Boiled Custard

This is eggnog's thicker cousin (usually without the booze).

Ingredients

(Makes 1 serving; scale up as desired)

• 1 egg

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1 Tbsp. white granulated sugar

• Dash of vanilla

• Nutmeg to taste (preferably fresh)

Equipment

• Saucepan that's large enough to comfortably hold all your ingredients

• Whisk

• A spoon or spatula for stirring (use something with a comfortable handle; there's plenty of stirring)

  • A whisk isn't good for this step because it can't get to the edge of the pan, and milk can burn very easily

• A Microplane for grating the nutmeg

Instructions

1. Beat the egg(s) until smooth

2. Combine the beaten egg(s), milk, and sugar in a cold pan and whisk thoroughly

3. Heat on medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened (should coat a spoon like buttermilk)

4. Remove from the heat and add vanilla and nutmeg

5. Chill thoroughly

Expert Tip If the custard gets a little lumpy while it's cooking, beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

Uncle Harold's Version Just a bit sweeter -- To make 3 servings of custard, use 4 Tbsp. of sugar (4 tsp. of sugar for each cup of milk). Everything else is the same. It gets Uncle Harold's stamp of approval!