When the cream is hot, pour into the egg mixture in a thin stream whilst stirring (note: stirring, not whisking fast!) with a hand whisk (don’t pour in the milk all at once or it will scramble the eggs).
Once mixed together, pour back into the pan and continue to stir the custard with a whisk over a medium heat until it thickens.
If it gets too thick, add a splash of cream.
Turn off the heat and serve.
Notes
Lumps?If you stir constantly with a whisk, you shouldn't get any lumps. BUT! If you do end up with any lumps, simply pour the custard through a sieve.Can I make it ahead? Yes, cover with a piece of clingfilm (so it's touching the whole of the top layer of custard), so you don't get a skin on the top, then refrigerate for up to two days. Reheat, in a pan, stirring constantly, until piping hot.Can I freeze it?Honestly? it can be a bit hit and miss, and is likely to split, so I don't recommend freezing homemade custard. However, you can freeze the excess egg whites to use another day.Ingredient swaps
Add 2 tbsp of cocoa powder along with the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour to make chocolate custard.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract for a lovely vanilla-almond flavour (works great when served with sponge recipes).
Nutritional information is approximate, per serving - based on this recipe making 6 servings.