While the caramel cools in the ramekins, preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Now, begin making the custard.

In a large saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla extract over low heat. Add vanilla extract to taste. Stir occasionally to prevent the milk from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan.

While the vanilla milk is heating, crack the 8 eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add the 1 1/4 cups sugar and whisk vigorously for about 5 minutes until the mixture becomes pale and slightly thickened.

When the milk comes to a boil, pour it all at once over the egg mixture, whisking constantly to combine.

Continue mixing until the custard is smooth and well blended. Taste and add more vanilla if desired, then mix again.

Bake the custards in a water bath for 30 minutes, filling the water to reach about three-quarters up the sides of the ramekins.

For extra flavor, you can replace the vanilla extract in step 4 with a split vanilla bean. Scrape out the seeds and add them to the milk, letting it infuse. Use vanilla extract only to adjust the flavor in step 7 if needed. The custards will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week if covered tightly with plastic wrap.