Traditional English Custard

I made this custard to go with a crumble over the weekend and my friends absolutely loved it. No one believed me when I told them it was ridiculously easy, so I’m publishing the proof! With this easy peasy recipe, you’ll never be reaching for the tinned stuff again. I created this recipe after trying a few different ones and I am pleased to say it has an excellent consistency and flavour.

Serves 8 ish

You will need:

• 600mls double cream
• 1 vanilla pod
• 6 egg yolks
• 50g caster sugar
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 250ml milk

1. First of all, pop your cream into a largeish pan and warm on a low heat.
2. Take your vanilla pod and split it down one side. Using the back of a teaspoon, scrape out all the seeds and add them to the cream. Pop the actual pod in with the cream too and warm through.
3. While the cream warms gently, separate your eggs until you have all six egg yolks in a large bowl. (Why not use the whites to make meringues or a pavlova?). Next, whisk in the sugar until well combined. Check on the cream to make sure it’s not boiling madly (it should be starting to bubble gently). Now whisk in the cornflour into the sugar/egg mix and beat until smooth.
4. When the cream is bubbling gently and the vanilla seeds have dispersed evenly, remove the pod. Now, keeping the mixture moving the whole time, whisk the cream into the sugar/egg/cornflour and beat until well combined and smooth. Now transfer the mixture back into the saucepan and keep whisking until it thickens and boils. When the mixture is thick and glossy, pour in the milk and whisk until smooth and well combined. You can add less or more depending on how runny you want your custard to be.
5. Now you can leave your custard until you need it! Just warm it up in the pan before serving and whisk well to ensure it’s smooth. Pop into a pretty jug and pour over puddings, crumbles, pies – you name it!

Sneaky tip – this is absolutely gorgeous in trifle! My mum’s amazing trifle recipe is coming soon, promise!