Homemade Christmas Custard
This Homemade Christmas Custard recipe makes a gently sweet vanilla sauce for Christmas pudding, malva pudding or a bowl of ripe summer fruit. Egg yolks give it a soft yellow colour, while a little cornflour helps it thicken reliably without needing custard powder. It is a pouring custard rather than a firm dessert filling.
For a hot South African Christmas, make it the day before and serve it cold with sliced peaches, berries or chilled trifle. If your family prefers warm custard with pudding, reheat it gently just before serving. Keep a whisk and a clean jug nearby, and take your time adding the hot milk to the eggs: that small bit of patience helps keep everything smooth.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1Measure out 100 ml of the milk and set it aside. Put the remaining 500 ml milk and the cream into a medium heavy-based saucepan.
- 2Heat the milk and cream over medium-low heat until steaming, with small bubbles around the edge. Do not let it boil. Remove from the heat.
- 3In a heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks, caster sugar, cornflour and reserved cold milk until completely smooth, scraping the bottom to catch any cornflour.
- 4Slowly pour about a third of the hot milk mixture into the yolk mixture, whisking continuously. Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, then pour everything back into the saucepan.
- 5Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a whisk and reaching into the corners of the saucepan, until the custard thickens and the first slow bubbles appear. This usually takes 5–8 minutes.
- 6Turn the heat low and cook for 1 minute more, whisking constantly and allowing only gentle bubbling. The cornflour needs this brief cooking time; avoid a vigorous boil.
- 7Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. The custard should coat the back of a spoon but still pour easily. If you notice any small lumps, strain it through a fine sieve into a clean heatproof jug.
- 8Serve warm, or transfer to a shallow heatproof container and cool in an ice-water bath, stirring occasionally without letting water enter the custard. Cover the surface directly with cling film and refrigerate promptly, within 2 hours of cooking. Allow about 3 hours to chill fully; it will thicken as it cools.
Nutrition (per serving)
- Calories
- 270 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 21 g
- Protein
- 6 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Saturated fat
- 11 g
- Sugar
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
- Sodium
- 80 mg
- Cholesterol
- 170 mg
Estimated values based on the ingredients used.
Notes
Christmas tips
- Make the custard a day ahead to keep Christmas lunch preparation manageable. The preparation and cooking times do not include chilling.
- For a cool summer dessert, serve with chilled peaches or berries. Add it to trifle only once both the custard and other layers are cold.
- Keep chilled custard in the fridge until serving. In temperatures above 32°C, do not leave it out for longer than 1 hour; otherwise, keep room-temperature serving time under 2 hours.
- For a festive variation, stir in a small pinch of ground nutmeg with the vanilla. Keep the flavour gentle so it works with fruit as well as pudding.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make this without cream?
Yes. Replace the 200 ml cream with 200 ml full-cream milk. The custard will be less rich but will still thicken with the egg yolks and cornflour.
How long does homemade custard keep?
Refrigerate promptly and store covered at 4°C or below for up to 2 days. Reheat only the amount you need over low heat, stirring constantly, until steaming hot throughout. Freezing is not recommended because the texture can separate.
What if the custard is too thick or slightly lumpy?
Chilled custard naturally thickens. Whisk it smooth and, if needed, add milk 15 ml at a time until it pours as you like. Strain small lumps through a fine sieve. Custard that has badly scrambled or scorched is best made again.
