Custard

One of my favourite childhood memories is cake and custard, both homemade, just appearing on the table after a good dinner.

Christmas is the perfect time of year to enjoy creamy homemade custards. Made from a basic mixture of milk, eggs and sugar, and sometimes flavoured with ingredients such as vanilla beans, custard can be served warm or cold. Great on its own as a dessert, it can also play a starring role in sweet dishes such as crème caramel and crème brulee.

There are two types of custard. Stirred custards are cooked in a saucepan until thick but still liquid in consistency, while baked custards are usually cooked in ovenproof dishes in a water bath or bain-marie until set. Custard is widely available in supermarkets.

 However, homemade custard is a budget option, and doesn't contain any preservatives, additives, artificial flavours and wheat-based thickening agents, that some bought products do. Also, homemade custard uses basic ingredients that can be found in any pantry and tastes richer and creamier than bought custards.

What you need
To make smooth and creamy stirred and baked custards, you need to have the following on hand in your kitchen.
* A large saucepan for heating stirred custards.
* A wooden spoon for stirring the custard as it cooks.
* A large fine sieve for straining the custards.
* A large jug for pouring the custard into ovenproof dishes or when straining.
* A roasting pan for cooking baked custards in a bain-marie.
* A tea towel for insulating baked custards from the heat of the pan.

How to bake custards
For perfect baked custards, line the base of a roasting pan with a tea towel. Place ramekins on top and pour custard mixture among the ramekins. Pour boiling water into the pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake in oven until the custards are just set. The bain-marie or water bath protects the custards from the direct heat of the base of the roasting pan, so they cook gently and don't overheat and separate.

How to cook smooth, creamy stirred custard
The secret to cooking stirred custard is to cook it in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Stirring distributes the heat so the custard doesn't become too hot, which can curdle it. Draw a finger across the back of the spoon and if it leaves a trail, your custard is ready.

Straining custard
After cooking stirred custard, strain through a fine sieve into a jug. This removes any bits of egg that may not have been properly combined, and ensures that the custard is as smooth as possible. It's also an easy way to rescue your custard if it begins to overcook and curdle. Straining is an important part of making baked custard, too. Strain the egg mixture before cooking to ensure your baked custard is smooth.