I love, love, love, love custard!
This is a fool-proof custard recipe - it sets well every time. Taste just before finishing for sweetness and vanilla. I always make a large batch, but you can halve or quarter the recipe.
I serve this alone on the first night with fresh berries or stewed fruit, it's also great over any cake or french toast after it has been refrigerated and is more stiff. You can leave out some of the cornflour and all of the gelatine out to make creme anglaise.
Keep the egg whites for other sweets or to use in gluten-free bread.
INGREDIENTS:
8 egg yolks
8 t cornflour (you could also use tapioca flour - it will solidify at a lower temperature)
1 liter full-fat/whole milk (could also use full-fat coconut milk)
4 tablespoons of honey (I start with 3, then add more if need be)
2 teaspoons or so of vanilla
2 teaspoons gelatine (grass-fed preferably)
small pinch of salt
METHOD:
Place egg yolks and corn flour in a heat-proof bowl (e.g. Pyrex) and mix. Place milk and honey in heavy-bottom saucepan and heat until the mixture is warm when dripped on your wrist (just above body temp). Using a whisk, mix the warmed milk into the egg yolk mixture slowly,mixing well as not to make scrambled eggs, but to bring the two mixtures to the same temperature ('temper' the egg mixture).
Once you have incorporated about half of the milk mixture to the egg mixture, tip it all back into the saucepan and heat on medium. Add the vanilla and gelatine, mixing well.
Continue to stir the mixture so it doesn't get too hot on the bottom. Taste and adjust the flavour according to your liking. When the custard starts to thicken - gives resistance, turn off the heat (another method is to stir with a wooden spoon and when the custard coats the back of the spoon it is finished). Continue stirring occasionally if you leave it in the pot because the bottom of the pan will still be hot and it will continue to cook; otherwise, transfer it to a Pyrex storage container.