Crème Anglaise (Dessert Sauce)

Keep Recipes. Capture memories. Be inspired.

KeepRecipes is one spot for all your recipes and kitchen memories. Keep, cook, capture and share with your cookbook in the cloud.

Get Started - 100% free to try - join in 30 seconds

Original recipe from Fine Cooking

kept byjanetlsanders
recipe by

Notes:

by Molly Stevens
Crème Anglaise is the classic dessert sauce. It adapts well to a variety of flavorings. The only trick is not to curdle the eggs. Pour a shallow pool under a slice of fruit tart or cake; drizzle across pound cakes and not-too-sweet pastries; spoon over fresh
fruit. Yields about 2 cups.

Categories:

print

Ingredients:

2 cups milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split
6 large egg yolks
6 Tbs. sugar

In a medium, heavy-based saucepan, combine the milk and vanilla bean. Bring to just below a simmer and turn off the heat. Let sit to infuse for about 20 min. Put the egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until pale and thick. Reheat the milk gently until it begins to steam. Slowly pour about half the milk onto the yolks, whisking continually. Pour the yolk-milk mixture back into the remaining milk, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard begins to thicken slightly and you can draw a line across the back of the spoon. The sauce should reach 175° to 180°F. Immediately strain into a clean bowl. Chill and serve cold.

Variations

Coffee: Make the basic recipe, adding 2 tsp. instant coffee to the milk and vanilla infusion.

Mint: Add a small bunch of mint to the milk with the vanilla bean and leave to infuse for 20 min. as directed. Proceed with the basic recipe. Also good with lavender, verbena, or lemon thyme.

Liqueur flavored: Add 1 to 2 Tbs. of spirits such as Grand Marnier, Amaretto, Cointreau, Armagnac, a favorite brandy, dark rum, or bourbon to the basic recipe after it has chilled.

From Fine Cooking 38, pp. 18b