Celery Free Vanilla Pear Custard Cups

Silky, gently set, and topped with tender poached pears, this is the kind of elegant dessert that feels far more impressive than the effort it actually takes. A real vanilla bean does the heavy lifting here, steeping in warm whole milk until the custard base is fragrant and deeply flavored in a way that extract simply can't match. The water bath method is the secret to that signature wobble — slow, even heat keeps the eggs from scrambling and gives you a texture that's impossibly smooth all the way through. Pears are simmered in a light sugar syrup until just yielding, then draped over each cup right before serving for a fresh, delicate finish. Every single ingredient in this recipe is naturally free of celery and celery derivatives, so there's no label-scanning or substitution stress involved — just straightforward, beautiful cooking. It's an ideal make-ahead dessert since the custards need time to chill, meaning most of the work is done well before guests arrive.

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