Creamy Southern Custard

Begin by positioning a double boiler on your stovetop and filling the top compartment with milk. As the water in the bottom compartment simmers, gently stir the milk every now and then until it reaches a suitable temperature for heating.

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs until they become fluffy and airy. Next, add sugar to the bowl and mix everything together thoroughly.

To test whether your egg mixture is ready, pour a small amount of the hot milk into it and whisk vigorously until the mixture has warmed up and become more fluid.

Then, slowly pour the egg mixture back into the hot milk, constantly whisking until everything is well combined.

Continue to cook and stir the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches a consistency where it forms a smooth, even layer on the back of a spoon. To ensure this, insert an instant-read thermometer into the mixture and verify that it has reached 180 degrees Fahrenheit (82 degrees Celsius).

Remove the custard from the heat source and stir in a few drops of vanilla extract.

Finally, transfer your custard to an airtight container and refrigerate it until it has chilled completely before serving.