A classic recipe from refined French cuisine, crème anglaise is an essential part of pastry making, as it is not only delicious on its own, but also serves as a base for other preparations, such as ice cream and fillings for cakes and tarts.
Therefore, learning how to make crème anglaise is indispensable for anyone who enjoys desserts. And there's no reason not to be excited to learn, since it requires few ingredients and is easy to prepare. There's only one secret: knowing when to remove the cream from the heat.
Traditionally, crème anglaise is made with vanilla, but there are other flavor options. Below, we list 8 recipes, from the traditional one to one with ginger, that are great as a side dish or enjoyed by the spoonful.
1. Traditional English cream
Ingredients
- 8 gems
- 1 liter of milk
- 1 vanilla bean (or vanilla extract)
- 100g of sugar
Preparation method
- In a saucepan, combine the milk and vanilla bean (if using extract, add it later in the recipe) and cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Once boiling, remove the heat from the stovetop and let it sit for 4-5 minutes to allow the vanilla to infuse.
- Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until you obtain a whitish cream;
- Pour some of the hot milk into the egg yolk and sugar mixture, stirring constantly to prevent the yolks from cooking. Stir just enough to combine well.
- Add this mixture to the milk in the saucepan and return to the heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens, without letting it boil. When it has a creamy consistency, remove from the heat.
- Strain the cream into a bowl over an ice bath to cool (now add the vanilla extract and mix well);
- Once cooled, cover with plastic wrap – it should be in contact with the surface of the cream to prevent a crust from forming – and refrigerate.
- Keep refrigerated until ready to consume.
2. English cream with honey
Ingredients
- 3 gems
- ¼ cup of honey
- 240 ml of milk
Preparation method
- Pass the egg yolks through a sieve and mix them with the honey. Set aside.
- Heat the milk over medium heat. When it boils, remove from heat;
- Add a little milk to the egg yolk and honey mixture and stir well;
- Once well mixed, pour this liquid into the pan with the milk and turn the heat back on;
- Cook, stirring constantly to prevent boiling, until thickened and small bubbles appear around the edges. Remove from heat.
- Transfer to a container that is immersed in an ice bath. After this temperature shock, you can serve it still warm or chilled.
- Store in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap in contact with the surface of the cream.
3. English cream with ginger
Ingredients
- 5 gems
- 2 cups of fresh heavy cream (minimum 36% fat)
- 1 cup of whole milk
- 2/3 cup of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of powdered ginger
- 1 pinch of salt
Preparation method
- Mix the cream, milk, sugar, ginger, and salt, then heat the mixture over low heat.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly to help dissolve the sugar and prevent the mixture from boiling. When bubbles begin to appear on the sides, remove the pan from the heat.
- In a bowl, beat the egg yolks;
- Add ½ cup of the warm cream and mix well;
- Transfer this egg and cream mixture to the saucepan with the cream and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens – between 5 and 8 minutes;
- Strain the cream and place it in a container set in an ice bath. Stir until cool.
- Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it against the surface of the cream, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Store for a maximum of 3 days.
4. Cinnamon English Cream
Ingredients
- 4 gems
- 1 cup of milk
- ¾ cup fresh heavy cream (minimum 36% fat)
- ¼ cup of sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
Preparation method
- Mix the milk and cream, add the cinnamon, and bring to a boil.
- Cook over medium heat until boiling. Remove from heat and let stand for 30 minutes to allow the cinnamon to infuse.
- In a bowl, mix the egg yolks with the sugar until you obtain a whitish cream (about 2 minutes);
- Return the pan to the heat and cook the milk, cream, and cinnamon mixture over medium heat until it boils. Reduce the heat;
- Pour about ½ cup of this liquid into the egg yolk and sugar mixture and stir well;
- Add this new mixture of egg yolks, sugar, and milk to the pan and cook until thickened;
- Strain the cream, discarding the cinnamon stick, and pour it into a container set over an ice bath;
- Once cooled, refrigerate in a container covered with plastic wrap, pressing it against the surface of the cream. Store for up to 3 days.
5. English cream with orange
- 6 gems
- 500 ml of whole milk
- 7 tablespoons of sugar
- Orange zest
- 1 pinch of salt
- Orange liqueur (optional)
Preparation method
- Put the milk in a saucepan and add the sugar, salt, and orange zest;
- Heat over low heat for a few minutes; there's no need to boil the mixture, just warm it up so that the orange zest infuses. Remove from heat and let it rest, covered, for one hour.
- Beat the egg yolks;
- Reheat the milk and pour it over the egg yolks, stirring constantly while pouring to prevent them from cooking;
- Add this mixture of egg yolks and milk to the contents of the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens;
- Strain the cream, pressing the orange zest to extract as much flavor as possible, into a bowl set over an ice bath;
- Stir the cream until it cools. If you want to use orange liqueur, add it now and mix.
- Store the cream in the refrigerator and serve with more orange zest to add more color and flavor to the cream.
6. English cream with lemon
Ingredients
- 2 gems
- 1 cup of whole milk
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- Zest of two lemons
Preparation method
- Beat the egg yolks with the sugar and set aside;
- In a small saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat, but do not let it boil, just enough to warm it – about 5 minutes;
- Pour the milk over the egg yolk and sugar mixture, stirring constantly;
- Once well mixed, place over heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened;
- Remove from the heat and pour into a container immersed in an ice bath;
- Add the lemon zest and refrigerate until ready to serve.
7. English cream with chocolate
Ingredients
- 8 gems
- 3 cups of whole milk
- 1 and 1/2 cups of fresh heavy cream (minimum 36% fat)
- ½ cup of sugar
- 230 g of chopped semi-sweet chocolate
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
Preparation method
- Cook the milk, cream, and sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar, until the mixture begins to bubble at the edges of the pan – about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a bowl, beat the egg yolks;
- Pour about ½ cup of the hot mixture over the egg yolks and mix well;
- Add this new mixture to the liquid in the pan and cook over medium heat until the cream thickens – 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat;
- Add the chopped semi-sweet chocolate and stir until it melts and the cream becomes smooth and soft;
- Finally, add the vanilla and mix;
- Strain the cream and pour it into a container immersed in an ice bath for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cool;
- Once it is no longer hot, cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the cream, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Store for a maximum of 3 days.
8. English cream with islands of egg whites
Ingredients for custard
- 3 gems
- 250 ml of milk
- ½ vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- 50g of sugar
Ingredients for the egg white island
- 3 egg whites
- 20 g of sugar
- Caramel sauce for garnish.
Preparation method
- For the custard: cook the milk and vanilla over medium heat until boiling. If using extract, add it later in the recipe. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until you obtain a whitish cream;
- Pour 1/3 of the milk over the egg yolks and mix well;
- Add this mixture to the milk in the saucepan and cook over medium heat until the cream thickens. Remove from heat (if using vanilla extract, add it now);
- Store the custard in the refrigerator and only remove the vanilla bean when ready to serve;
- For the meringue: beat the egg whites in a mixer. When it starts to foam, add the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form;
- Grease a cup with a little oil, place the beaten egg whites inside (pressing lightly with the back of a spoon to remove any air bubbles from the cup);
- Run a knife along the rim of the cup to loosen the egg whites and unmold them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper;
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 4 minutes, until they begin to brown. Remove from the oven;
- Serve the chilled custard in a small bowl, filling it halfway. Using a spatula and with great care, remove the meringue island from the mold and place it on top of the custard. Decorate with caramel sauce.
Now that you know how to make crème anglaise, how about learning some pastry cream recipes ? You can never have too much knowledge about sweets!
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