Crème Anglaise or English cream is a rich and smooth custard that goes well with many desserts from fresh fruit to chocolate cake.
Chef's notes
This is a very versatile dessert sauce that goes nicely with pies, tarts, cakes, and fresh fruit.
Crème Anglaise will keep for a few days in the refrigerator.
Steps
1
Making Crème Anglaise
Ingredients
2 large egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp vanilla extract (1/4 inch vanilla bean)
1 tsp icing sugar
To start the crème Anglaise, place the egg yolks into a large bowl and then set aside. Next, pour the cream into a saucepan and heat to just before the boiling point.
Next, temper the cream into the yolks while constantly whisking. Then add the vanilla and icing sugar and whisk everything together. Now prepare an ice bath.
Next, pour the cream mixture into a clean pot. Stir constantly, over medium-low heat until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Do not let it come to a boil or the sauce will curdle. Place the sauce into the ice bath and stir for a few minutes to stop the cooking process. Crème Anglaise can be served with many things from fresh fruit to chocolate cake.
Note: This is a quick way to make Crème Anglaise; another way to make it is to first mix granulated sugar into the yolks and then continue on with the same cooking process. You could also use regular milk instead of cream; however, the sauce won’t be quite as rich and creamy if you do.
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I made this super simple Crème Anglaise to accompany the Chocolate Torte with Crème Anglaise recipe (Rouxbe). It was not as sweet as I like, but was a great topping for the chocolate torte with a few raspberries.
I put the leftover crème in the fridge for one night in a glass bowl with cling wrap over it and it was chilled, but did not set. A quick stir with a serving spoon brought the crème back to life with virtually no difference from the night before. This recipe size did not last as long as the chocolate torte, so I'll have to double the recipe next time. I liked the chocolate torte with more topping than the recipe pictured.
You can add a small amount of shaved white chocolate (no more an an ounce/30g or so) at the end of the cooking process prior to chilling. It will likely change the texture of the sauce, especially if served very cold--but if it tempers a bit before service, it can be stirred and brought back. The white chocolate will add sweetness and richness, but probably not impact the overall flavor profile. I'm curious now! Happy Cooking, Enjoy!
Typically one would use less granulated sugar then icing sugar; however, since it is such a small amount of sugar, you should be okay doing a straight substitution. With that said, I suggest that you taste the crème Anglaise once you put it back into the pot and test it to see if it is sweet enough for you. Hope that helps. Cheers!
Toss the granulated sugar in a dry blender, small batches - and bam you have your dusty icing sugar. Or close to it. Better blenders do better jobs. :)
Creme Anglaise can be served warm or cold, it just depends on what you are serving it with and how you like it. As for how long to chill it, it just needs to be refrigerated until it has cooled completely, which will vary depending on the amount you made, the dish you stored it in, your refrigerator and whether or not you stirred it during refrigeration. Hope that helps. Cheers!
If you search "heavy cream" (top right of the site), you will see quite a few comments/questions around this. Here is a good post that should help you out with this. Cheers!
Cancelled •I made this super simple Crème Anglaise to accompany the Chocolate Torte with Crème Anglaise recipe (Rouxbe). It was not as sweet as I like, but was a great topping for the chocolate torte with a few raspberries.
Amanda C •Could you add white chocolate to the recipe, or would you need to alter it? Thanks!
Ken R • Rouxbe Staff •You can add a small amount of shaved white chocolate (no more an an ounce/30g or so) at the end of the cooking process prior to chilling. It will likely change the texture of the sauce, especially if served very cold--but if it tempers a bit before service, it can be stirred and brought back. The white chocolate will add sweetness and richness, but probably not impact the overall flavor profile. I'm curious now! Happy Cooking, Enjoy!
Dawn T •Typically one would use less granulated sugar then icing sugar; however, since it is such a small amount of sugar, you should be okay doing a straight substitution. With that said, I suggest that you taste the crème Anglaise once you put it back into the pot and test it to see if it is sweet enough for you. Hope that helps. Cheers!
Jerry B •Toss the granulated sugar in a dry blender, small batches - and bam you have your dusty icing sugar. Or close to it. Better blenders do better jobs. :)