Creams, Custards, Puddings, Frozen Desserts, and Sauces

A quick glance at this last chapter may give you the impression that you will be overwhelmed with a great many recipes and techniques within a few pages. Among the subjects covered are custard sauces, pastry cream, puddings, custards, mousses, bavarians, soufflés, ice cream, and dessert sauces.

It’s all much simpler than it seems. Once you have learned three basic preparations—vanilla custard sauce, pastry cream, and baked custard—you will have learned most of the rest. Vanilla custard sauce, also called crème anglaise or English cream, is the basis for bavarians, ice cream, and some dessert sauces. Pastry cream, with a variety of flavorings, is also used for pie fillings and puddings and is the basis for some soufflés. Many baked puddings are baked custard with added starch or fruit ingredients.