Vanilla Sauce

Vanilla sauce, also known as crème anglaise, is one of the fundamental preparations for all pastry shops. It is actually a stirred custard, made with the same ingredients used to prepare a basic baked custard. Because the mixture is stirred constantly as the eggs thicken over heat, the custard stays loose and pourable instead of setting firmly, as it would if baked. Vanilla sauce is used as a sauce accompaniment to many desserts, and also serves as the base for other classical and contemporary applications, such as Bavarian cream and ice cream. Before you start the sauce, prepare an ice bath. Have a strainer and a container to hold the finished sauce nearby.