Crème Anglaise recipe with Bourbon - This classic dessert sauce with the addition of the smoky flavor of Kentucky bourbon is easy and versatile. It can go with almost any sweet dish, be churned into ice cream, as well as on its own with fresh berries!
We highly suggest pairing this bourbon sauce with our Croissant Bread Pudding, as the sweet vanilla flavor and velvety smooth texture contrast the dried cherries and butterscotch in it.
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What You're Going to Need!
- Egg yolks - These will form the binder for this classic sauce.
- Sugar - White granulated sugar is best.
- Cream - The high fat content of heavy cream, or "whipping cream", adds a richer flavor.
- Bourbon - It wouldn't be bourbon sauce without the whiskey, right? While we don't suggest using your best single barrel expression for this, (save that for sipping!), it really can't be the cheapest stuff, either. Look for the median price, and the actual name "bourbon", not just whiskey.
- Vanilla - This recipe calls for whole vanilla bean. This is the best way to get the fullest flavor, but a good quality vanilla extract or vanilla paste can also be used. See the "Variations" section below.
See recipe card for quantities.
Recipe
Crème Anglaise with Bourbon Sauce
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Separate the eggs into a large mixing bowl, using the egg yolks for this recipe and saving the whites for another time.
- Making sure you have everything you need for this recipe ready before you start is very important for your success.
- Pour the cream into the saucepan and add the split vanilla bean or vanilla extract (or vanilla paste) and the bourbon, and place over medium heat.
- Add the sugar to the egg yolks and whisk vigorously until smooth. Set the egg mixture aside and place ice into the second large mixing bowl with a cup of water, creating an ice bath, placing it aside for the final straining and cooling steps (having this ice bath ready to go is extremely important).
- When the cream comes to a simmer, let it sit for 2 minutes so you infuse the vanilla flavors.
- Pour the heated cream mixture into the egg and sugar mixture, do not hesitate it is important that you work quickly to prevent the mixture from curdling, whisk the mixture together.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan, using the rubber spatula to scrape the bowl. Place the empty bowl on the ice bath with the fine mesh sieve nearby, getting ready to quickly strain the finished sauce into the clean bowl that is set in the ice bath.
- Place the pan over medium to high heat, and stir continuously until the mixture begins to thicken (it will start to roll away from the sides of the pan, and coat the rubber spatula).
- Quickly remove the pan from the heat and holding the fine mesh sieve over the large bowl that is set on the ice bath pour the thickened mixture through the strainer (this will remove any cooked egg as well as the spent vanilla bean) into the bowl.
- Stir the completed sauce keeping it on the ice bath, until it is completely cool, then pour over your favorite dessert or fresh fruit and enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!How to Make Creme Anglaise
- Separate the egg yolks into a stainless bowl, reserving the whites for another recipe.
2.Whisk them together with the sugar until well combined.
3. Put the split and scraped vanilla bean, bourbon, and cream together in a saucepan. Heat until you achieve a low simmer, then turn it off and let it sit for a minute or so to steep.
4. Pour hot cream mixture into bowl of eggs and sugar, stirring rapidly and constantly to combine.
5. Immediately return to saucepan.
6. Stir constantly with a heat proof rubber spatula while gently heating over low flame. Remove from heat when sauce is thick enough to coat the spatula without running off.
7. Pour sauce into a stainless mixing bowl, straining through a fine mesh sieve.
8. Rapidly cool over an ice bath while stirring gently with the spatula.
Crème Anglaise Basics
French sauces with fancy sounding names can seem very intimidating to many folks. Throw in egg yolks as a thickening agent, and the whole project can start to seem downright scary. Allow us to walk you through the basics, and we're sure that you will agree that this doesn't have to be the case!
Let's just look at what crème anglaise sauce really is. "English cream", as it is literally translated from the French, is a custard. Custards are simply egg thickened, cream or milk-based dishes. Puddings, (in all of their forms), crème brulee, and even ice cream are custards. If you make anglaise and freeze it with an ice cream churn, "voila! "you have ice cream.
If you've ever payed close attention to eggs in a pan, I'm sure that you've noticed that there comes a point where the yolk starts to thicken, right before it becomes solid. Getting the egg right to that point and then stopping the cooking by chilling is all that we are doing here. Being prepared and following some simple steps will get you there!
***For some in depth info about creme anglaise, check out the wiki for it right here.
Chef tip
Hesitation is your biggest enemy here! If you stop stirring or pouring while working with egg yolks, this is when they will seize up and curdle. Moving rapidly from one step to the next will reward you with great results.
Variations
We are great fans of the bourbon sauce version that we used here, but crème anglaise is as versatile as it is easy!
- Classic - omitting the liquor from this recipe will yield the classic, vanilla flavored sauce
- Orange - adding Grand Marnier in place of the bourbon, and toss a little orange zest into the cream to steep
- Coffee - substituting Kahlua for the bourbon will give this sauce a lovely coffee bean flavor
Storage & Helpful Hints
When tightly sealed in the refrigerator, this sauce should stay fresh and tasty for up to five days. Unless you churn this sauce into ice cream, it will separate in the freezer.
Make sure you are ready with a whisk when you add the sugar to the eggs yolks. Mixing the two together immediately results in the final sauce being smooth and creamy. The sugar will start to cure the egg yolks if it's not combined quickly.
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classic dessert sauce