Begin by warming the milk in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl. Heat it on high until it’s nice and hot, but take care not to let it boil, about 2 to 4 minutes should do.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Gradually add the hot milk to this mixture, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Pop this back into the microwave and continue to heat it in 1-minute bursts, stirring well each time, until the mixture thickens, which usually takes around 4 to 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until they are pale and have a bit of froth. To temper the eggs, slowly whisk in about 1/3 cup of the hot milk mixture — this keeps the eggs from scrambling. Then, whisk this tempered egg mixture back into the hot milk mixture until everything is smooth and well combined.

Give it one more zap in the microwave, heating on high until the custard has thickened nicely, about 2 minutes should do it. Let the custard stand to cool slightly before the final step.

Mix in the vanilla extract to infuse your custard with that lovely, warm flavor. Then, chill the custard in the refrigerator until it’s completely cool and set, usually about 30 minutes.