Can you turn a basic white sauce into a dessert or sweet sauce?

Using a basic white sauce (butter, flour, milk) can you turn it into a sweet sauce using something like vanilla, sugar, and strawberries or baked pecans?

Empasm
  • Posted by: Empasm
  • November 17, 2016
  • 23753 views
  • 9 Comments

9 Comments

Sierra S.
Sierra S. November 4, 2020
I recently made an impromptu creamed corn when I had some fresh corn in the house. I started with a basic roux, added half and half, and a few tablespoons of sugar, and simmered the fresh corn in it. I decided to whisk in about 2 tablespoons of cream cheese for added creaminess and it was DIVINE! I had never heard of a sweet bechamel before, but it was a magical take on the creamy, rich original. I highly suggest looking for more ways to use it!
 
Sierra S.
Sierra S. November 4, 2020
And don't ever limit your culinary adventures to what the web tells you. The best part of cooking is using your imagination to try something new! I came up with my recipe when I found one that looked good, but the comments said the sauce was too runny, and suggested using cornstarch. I figured adapting the recipe to start with a roux would solve that problem, and I was pleasantly surprised by how creamy and flavorful my recipe turned out. I hope your recipe goes just as well!
 
Úlfar Þ.
Úlfar Þ. January 17, 2020
here in Iceland we have a sweet Bechamel sauce .... we have it with out usual weird food ... it´s just a Bechamel ... for like one liter add 2-3 tablespoons og white sugar ... depending on taste ... this sweetness to Bechamel only works as a sauce to smoked meat .... never as a desert
 
Úlfar Þ.
Úlfar Þ. January 17, 2020
we have it with our**
 
Empasm
Empasm November 17, 2016
Thanks you both, i will look into that book as i want to try to make more sauces other than white. Thanks again for the advice
 
PHIL
PHIL November 17, 2016
Someone who knows better than me will reply I'm sure. Good Luck.
 
PHIL
PHIL November 17, 2016
I guess you can. although I would pour it over the strawberries rather than mix them in. I have never done it but have seen some mention of it on the web. What do you want to do with it? Why not make whipped cream or a zaboyon instead?
 
Empasm
Empasm November 17, 2016
I am new to sauces and i made a mushroom onion white sauce that turned out great and i was wondering about using the plain white sauce base for other things like drizzle over crepes or other things
 
pierino
pierino November 17, 2016
PHIL is correct here. White sauce, béchamel, is a mother sauce. But as it's a mix of flour, butter (roux) and milk it's a little too starchy for dessert---not that you can't sweeten atit up. However a crème anglaise would be a much better starting point.
If you are just learning sauces a good reference to have in your library is James Patterson's book "Sauces". It's the bible.
 
Recommended by Food52

Popular on Food52