This sauce is based on a classic vanilla anglaise, a sauce thickened with egg yolks and served cold over berries, chocolate cake or with a hot fruit pie. It was invented by the French but called anglaise (or “English” in French) because they observed the English always pouring a light colored cream liquid on their desserts. That liquid was what the British call “pouring cream,” and it’s a very thick flavorful cold cream they serve with dessert in a pitcher and pour it over everything.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 20 min |
| Prep: | 10 min |
| Cook: | 10 min |
| Yield: | 3 cups |
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly (preferred) ground nutmeg
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 6 egg yolks
- 2/3 cup sugar
Instructions
- Heat the milk, nutmeg, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking occasionally to make sure the mixture doesn’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. When the cream mixture reaches a fast simmer (do not let it boil), turn off the heat and let the flavors infuse for 10 minutes.
- In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. In a thin stream, whisk the cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Pour the egg-cream mixture back into the saucepan.
- Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to 180 degrees F. At 160 degrees F, the mixture will give off a puff of steam. When the mixture reaches 180 degrees it will be thickened and creamy, like eggnog. If you don’t have a thermometer, test it by dipping a wooden spoon into the mixture. Run your finger down the back of the spoon. If the stripe remains clear, the mixture is ready; if the edges blur, the mixture is not quite thick enough yet. When it is ready, quickly remove it from the heat and pour it though a fine-meshed strainer into a container in an ice bath to cool. Keep chilled and serve cold.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 181 |
| Total Fat | 6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 27 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 26 g |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Cholesterol | 154 mg |
| Sodium | 42 mg |
Reviews
Delicious! I also did not have vanilla bean and used a tsp of vanilla which was fine. The only thing that you need to watch is once the sauce is thick, remove right away. I waited to long, and
it got lumpy. I strained it and got most of the lumps out and poured over my apple bread pudding that I made. It was great!
it got lumpy. I strained it and got most of the lumps out and poured over my apple bread pudding that I made. It was great!
Really great recipe. i adapted it and used a tsp of vanilla since I did not have the beans and omitted the nutmeg to work with the bread pudding I used it for.
Fantastic. Follow the steps exactly. The time between thin to thick at 160 degrees is fast.
Fantastic. Follow the steps exactly. The time between thin to thick at 160 degrees is fast.
Like the other reviewers, I would warn anyone who tries this recipe to pay close attention to the sauce, especially when you are heating the sauce after the addition of the egg yolks. My first attempt ended up needing to be thrown out, but I have made it twice since without mishap and with rave reviews. I have paired it with Ina Garten’s Croissant Bread Pudding (delectable) and intend to use it in a trifle next.
I made the sauce and poured over bread pudding. It was absolutely outstanding. I plan to serve at a birthday party over chocolate cake. The directions were easy to follow and worked perfectly. Thanks for a great recipe.
The first time I tried this it was difficult. If you don’t take it from the heat at the right moment, the eggs scramble. After the second try, it was perfect and very tasty. A big hit with bread pudding.