Vanilla Bean Custard Recipes

VANILLA BEAN CUSTARD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Place an oven rack one-third of the way up from the bottom. Choose a small roasting pan large enough to hold four 6-ounce custard cups, and fill it with enough water to go halfway up the sides of cups. Place pan without cups in the oven. Meanwhile, combine cream, milk, and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan; bring to boil.
• Whisk together the yolks and sugar in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Slowly whisk in the hot milk until completely combined, then pour into custard cups, and place them in the pan of hot water. Bake on the lower shelf until the custard has set and is no longer liquid when lightly touched in the center, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove pan from the oven, remove custard cups from the water, and place on a wire rack to cool. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

BASIC VANILLA CUSTARD

Steps:

• Have eggs ready in a bowl, and set aside where it will be within reach.
• Using a whisk, combine milk, sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan over medium heat on stovetop. Allow milk to scald (heat to the point when tiny bubbles form around edges of pan). Whisk occasionally to prevent cornstarch from clumping on bottom edges of pan.
• Remove milk mixture from heat, preferably to a burner that's turned off.
• Mix about 2 tablespoons of scalded milk mixture into eggs using whisk, then introduce eggs into milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking milk mixture constantly.
• Immediately return pan to heat and whisk gently until custard thickens, another two or three minutes. Do not allow to boil. (If you find that you have egg white strands in custard, feel free to pass it through a fine-mesh sieve into a different bowl now.)
• Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla.

VANILLA CUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and salt until well combined.
• Pour milk into a heavy-bottomed, nonreactive saucepan. If using the vanilla bean, scrape seeds from pod halves into the milk using the tip of a knife. Add pod halves. Place over medium heat until small bubbles appear around the edges of the pan.
• Remove from heat and slowly pour milk mixture into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until slightly thickened and coats the back of the spatula, about 5 minutes. Pour into a medium bowl and set bowl in ice water bath. Let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Stir in vanilla extract, if using.
• Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl, cover, and refrigerate until serving.

VANILLA CUSTARD

Steps:

• Combine the dry ingredients: In a medium, heat-proof mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
• Whisk in the egg yolks: Add the egg yolks and whisk until the mixture is pale and smooth, about 1 minute. If your mixing bowl doesn't have a non-slip bottom, place the bowl on a damp towel so it doesn't slide in the next step. Keep your bowl close by the stove.
• Bring the milk and cream to a simmer: In a heavy-bottomed, medium saucepan over medium-low heat bring the milk and cream to a simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent the milk from scorching. The milk and cream should just come to a simmer with small bubbles along the edges of the pan. Don't let it reach a rolling boil.
• Temper the egg yolks: As soon as the milk and cream come to a simmer, take the pan off the heat. With one hand, slowly pour the hot milk into the yolk mixture a splash at a time, while whisking constantly with your other hand. The damp towel under the mixing bowl should prevent it from sliding around while whisking.
• Cook the custard: Pour the custard back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the custard begins to simmer and thickens, about 5 minutes. Once it begins to gently bubble, continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds longer to cook out the starch.
• Whisk in the butter: Remove the custard from the heat. Whisk in the butter until melted and completely incorporated. Stir in the vanilla extract.
• Strain and chill: Pour the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard. Refrigerate until cool, at least 2 hours.
• Stir, serve, and store: Whisk the custard until smooth before serving. Try serving this creamy homemade custard alongside a slice of pound cake , baked apples or apple crisp , fruit cobbler , or simply with fresh fruit like berries or banana slices. Vanilla custard will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator, stored in an airtight container covered with plastic wrap directly on the surface. Did you love this recipe? Give us some stars below!

VANILLA BEAN PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• Place whole egg and 2 egg yolks into a mixing bowl. Add sugar, corn starch, and salt. Whisk together completely until mixture turns from yellow to a very page creamy color and is slightly thickened, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Place milk in a saucepan. Split vanilla bean lengthwise. Scrape the cut side with a paring knife to extract the seeds (paste). Add the seeds to the milk. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until milk just barely starts to simmer and a few small bubbles appear on the surface. Remove from heat. Whisk hot milk into egg mixture, starting with a small splash then incorporating the rest. Pour mixture back into saucepan.
• Place pan over medium-low heat and continue to whisk until mixture begin to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool 5 minutes. Add chunks of butter and whisk until butter melts into the warm milk mixture. Pass mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove and chunks of cooked egg or vanilla seeds. Cover surface with plastic to keep it from discoloring; refrigerate until thoroughly chilled 2 to 3 hours.

THE BEST HOMEMADE VANILLA BEAN FROZEN CUSTARD

Steps:

• 1. Heat the half + half, sugar, and vanilla beans and pod in a medium saucepan over low heat, whisking constantly to avoid a skin forming on the top of the mixture. Turn off the heat when the mixture is just about ready to start simmering - the mixture should coat the back of a metal spoon.
• 2. Beat the egg yolks by hand or in a stand mixer until slightly thick. Slowly drizzle in about half of the half + half mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. This is tempering the eggs - if you pour it in too fast, your eggs will scramble... and no one wants Scrambled Egg Ice Cream.
• 3. Pour the egg mixture back into the pan with the remaining half + half mixture and heat on low or medium-low heat until thick, stirring constantly. It will start to get really thick and custard-like, which is what we are going for! Remove from heat when it begins to simmer.
• 4. Pour the now custard into a bowl with the heavy whipping cream and stir to combine. Take a piece of plastic wrap and gently press it on to the top of the custard so the entire top surface is covered. This will help prevent it from forming a skin on top. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. (After 2 hours, mine was not nearly cold enough, so I let it sit until the next day. Just gently touch the top to feel how cold the custard is.).
• 5. Following the manufacturers directions, freeze in an ice cream maker until it reaches your desired consistency, about 20-30 minutes. Place mixture in an air tight container and place in freezer to harden for at least 8 hours.
• 7. Before cleaning the blade, lick off every last inch and moan in ecstasy. 8 hours is entirely too long to wait for something this delicious!
• 8. Top with your favorite toppings, or just eat it plain. IT IS THAT GOOD!

VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM

Steps:

• With a knife halve vanilla beans lengthwise. Scrape seeds into a large heavy saucepan and stir in pods, cream, milk, and sugar. Bring mixture just to a boil, stirring occasionally, and remove pan from heat.
• In a large bowl lightly beat eggs. Add hot cream mixture to eggs in a slow stream, whisking, and pour into pan. Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until a thermometer registers 170°F. (Do not let boil.) Pour custard through a sieve into a clean bowl and cool. Chill custard, its surface covered with wax paper, at least 3 hours, or until cold, and up to 1 day.
• Freeze custard in an ice-cream maker, in 2 batches if necessary. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden. Ice cream may be made 1 week ahead.