Crème Anglaise Sauce

Ingredients

1 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Preparation

In a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan bring half-and-half and heavy cream just to a boil over medium to med-high heat (use lower heat for lighter weight pans – do not recommend using a non-stick pan as the Teflon may fleck off into the custard). Be careful to keep a close eye on the milk.  It will boil over quickly if you don't get it off the heat as soon as it starts to boil.

While cream mixture is heating, in a bowl whisk together yolks, sugar, vanilla and cornstarch until slightly thickened and pale, about 2 minutes.

Add hot cream mixture in a stream, whisking, to bowl (set bowl on rubber mat or silicon pot-holder to hold bowl in place), then transfer custard back to pan.

Note: do not scrape any clumps or browned custard (if any) into bowl and remove any lumps or browned bits from pan before transferring custard back.

Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until a thermometer registers 180°F., about 2 minutes (do not let custard boil). Transfer custard to cleaned bowl and cool to warm, stirring occasionally. Crème anglaise may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered (press plastic wrap into surface to avoid crusting). Keep refigerated.

Makes about 1 2/3 cups