Adapted from The French Chef Cookbook by Julia Child (Knopf, 1968)
The French Chef was my first—and is still my favorite—Julia.
6 egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups hot whole milk (it’s Julia, after all)
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (I use Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon, which I keep in the fridge)
1–2 tablespoons Amaretto or Frangelico*
Julia Child recommends a heavy-bottomed 2½-quart non-reactive saucepan, but I think a saucier is ideal here so you don’t have to fight a right angle at the bottom. I use my All-Clad Tri-Ply 3-quart stainless saucier.
Place the egg yolks in the pan and gradually whisk in the sugar. Keep whisking until the mixture becomes thick, pale yellow, and forms a ribbon. Whisk in the flour, then slowly whisk in the hot milk in a thin stream.
Set the pan over moderately high heat and whisk continuously, slowly but steadily, until the mixture thickens. If it gets lumpy (don’t panic), beat vigorously with a whisk until it smooths out again. Lower the heat and continue stirring for several more minutes to fully cook the flour and thicken the cream.
Remove from heat and stir in the butter and your liqueur of choice. Transfer to a clean bowl. To prevent a skin from forming, film the surface with about ½ tablespoon more of the same liqueur. Chill.
*Julia calls for rum, and you can absolutely use it. I usually use Amaretto or Frangelico because I love almond and hazelnut flavors.
This sounds totally decadent. I love eclairs and profiteroles-- something about biting through the tender pastry and then getting a mouthful of sweet, smooth cream. Irresistible!
ReplyDeleteFirst, what a delight to find another member of the cult of Julia Child! Second, what a nice, tidy and very well organized recipe! It took a good deal of thought to present this recipe in its absolute simplicity. Thank you for your generous work.
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