1. Place the milk and vanilla pod in a medium saucepan and heat until almost boiling. Remove from the heat, cover and set aside to infuse for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 325ºF (160ºC). Place the whole eggs, egg yolks, caster sugar and cornstarch in a bowl and lightly whisk together.
3. Bring the milk back to boiling point, then remove the vanilla pod and pour the hot milk over the egg mixture, whisking all the time. Strain the mixture into a large measuring cup, then divide among 6 lightly greased 120 ml (1⁄2 cup) ramekins.
4. Set the ramekins in a baking pan and pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 30–35 minutes or until lightly set—the custards should still be slightly wobbly. Lift them out of the hot water and place on a wire rack to cool. Once cold, chill until ready to serve.
5. To make the compote, place the golden brown sugar and 1⁄3 cup water in a saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and add the cherries. Cover and simmer for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lift out the cherries with a slotted spoon and place in a serving bowl.
6. Mix the arrowroot with 1 tablespoon cold water. Stir into the cherry juices in the saucepan and simmer for 1 minute, stirring. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then pour over the cherries.
7. Spoon a little of the cherry compote over the top of each custard pot, and serve the rest of the cherries in the bowl.

PER SERVING

176 calories
9 g protein
4 g total fat
1 g saturated fat
147 mg cholesterol
27 g total carbohydrate
25 g sugars
1 g fibre
82 mg sodium

The cherry compote can be used warm, or you can wait until it is at room temperature before spooning it over the custards and serving.