Why does my custard keep splitting?

Hi Maygirl
By a strange coincidence, I’ve made that Nigella trifle myself, and it seemed to me at the time more difficult than necessary. Still, custard is custard no matter which trifle recipe you use. It sounds like you overcooked yours, which is what caused it to split and go grainy. And you’re right, at that point, there’s no amount of plunging or whisking that will rescue it.

You probably have plenty of custard recipes knocking about in your cookbooks, but here’s a basic one:

300ml full-cream milk
1 vanilla pod, split, or a few drops vanilla essence
1 tbsp sugar
2 egg yolks

1. Slowly heat the milk in a saucepan with the vanilla pod (if using; if not, do not add the essence until later). The milk should almost, but not quite, reach boiling point. Meanwhile, whisk the yolks and sugar in a glass bowl until pale and creamy (a small hand whisk will do).

2. Pour the hot milk slowly over the yolk and sugar, stir, then return the mixture to a clean saucepan. Place on a medium heat and stir continuously. It should take at least 10 minutes to thicken and coat the back of a wooden spoon. Use the finger-trail test: lift out the wooden spoon and run your finger across the back of the spoon; the custard should leave a velvety coating and a definite trail.

3. Once thickened, remove from the heat and pour into a cold bowl or jug to cool. Stir in the vanilla essence at this stage if you didn’t use the pod.

Over the page: Some tips for fool-proof custard