When we thicken anything with eggs, what we must chiefly think about is to avoid getting the mixture "curdled." 1st. Anything that has to be thickened with eggs will curdle if it boils. 2nd. Eggs won't thicken anything at all till the mixture nearly boils; consequently we must be careful.

Custard is a good illustration, as custard is simply sweetened milk thickened with eggs. Take half a pint of milk, boil it in a small saucepan, and pour it into a jug. Put a large saucepan on the lire, half full of boiling water. Break a couple of eggs, yolks and whites, into a basin, and beat them up with a fork, adding the hot milk (which should be first sweetened), at first a teaspoonful at a time, and keep beating up the eggs till they are thoroughly mixed, and will allow a fork to pass through them like water, i.e., with nothing hanging from the prongs. Add the hot milk and stir up; then pour it all back into the jug.

Place the jug in the saucepan of boiling water, and keep stirring till the custard gets thick, then take out the jug and keep stirring till the custard is lukewarm.