Vanilla Cream Pudding

Had way to many egg yolks left over from making angel food cake, so I decided to make vanilla pastry cream, and serve it up in ramekins as a cream pudding.  It makes a rich pudding and sets up fast (assuming you cook it to the right point).  I think the photo looks a little too yellow but you get the idea- like the color of french vanilla ice cream.

Used my trusted pastry cream recipe with  whole milk instead of the half and half, and added the seeds from half a vanilla bean to the mix. 

Make sure you cook it (stirring of course!) long enough to where it becomes thick and pudding-y consistency while on the stove. 

If you just bring up to a simmer without getting to this point, you could use it as a french vanilla ice cream base (i.e. chill the liquid then throw in an ice cream maker).