A crème anglaise is the classic French custard sauce–and not easy to master but is a worthy challenge. A crème brulee is prepared in a similar manner, by the way, with cream instead of milk, and sugar caramelized on top. A crème anglaise is a pourable custard sauce while a crème brulee is a set custard. You can use creme anglaise as a sauce over cakes, pies, crepes, French toast, and so on. Anything where a pourable sauce works. It’s great over chocolate mousse.

The trick to mastering it is in the cooking. The heat is really important–if you cook over too high a heat, you’ll scramble the yolks. Too low a heat, you won’t thicken the custard. Patience is the key.

How to make Creme Anglaise:
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat the milk without scalding. Whisk the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl until well blended. Slowly add the hot milk, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the pot used to heat the milk. Remove about 1/3 cup of the mixture from the pot. Whisk in the teaspoon of corn starch and return the corn starch/milk mixture to the pot and whisk to blend. Add the teaspoon of vanilla and whisk to blend. Stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture thickens and coats a spoon. Chill to thicken further.

Try to not eat it out of the bowl with a spoon.

See this recipe at Farm Bell Recipes and save it to your recipe box.
See All My Recipes