Bake

Crème Anglaise

by:
January 19, 2016
4
4 Ratings
Crème Anglaise
Photo by Mark Weinberg
  • Prep time 25 minutes
  • Cook time 10 minutes
  • Makes about 3 cups
Author Notes

Basic vanilla sauce recipe that's great for churning into ice cream, spooning over warm bread pudding, or making into mousse. —Erin Jeanne McDowell

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 1/4 cups whole milk (288 g)
  • 1 1/4 cups heavy cream (295 g)
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar, divided (198 g)
  • 8 large egg yolks (170 g)
Directions
  1. Prepare an ice bath by placing a quart-sized mason jar (or similarly-sized vessel) in a large bowl. Scoop ice around the mason jar and pour a small amount of water into the bowl.
  2. In a medium pot, mix the milk, cream, vanilla bean, salt, and 1/2 cup sugar.
  3. In a medium heat-safe bowl, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and egg yolks to combine.
  4. Bring the milk mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Pour 1/3 of the warm milk mixture into the yolk mixture (to temper the eggs) and whisk constantly to combine.
  5. Pour the yolk mixture back into the pot with the remaining 2/3 of the milk, whisking constantly to combine and prevent the eggs from scrambling.
  6. Continue to cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Strain the sauce into the mason jar and cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to use.
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Erin Jeanne McDowell
I always have three kinds of hot sauce in my purse. I have a soft spot for making people their favorite dessert, especially if it's wrapped in a pastry crust. My newest cookbook, Savory Baking, came out in Fall of 2022 - is full of recipes to translate a love of baking into recipes for breakfast, dinner, and everything in between!

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4 Reviews

Iori
Iori December 25, 2021
Great “finishing touch” to the gingerbread cake. Lovely, creamy goodness. Had never “scraped” a vanilla bean before - so, it was a learning experience, too. After I added the eggs, I tried to thicken on “medium low” but had to eventually turn it up to medium to get it to thicken properly. Strained into a mason jar in an ice bowl…and voila! Fantastic!
 
Cookie M.
Cookie M. October 15, 2016
Question: I recently tried to make creme anglaise for a buttercream and three times in a row the custard became separated while chilling in the fridge. Not grainy, lumpy or scrambled - just a thick go like layer at the top and a very thin soupy bottom. Any ideas why that would happen? Never had this issue before...
 
Cookie M.
Cookie M. October 15, 2016
Foam like, not go like...
 
Kentley
Kentley October 12, 2016
Cream "scraped"?