CrÉme Anglaise Recipes

Steps:

• Combine milk and cream in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring milk mixture to simmer. Remove from heat.
• Whisk egg yolks and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into yolk mixture. Return custard to saucepan. Stir over low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 5 minutes (do not boil). Strain sauce into bowl. Cover and chill. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)

Steps:

• Bring milk, cream and vanilla bean pulp and pod to a boil. Cover pan, turn off heat and let rest for at least 10 minutes or for up to 1 hour.
• Fill a large bowl with ice cubes, and set aside a smaller bowl that can hold finished cream.
• Whisk yolks and sugar together in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Whisking constantly, drizzle in one-quarter of the hot liquid. When yolks are warm, add the rest of the liquid in a steadier stream. Remove pod, return pan to medium heat and, whisking vigorously, cook cream until it thickens slightly, lightens in color and reaches 180 degrees. Alternatively, you can coat a wooden spoon with cream, then draw your finger across it; if cream doesn't run into the track you have created, it's done.
• Immediately remove pan from heat, and allow cream to rest for a few minutes until it reaches 182 degrees. Strain cream into the small bowl, set bowl into ice bath, add cold water and, stirring frequently, cool completely. Cover cream and chill, if possible for 24 hours.

Steps:

• In a medium mixing bowl, using a whip, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until they are very pale yellow and smooth.
• In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil the heavy cream, sour cream, and vanilla bean with its scrapings. Whisk about half into the egg yolk mixture until well combined, then pour back into the saucepan. Over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, cook until the mixture heavily coats the back of the spoon. Don't scramble the eggs.
• Strain into a clean bowl and set the bowl over ice cubes and cold water until chilled, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate, covered, until needed.
• Note: To make coffee Creme Anglaise, substitute 1/4 cup crushed coffee beans (with or without caffeine) for the vanilla bean. Bring to a boil and let steep in the cream mixture, covered for about 10 minutes. When well flavored, whisk into the egg yolks. then continue with recipe
• To crush coffee beans, place in a plastic bag, close the bag, and heavily press a rolling pin over the beans. Do not grind the beans because this will darken the Creme Anglaise.

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine milk, salt, and half the sugar (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) over medium-high heat. Scrape vanilla bean seeds into pan, then add pod. Heat over medium just until mixture starts to bubble around the edge of the pan, about 2 minutes (do not let boil). Remove from heat; cover and let stand 30 minutes.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with remaining sugar (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons).
• Use ladle to pour a small amount of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, then whisk to combine. (This is called tempering and prevents the eggs from curdling.) Add another ladle of milk mixture, and whisk to combine. Pour this mixture into remaining cream mixture in the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and registers 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 to 7 minutes.
• Strain through a fine sieve into a medium bowl (to remove the vanilla pod and any cooked bits of egg) in an ice-water bath. Let stand until cold, stirring occasionally.

Steps:

• Place 2 cups milk in a saucepan. Using the tip of a paring knife, split vanilla beans down the middle and scrape seeds into milk. Add pods to milk and bring to a simmer. As soon as it reaches a simmer (you will see bubbles breaking along the edges of the pan), turn off heat, cover pan tightly with plastic wrap and let it sit for 20 minutes. Remove pods and scrape them with the blunt edge of the knife so any residual seeds go into the milk. Set aside saucepan with milk.
• Fill a large bowl with ice cubes and place a medium bowl on top of the ice. Set a strainer over the medium bowl, and set aside.
• In another bowl, combine egg yolks and half the sugar and beat for about 30 seconds. Beat in remaining 1/4 cup milk.
• Add remaining sugar to vanilla-infused milk in pan and, using a heatproof rubber spatula, stir for 10 to 20 seconds so sugar doesn't stick to bottom of pan. Bring mixture back to a simmer over medium heat while continuing to stir. When sugar has dissolved and milk comes to a simmer, turn off heat. Place bowl with beaten egg yolks next to saucepan, with a towel coiled around the bottom to keep it steady, and whisk in two-thirds of the hot milk. Whisk mixture back into saucepan.
• Place saucepan back on low heat. Using a rubber spatula, stir constantly and everywhere until you feel the mixture starting to thicken. (Stirring in a figure eight helps assure that your spatula touches the entire bottom of the pan.) Place a thermometer in the pan and continue to stir constantly until temperature reaches 165 to 180 degrees. Lift spatula from saucepan with some sauce on it and run your finger down the middle. It should leave a canal.
• Immediately strain mixture into the clean, dry mixing bowl set over ice. Tap strainer to get all of the custard sauce. Stir mixture for a few minutes, then once in a while, until it has cooled to 60 degrees (it should take 20 minutes or less). You can also cool it in the freezer, stirring every few minutes, if you don't have enough ice on hand. Once cool, transfer to a container, cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to use. It will keep in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Steps:

• In a small, heavy saucepan, heat cream and vanilla until bubbles form at edges.
• While cream is heating, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until smooth. Slowly pour 1/2 cup of hot milk mixture into egg yolks, whisking constantly. Gradually add egg yolk mixture back to remaining milk mixture, whisking constantly. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.