Custard is a smooth, creamy dessert made by cooking milk, eggs, and sugar together until they thicken. The eggs are what make custard special: when heated gently, they turn the liquid mixture into something soft and thick, almost like pudding but richer and silkier.

You've probably eaten custard without even knowing it. The filling in cream puffs? That's custard. The base of ice cream? Usually custard. Crème brûlée, with its crackly caramelized sugar top, is elegant custard underneath. Even flan, that jiggly caramel dessert, is a type of baked custard.

Making custard requires patience and attention. Heat it too fast or too hot, and the eggs scramble instead of creating that signature smoothness. Cooks often stir constantly and use gentle heat, watching carefully as the mixture transforms from liquid to luxurious cream.

Today, custard appears in tarts, trifles, and custard pies, or it can be eaten on its own as a simple, satisfying treat.