Whether or not a custard is a simple, baked one flavoured with nutmeg or an elegant Crème Brûlée with soft cream covered with a brittle crust of burnt sugar, the custard base is milk and/ or cream and eggs or egg yolks. Gentle cooking is essential to ensure the perfect smoothness of texture necessary for any custard.
There are two basic kinds of custard: stirred custard, cooked on top of the stove, and baked custard, cooked in the oven. Once these have been mastered a great many variations can be made, such as Crème Pâtissière which is used to fill French tarts, tartlets, éclairs and profiteroles, or such classic custards as Crème Caramel or Petits Pots de Crème