Easy Egg Custard

Baked egg custard is the little black dress of dessert recipes. It’s simple and elegant—ready to be dressed up with fresh berries, chocolate syrup, or whipped cream, but it’s also astoundingly good all by itself. Custard, in various forms, has been made for centuries: set into creme brûlée, flan, mini egg custard tarts, or a savory quiche; frozen into ice cream; soaked into bread pudding; poured into myriad egg custard pies; or serving as a creamy custard filling for éclairs and other pastries.

This recipe for individual old-fashioned egg custard cups keeps things very simple: no pie crust, no nonsense, but if you did want to up the ante, you could swap the extract for an equal amount of vanilla bean paste—or trade it for half a vanilla bean. (Split and scrape the pod, then add the seeds and pod to the milk while it comes to a boil.) We also recommend picking up whole nutmeg and grating it on a rasp-style grater; pre-ground nutmeg loses its luster quickly and won’t add the same punch.

The custards are baked in a hot water bath, which helps even the most disagreeable oven cook gently and evenly. We use ramekins, but oven-safe coffee cups work too. Set your chosen vessels in a deep baking dish that’s just large enough to hold them so the water doesn’t have too much room to slosh around. Pro tip: If you’re into do-ahead dishes, this one is even better the afternoon after you’ve made it.