Baked Custard
Serves 4
3 eggs
2 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
500ml (2 cups) milk
125ml (1/2 cup) cream
ground nutmeg, to sprinkle
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (315°F/ Gas 2-3). Brush a 1.5 litre (6 cup) heatproof dish with a little melted butter. Put the eggs, sugar and vanilla essence in a bowl and whisk lightly to combine. (If you over-whisk you may have bubbles in your finished custard.) Heat the milk and cream together in a pan until just warm and then stir into the eggs, mixing well.
2. Strain the mixture into the prepared dish and sprinkle with a little nutmeg. Put the dish in a baking tin and pour enough hot water in the tin to come halfway up the side of the custard dish.
3. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the custard is set it shouldn’t wobble in the centre when shaken. Remove immediately from the baking tin. Serve the custard warm or at room temperature.
Variations: To make a brandied raisin custard, soak 3 tablespoons of chopped raisins in 2 tablespoons of brandy for 30 minutes. Discard the brandy, and add the raisins to the custard mixture.