Crème anglaise facts for kids
Crème anglaise with vanilla seeds
|
|
| Alternative names | English Cream Drinking Custard |
|---|---|
| Type | Custard |
| Main ingredients | Sugar, egg yolks, milk, vanilla |
Crème anglaise (which is French for "English cream") is a light, sweet, and creamy sauce. You might also hear it called custard sauce or pouring custard. It's a type of custard that you can pour over desserts. The main ingredients are sugar, egg yolks, and hot milk, usually flavored with vanilla.
Contents
How to Make Crème Anglaise
Making Crème anglaise involves a few careful steps. First, you whip egg yolks and sugar together until the mixture becomes pale. Then, you slowly add hot milk while continuously whisking. This helps to mix everything smoothly.
Adding Flavor and Cooking
The sauce often gets its delicious taste from vanilla. This can be vanilla extract, vanilla sugar, or even tiny vanilla seeds. After mixing, the sauce is cooked over low heat. It's important to stir it all the time with a spoon. If the heat is too high, the egg yolks might cook too much, turning into scrambled eggs!
Checking for Thickness
You know the sauce is ready when it's thick enough to coat the back of your spoon. At this point, you take it off the heat right away. The best cooking temperature is between 70°C (156°F) and 83°C (180°F). A higher temperature makes the cream thicker, as long as the eggs are mixed in well. If the sauce gets too hot and starts to curdle (look lumpy), you can sometimes save it by straining it into a bowl placed in an ice bath.
How to Enjoy Crème Anglaise
Crème anglaise is super versatile and can be used in many ways.
As a Sauce or Dessert
You can pour this creamy sauce over many desserts, like cakes or fresh fruits. It's also delicious enough to eat on its own! A famous French dessert called Île flottante (which means "floating island") uses Crème anglaise. For this, the cream is poured into a bowl, and a fluffy piece of meringue floats on top, often with some praline.
Base for Other Treats
This cream can also be the base for other popular desserts. For example, it's often used to make ice cream or the crispy-topped crème brûlée.
Other Names and Types
In the southern parts of America, Crème anglaise is sometimes called "drinking custard." It can be served like eggnog during the Christmas season. Other French names for it include crème à l'anglaise ("English-style cream") and crème française ("French cream").
You might also find "imitation custard sauce." This type doesn't have eggs and is often made from instant powders, like Bird's Custard.
See also
In Spanish: Crema inglesa para niños
