2 cups milk
6 egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla, optional
¾ cup whipping cream, lightly
whipped
1 to 2 shot glasses bourbon (1½
to 3 ounces), optional
Put milk in a heavy saucepan and set saucepan over medium heat just until milk comes to a boil. Turn off heat.
In a mixing bowl, beat egg yolks with an electric mixer on high speed until they have thickened and are light in colour, about 2 minutes. Slowly beat sugar into yolks. Beat until yolks are thick enough to form a ribbon when the beaters are lifted, about 2 minutes.
Beat a little hot milk into yolk mixture. Beating constantly, very slowly add remaining hot milk mixture to yolk mixture. Pour milk/yolk mixture back into saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a long-handled wooden spoon, until sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon, about 15 minutes; do not let sauce boil or it will curdle the yolks. Remove sauce from heat. Add vanilla if desired and stir well. Set sauce aside to cool completely.
Fold whipped cream into sauce, add bourbon if desired. Transfer sauce to a container and refrigerate, covered, until chilled. Serve sauce cold. Makes 3½ to 4 cups.