Dessert
Vanilla and Lemon Custard Pots
Infuse the milk, temper it into weighed eggs and chill the mixture overnight before baking. These custards are served in their ramekins, without a caramel layer.
- Yield
- 6 small custards
- Cuisine
- French-inspired
Bring it to the table
Warm milk, gentle mixing
Whisk the eggs only enough to combine them. Add the hot milk slowly while stirring to avoid scrambling or introducing excess foam.
At the table
Chill fully and serve in the ramekins.
Before you start
Gather your ingredients.
Full quantities and serving adjustments are in the recipe card below.
See the ingredient checklist
- 475 ml whole milk
- 125 g granulated sugar
- 150 g whole eggs — lightly beaten and weighed without shells
- 1/2 vanilla bean — split and seeds scraped
- 1 small strip lemon peel — about 1/2 inch long; colored zest only
A few useful notes.
Six small custards are a home portion suggestion.
This recipe makes the custard component without an unmolded caramel layer.
Use the whole-egg quantity listed rather than swapping in an equal weight of yolks.
The cooking plan
How to make Vanilla and Lemon Custard Pots.
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Put the milk, sugar, vanilla seeds and pod, and lemon peel in a saucepan. Bring just to a boil, then remove from the heat immediately.
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Lightly whisk the weighed eggs in a bowl. Add the hot milk gradually while stirring constantly. Strain out the pod and peel. Cool promptly in a shallow container set in an ice-water bath, then cover and refrigerate within 2 hours. Keep cold overnight and bake the next day.
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Heat the oven to 300°F. Set six ovenproof ramekins of about 150 ml capacity in a deep roasting pan. Stir the chilled custard gently and divide between them.
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Set the pan on the oven rack. Carefully add hot water around the ramekins to about halfway up their sides, keeping it out of the custards. Bake, checking around 40–45 minutes, until the edges are set, the centers tremble gently rather than flow, and the center reaches at least 160°F. Continue as needed for the ramekins and starting temperature.
-
Remove the ramekins from the water carefully. Let the initial heat subside, then refrigerate within 2 hours. Chill fully before serving and keep refrigerated; use within 3–4 days.
Let’s cook
The full recipe.
Check off ingredients as you get them ready.
Changing servings? The ingredient list scales automatically. Adjust quantities named in the steps to match, and choose pans and cooking times for your batch.
Vanilla and Lemon Custard Pots
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Ingredients
Equipment
Equipment images are illustrative. Exact products may vary.
Instructions
- Put the milk, sugar, vanilla seeds and pod, and lemon peel in a saucepan. Bring just to a boil, then remove from the heat immediately.
- Lightly whisk the weighed eggs in a bowl. Add the hot milk gradually while stirring constantly. Strain out the pod and peel. Cool promptly in a shallow container set in an ice-water bath, then cover and refrigerate within 2 hours. Keep cold overnight and bake the next day.
- Heat the oven to 300°F. Set six ovenproof ramekins of about 150 ml capacity in a deep roasting pan. Stir the chilled custard gently and divide between them.
- Set the pan on the oven rack. Carefully add hot water around the ramekins to about halfway up their sides, keeping it out of the custards. Bake, checking around 40–45 minutes, until the edges are set, the centers tremble gently rather than flow, and the center reaches at least 160°F. Continue as needed for the ramekins and starting temperature.
- Remove the ramekins from the water carefully. Let the initial heat subside, then refrigerate within 2 hours. Chill fully before serving and keep refrigerated; use within 3–4 days.
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!A couple of useful answers.
Do I turn them out onto a plate?
Serve this version in its ramekins; it has no caramel layer for unmolding.
Why use a water bath?
The surrounding water helps the custard heat gently. Keep water out of the ramekins when filling and removing the pan.
Keep the good food going
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