Mom’s Egg Custard

In case you didn’t know already, I was born in Spain. Before becoming American citizens, my Hong Kongnese parents lived in Palma de Mallorca for almost ten years so they have learned to master the Spanish language as well as cooking the food. Prior to settling in Spain, my parents travelled all over Europe where my dad befriended many top local chefs and learned their recipes and techniques. My mom also picked up some culinary tricks and this egg custard recipe is one of them. Please enjoy it!

Serves: about 8

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Notes: This dessert is delicious by itself or you can bake into your favorite pie crust

Ingredients:

  • 5 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of fresh vanilla bean or 1.5 teaspoons of vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups of whole milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (save a bit for topping before serving)
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (for topping only)

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease an 8×8 baking dish.
  2. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt.
  3. In a small saucepan, heat the milk until just before it starts to simmer (do not boil!).
  4. Very slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture while continuously whisking until fully combined. Whisk the final mixture for one additional minute (this helps the custard have a silky texture after baking).
  5. Pour into baking dish and sprinkle nutmeg and cinnamon over the top.
  6. Fill a larger baking dish with water until it is about 1 inch deep. Place the dish of custard into the larger dish of water, careful not to splash.
  7. Place the doubled dishes in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean (it is ok for custard to jiggle as long as it is mostly firm). Be careful not to overbake as the custard will curdle.
  8. Serve warm or chilled, and top with whipped cream, fruit, and/or with some melted chocolate or caramel sauce. Refrigerate any leftovers which will keep up to 5 days.