cream and milk in a saucepan over a medium heat and heat until just before boiling.
Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until thick and pale before whisking in the corn flour.
Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until thick and pale before whisking in the corn flour.
Pour half of the hot cream into the egg mixture whisking continuously. Pour this mix back into the saucepan with the remaining milk/cream and return to a medium low heat. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula until the mixture is thick and coats the back of the spoon.
Strain the custard through a fine sieve to remove any stray bits of egg. Serve immediately or to serve later, place this bowl over another bowl of iced water and stir until cooled to room temperature.
