Simple Custard

Ingredients

• 1 pint Milk
• 1 Egg (Well-beaten)
• 1 teaspoon Cornstarch (Good-sized)
• 2 tablespoons Sugar (Or to taste)
• 0.5 teaspoon Vanilla extract (Or lemon zest from 1/4 lemon, or 1 bay leaf)
• 1 drop Yellow food coloring (optional)

Instructions

1. 1In a saucepan, combine the milk and sugar. If using bay leaf, add it now. Gently heat the milk over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. If using lemon zest, rub the sugar cubes against the lemon peel to extract the oils, then add the flavored sugar to the milk.
2. 2In a small bowl, whisk the egg until well beaten. Add the cornstarch to the egg and whisk until smooth, ensuring no lumps remain.
3. 3Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg and cornstarch mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the egg from scrambling. Once combined, pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously, until the custard thickens to your desired consistency, about 5-7 minutes. If using vanilla extract, stir it in during the last minute of cooking. If using yellow food coloring, add a drop at the end.
4. 4Remove from heat and pour the custard into serving dishes. Let cool slightly before serving. The custard can be served warm or chilled.