Vanilla Custard

This custard is the base for many different tarts that Julia Childs includes in her MAFC cookbook. It's not tough to make, but the information that Julia provides in her cookbook on proper measurement of flour as well as how to know when beaten egg yolks are at the right stage is invaluable in getting in right. My instructions below assume a more modern kitchen than Julia was using :).

Ingredients:

• 1 c sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/2 c flour
• 2 c boiling whole milk
• 1 tblsp butter
• 1 1/2 tblsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Beat the sugar into the egg yolks using an electric mixer and whisk attachment for a few minutes until it's light yellow and thick.
2. Beat in the flour.
3. Still beating, very slowly add the boiled milk. It will get a bit of foam on top and that's fine.
4. Transfer mixture to a saucepan on medium-high heat and start whisking. Once it starts to boil, reduce heat to low and keep whisking. The texture becomes lumpy and sticky and as you keep whisking it starts to even out and become smooth... just keep whisking.