Creme Anglaise

Here is the follow up blog about Creme Anglaise that I mentioned earlier when blogging about the Lemon Angel Cake Roll.  Creme Anglaise is also known as "Light Custard Sauce".  I have made both the Lemon Angel Cake Roll, and the Creme Anglaise twice in the past couple of weeks... both times these desserts were a HUGE hit!  As in..... those who were consuming the treats had to swipe their pointer fingers around the plate/bowl in which to capture every single morsel and drop of these treats.  You know the treats are good when guests can't help themselves to do that in public... because we all know we do it in private ourselves... but public demonstrations of finger swiping... and/or... actually licking the plate is the biggest compliment a hostess can receive!

The Creme Anglaise recipe that will follow at the end of this blog comes from my beloved cookbook, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child... who we all know is my mentor! Although Creme Anglaise tastes VERY EXPENSIVE, it really is not an expensive dessert to make ... but it is a tad bit time consuming.  One must take their time and prepare Creme Anglaise slowly and patiently.

Creme Anglaise is truly best served with fresh berries... strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries... or a mix of all the berries, which is how I served it.  I made a batch of single size portions of Pavlova, and instead of using whipped cream with berries,  when serving the Pavlova I placed the fresh berries on top and around the Pavlova, then generously poured the Creme Anglaise over all the berries.  

Lemon Angel Cake Roll and the Pavlova recipes both use just egg whites, so when I was making those desserts, I saved the egg yolks in containers to use for the Creme Anglaise recipe that require just egg yolks.  I placed 4 egg  yolks per container so that when I went to make the Creme Anglaise, the eggs were already pre-measured (it takes 4 egg yolks per batch of Creme Anglaise).  After all... my Momma did teach me.... "Waste not, want not"!!

Here is the recipe I used for the Creme Anglaise:

CREME ANGLAISE

1/2 cup - sugar
4 - egg yolks
1 tsp - cornstarch
1 1/4 cup - boiling milk
1 TBSP - vanilla


In a 3 quart mixing bowl and using a wire whip or electric beater, gradually beat the sugar into the egg yolks and continue beating for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is pale yellow and forms a ribbon.

Beat in the cornstarch.

While beating the yolk mixture, very gradually pour on the boiling milk in a thin stream of droplets so that the yolks are slowly warmed.

Pour the mixture into a heavy-bottomed sauce pan and set over moderate heat, stirring slowly and continuously with a wooden spoon or spatula, and reaching all over the bottom and sides of the pan, until the sauce thickens just enough to coat the spoon with a light, creamy layer.  DO NOT let the custard come anywhere near the simmer.  Maximum temperature is 170 degrees on a candy thermometer.  Then beat the sauce off the heat for a minute or two to cool it.  Strain the sauce through a fine sieve, and beat in the vanilla.

This sauce may be served warm or chilled.

After serving and consuming this amazing custard sauce.... let the finger swiping and plate licking begin!!!