1 Take a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add a drop of water to the bottom, then pour in half the milk with the vanilla sugar and bring to a boil.
2 Meanwhile, in a large bowl, place your 4 egg yolks, mix well with the granulated sugar then the cornstarch, finally pour in the remaining cold milk and whisk.
3 Pour the hot milk over the mixture and return everything to the saucepan over low heat for 2 minutes, making sure it doesn't boil. Transfer to a cold bowl and let cool.
4 Make your caramel, then when it reaches a nice color, stir in your walnuts, mix quickly then pour in 2 tablespoons of cold water to stop the cooking and fold them into the cream with a spatula.
5 Whip your egg whites to stiff peaks and gently fold them into the walnut cream using a spatula, lifting and cutting through.
All that's left is to put the bowl in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Serve in the center of the table in a nice bowl or in beautiful glasses or verrines with perhaps some tuile cookies or ladyfinger cookies to accompany, or as a garnish for small savarins or babas.
Don't let the cream go above 82°C during cooking: above that, the yolks coagulate and you end up with lumps that are impossible to fix. Low heat, constant whisking, and the moment the cream coats the spatula, off the heat. The walnut caramel, on the other hand, requires quick reflexes: two tablespoons of cold water as soon as it reaches the right color to stop the cooking dead, otherwise it hardens into a solid block. This cream is perfect from October through January, when fresh Grenoble walnuts arrive at the market. That's the right time: the kernels are still soft and their bitterness stays mild.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your experience!
Help other cooks
Share a tip, your adaptation, your result. Every comment counts.