What you need:

• 150ml full-cream milk


• 150ml single cream


• 1 vanilla pod or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract


• 15g caster sugar (super fine sugar in the US)


• 3 egg yolks


• 1/2 tablespoon of corn flour

What to do:

1. Add the milk, cream and vanilla pod or extract to a saucepan and gently heat until it starts to boil


2. Whilst the milk mix is heating up, separate your eggs and beat the yolks together with the sugar and corn flour in a bowl, until smooth


3. Once the milk and cream has boiled, remove the pod if you used one, and pour into the egg mixture, stirring the whole time


4. Pour it all back into the saucepan (you can rinse if you like but I usually just pour it back in!) and set over the lowest heat you can, continuously stirring. Do not let it boil - if it starts to overheat then take it off the heat (keep stirring) for a few seconds and then put it back


5. The custard will start to thicken fairly quickly. Test to see if it is ready by coating the back of your wooden spoon. If it is coated in a thin layer of custard (and you can run a finger down it, leaving a trail) then it is ready (see photo). If it runs straight off the spoon it is not ready.