How to make the Perfect Custard
When I first started working as a chef, a good custard was the foundation of many of our restaurant desserts. We called it crème anglaise and it was a velvety, smooth sauce made from egg yolks, whole milk, cream, vanilla bean and sugar. You can flavour it with anything you like such as cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate, citrus, coffee or pistachio.
Poured over a warm Christmas pudding or fresh strawberry trifle, or served as egg nog with an added touch of brandy a dusting of nutmeg. These days I like to make them a little healthier, using less saturated fat and less sugar and that’s a lot kinder to the arteries. This custard is made from a combination of eggs + low fat milk, which are a great source of quality protein, containing all the essential amino acids needed for growth and repair. I’ve given you a few different variations so that no matter what your eating style you’ll pretty much find the right custard for you to serve this Christmas.
500 ml (2 cups /17 fl oz) milk (see note)
2 whole free range/organic eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla bean extract
2 tablespoons organic maple syrup or 1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoons cornflour or kudzu
pinch nutmeg
Heat milk in a saucepan with vanilla and honey and bring to almost boiling point, then remove from the heat.
Beat the eggs and cornflour in a stainless steel mixing bowl until combined.
Pour the hot milk over the eggs and whisk in well.
Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook over a gentle heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until it thickens and coats the back of the spoon.
Remove from the heat quickly and pour back into the mixing bowl.
Whisk well to cool a little and smooth it out. If you see any lumps then strain through a sieve.
Serve hot or cold and enjoy. Serves 6
To warm up a cold custard, place into a bowl and set it over a pan of simmering water. Stir and heat through gently.
Nutrition info using reduced fat milk – Per serve:
Protein: 5.8 g
Total fat: 3.2 g
Saturated: 1.4 g
Carbs: 9.6 g
Calcium: 122 mg
Kilojoules: 371
Calories: 88.7
NOTE: in terms of milk you can use any combo that suits your eating style:
reduced fat milk (calcium enriched)
Organic milk
Almond milk
Soy milk
Rice milk
400 ml Rice milk + 100 ml coconut milk combo if you want it richer
NOTE: To make a delicious egg free custard heat 500 ml almond milk with 2 tablespoons honey or rice syrup or 100 % maple syrup + 2 teaspoons vanilla extract until almost boiling. Thicken with a slurry made from 2 tablespoons cornflour or kudzu then add a little nutmeg to finish.
NOTE: for all of my raw foodie and Kamalaya friends you can make an awesome custard by blending the pulp from 1 mango with 1/2 cup coconut milk - it’s totally delicious and great in a summer trifle or poured over seasonal fruit such as strawberries or papaya.
Phew !!! I think that’s all bases covered ….
You’ve definitely thought of everything! Thanks for the amazing recipe.
Whole eggs or just yolks???
Whole eggs Brett!
Done it again T!!! Salivating haha x
OMG, custard is my one weakness and since going GF/DF custard is always disappointing.
Cant wait to try this =] xoxo
Thanks so much for this. Can’t wait to try it and yr Christmas puddings
yummm
Today as I finished my Xmas lunch at Toko I said to my friend that I wanted to make a lemon curd style creme anglaise for my Xmas pudding this year, and voila, here is your recipe! Will try it this weekend – how should I incorporate the citrus? Grated zest and juice after the custard is cooked? I’m worried about splitting/curdling the custard. Many thanks for a year of great recipes!
Ecobabe – lemon juice will curdle and split any dairy based creme anglaise you make. 2 ways you can go. Use lemon zest only and a little vanilla which will be lovely. or Use a non dairy base such as almond milk or 1/2 coconut + half rice milk base. You can then add a little lemon juice and zest without splitting.
The big day’s nearing, I’m fine tuning my menu, will report back on our creme anglaise inspired by your recipe.
FANTASTIC Teresa! You have mentioned Strawberry Trifle in your missive above – can you produce a recipe for that now too!? PLEASE……. PLEASE!????
Cant wait to test custard it looks amazing. Have a happy Christmas and New Year with yoour family
L
Carolyn Hartz
Thanks Teresa
Do you have a good recipe for Christmas Red cabbage? Without sugar, dairy, gluten … !?
Yum! I’ll definitely be whipping up some for Christmas! Thanks.
YUM!! Thank you Teresa, I have been on a quest to find a sugarless custard recipe, to give my baby. I have just finished making it and its is glorious!
Lizzie
I get to make dessert this year and was thinking of making Trifle…regular and a dairy free for me.
Is corn flour and corn starch the same? Or should I go looking for the corn flour?
Hey Velma, they are both the same however some corn flours contain wheat so look for a gluten free corn flour if you can. Also you can look for Kuzu or arrowroot which is perfect. If I were you – no need to make 2 versions – just make one lovely dairy free trifle for everyone. Have a great Christmas
If it was my family or friends, I would make just one.
I have corn starch in the pantry, so I’m set. Now I just need to decide if it’s almond milk or include coconut milk. Might do coconut milk with mango and maybe pineapple…go tropical.
Hi Teresa,
What could I substitute for the honey? I make my own custarf for my baby and want to try this but cannot give him honey? Thanks!
You can use a little brown rice syrup in place of honey if you like Lou. Has a low GI of 25.