Homemade Vanilla Dessert Cream

Of course! Here’s a simple recipe for Homemade Vanilla Dessert Cream — perfect for pouring over cakes, fruit, or just eating by the spoonful:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
• ⅓ cup (65 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or seeds from 1 vanilla bean)
• Pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Heat the milk and cream:
   In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and cream. Heat gently over medium heat until just steaming — don’t boil. Remove from heat.
2. Mix egg yolks and sugar:
   In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until smooth and pale.
3. Temper the eggs:
   Slowly pour a little bit of the hot milk/cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly. This warms the yolks gently without scrambling them. Then gradually whisk the egg mixture back into the saucepan.
4. Cook the cream:
   Return the saucepan to medium-low heat. Cook while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the cream thickens slightly — about 5–7 minutes. It should coat the back of a spoon.
5. Finish:
   Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract (or vanilla bean seeds).
6. Cool:
   Strain the cream through a fine sieve if you want it ultra-smooth. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, then cool. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Notes:

• If you want a thicker custard-style dessert cream, you can increase the cornstarch to 2 tablespoons.
• For a very rich French-style version, use all cream and skip the milk.

Would you like a second version that’s lighter (no eggs) — more like what you might pour over fruit salad or a sponge cake? I can send that too!