Vanilla Cream or Sauce

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups whole milk , divided
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch , or more as desired
• 0.33 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat 2 cups milk in a heavy saucepan over low heat until simmering, about 5 minutes.

2. 2

   Beat remaining 1/2 cup milk and cornstarch together in a bowl using a whisk until dissolved; add sugar and egg yolks and beat until smooth. Slowly pour milk mixture into simmering milk while gently whisking the simmering milk; simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and stir vanilla extract into sauce.

3. 3

   Pour the sauce through a wire mesh sieve into a bowl to remove any cornstarch lumps. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the sauce, ensuring the plastic wrap is touching the sauce to prevent a skin from forming; cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

4. 4

   Move sauce to refrigerator and chill completely cold, at least 30 minutes.