Crème Anglaise

Professional Tips for Making Crème Anglaise

• Bring the milk a cream to a full boil. The milk and cream mixture needs to come to a full, rolling boil before adding to the eggs. This activates the eggs thickening proteins and will produce a richer sauce. The sugar will help keep the mixture from scorching.
• Heat the custard after mixing. This is different than many other recipes, but cooking the custard over low heat to 178°F will not only make it safe to consume but also thicken it to the perfect sauce consistency.
• Cool it quickly. Sometimes the residual heat from cooking will continue to cook and thicken the custard. This is called carry over cooking. Pour the sauce into a bowl set in a bowl full of ice water to cool it quickly. This stops the cooking process and ensure the perfect, smooth sauce.

Ingredients Needed

• Heavy Cream: Heavy cream adds fat to the custard, which will make it taste creamy and rich.
• Milk: I use whole milk for custards because the stand up to heating better and they have a richer taste.
• Granulated Sugar: I use granulated sugar for sweetness as well as protection against the milk scorching and the eggs scrambling during the tempering process.
• Kosher Salt: Kosher salt enhances the flavors without adding more sugar.
• Vanilla Bean: You can use just the spent vanilla bean pods from another recipe that just uses the seeds like homemade marshmallows!
• Vanilla Extract
• Whole Eggs: I use whole eggs for custard sauces because using only egg yolks is unnecessary. Using eggs simplifies the recipe and gives the sauce the perfect consistency.

Variations & Substitutions

• Half and Half: There is an equal proportion of heavy cream to milk in this recipe, so you can substitute half and half for the total volume (4 cups).
• Make a fruit flavored anglaise: Easily change the flavor of anglaise by adding fruit puree to the cooked and cooled custard. It is important that it is cooled and that you add the puree a little at a time to avoid breaking the sauce. Add, taste, add, repeat. I would proceed with caution with very acidic purees like passionfruit.  
• Make a chocolate crème anglaise: Pour the hot, cooked anglaise over chopped chocolate, allow it to sit and melt the chocolate then whisk like a ganache. Cool and serve. You can also add chocolate sauce to the hot anglaise.
• Infinite flavor options: In addition to those listed above, there are so many ways you can change the flavor of classic crème anglaise! Add your favorite alcohol, add a salted caramel sauce, or infuse the milk and cream with spices before preparing. Get creative!

What is creme anglaise used for?

This is one of the most versatile sauces because it provides a creamy, cool contrast to other desserts. Vanilla and cream enhance many flavors like chocolate, peaches and spices.

• Use as a plating sauce: It is the perfect accompaniment to rich chocolate desserts like flourless chocolate cake, easy chocolate pie, or chocolate pound cake. The creamy texture enhances the flavor of spice cakes like pumpkin cake, gingerbread cake or this pear upside down cake. Or simply use it anywhere you would serve vanilla bean ice cream.
• Use as a dipping sauce: There is nothing more satisfying than dipping a warm chocolate chip cookie or fudgy brownie into anglaise. Try adding a little splash of whiskey for a change.
• Use in a traditional French dessert. Crème anglaise is the used as a plating sauce for île flotant, which is a poached meringue floating on anglaise. I have also served a twist on this at the restaurant by serving a pavlova filled with fruit on a custard sauce.

How to Make Crème Anglaise

Use these instructions to make the perfect classic English custard every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Step 1: In a heavy bottomed sauce pot combine cream, milk, half the sugar, salt and vanilla bean pods. Bring to a boil then remove from heat.

Step 2: When your milk mixture is almost at a boil, add eggs and sugar to a large bowl and whisk until the eggs have lightened to a pale yellow.

Step 3: Whisk ¼ of the milk mixture into the eggs. Repeat with another ¼ of the milk, then pour the egg mixture into the pot with the remaining milk mixture. This process is called tempering.

Step 4: Heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until nappant or when the custard has reached 178°F on an instant-read thermometer.

Step 5: Strain into a bowl, cover with a piece of plastic wrap and allow to cool to room temperature before storing. I always cool it in a bowl set in an ice bath. A proper ice bath is a lot of ice with just enough water to allow the cubes to move. You can stir the sauce to cool it even faster.