Quick and Simple French Vanilla Custard

Custard is one of my favorites desserts, it's simple, quick, easy to make and you can dress it up in so many ways... today I decided to garnish it simply, only using blackberries to make this winter day feel a little more summery and fresh. I also like this recipe because it doesn't have any eggs (then it's not technically a custard, but who's being technical here?), so it's lighter and also great to have when you don't have eggs handy.

French Vanilla Eggless Custard

Here is what you will need:

1/4 cup of sugar

1 french vanilla bean pod

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups of heavy cream or half-and-half, depending on how rich you like your custard. Another idea is making it with one cup of eggnog, you can also add any other flavoring that you like (bailey's, anisette, etc...)

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan whisk the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Split open the vanilla bean pod and carefully scrape the precious and flavorful tinny seeds and add them to the mix. Add 4 tablespoons of the heavy cream or half-and-half and whisk to form a smooth paste. Whisk in the rest of the liquid and using an spatula, stir constantly over medium heat, making sure you scrape the bottom, sides and corners of the saucepan to avoid any lumps, stir until custard thickens and begins to bubble. Keep cooking it and stirring it for 1 more minute so the cornstarch cooks fully. Immediately pour onto desired bowls and refrigerate, although it's also delicious served warm with any fruit coulis. Serves approximately 6 people, depending on the size of the bowls you use. Enjoy!!