Homemade Vanilla Custard Cups

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium-size bowl, beat the eggs on medium-low speed for 30 seconds.

Add the sugar, salt and vanilla. Whisk gently until mixed.

Pour the milk into a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 1 minute increments until the temperature of the milk reaches 180 degrees.* Stir between each time interval to distribute the heat. Depending on the bowl and microwave you use, this will take about 5 minutes. Be sure not to let the milk boil.

Remove 1 cup of the heated milk and slowly drizzle it into the egg mixture, whisking the eggs quickly the entire time.**

Slowly pour the remainder of the milk over the egg mixture, whisking constantly.

Beat with a hand mixer for 20-30 seconds.

Pour the custard into 10 6-ounce ramekins, dividing the custard equally between the cups. There is no need to grease the ramekins.

Place the ramekins in a 10x15” baking pan with sides about as tall as the ramekins.

Sprinkle nutmeg overtop the custard.

Heat about 10 cups of water, not quite to boiling but very hot, on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Pour the hot water into the pan around the ramekins, being careful not to get any of the water into the custard itself.

Carefully place the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. The exact time may depend on the size and shape of the ramekins you use. The custard is done when you insert a knife into the center of a cup and it comes out clean.

Serve cold or warm as desired, with whipped cream.

Refrigerate any leftovers.

*This is called “scalding” the milk. Many old recipes call for this process. It is not necessary to do this for safety reasons any longer due to the pasteurization process. However, scalded milk does give the custard a little bit of a smoother texture, so I do recommend taking the time to scald the milk. You can also do this on the stovetop instead of the microwave.

**This is called “tempering” the eggs. Be sure to drizzle the hot milk slowly and constantly whisk (or use a hand mixer beating on medium speed the entire time you are drizzling) so that the hot milk doesn’t cook the eggs.

Julie Clark blogs with her daughters, Maddie and Kinslee, at Tastes of Lizzy T. Starting as a mother and daughter school project, their blog shares the life journey of a family that loves to cook, serve and eat fresh, traditional and wholesome food. Their mission is to revive the thrill of preparing and sharing comforting, heartfelt food with family and friends.