Making the pouring custard base (creme anglaise)

Cup of Yum
1. Here we'll be following my creme anglaise recipe instructions. Please check that post for more tips on how to make perfect creme anglaise.
2. In a saucepan, combine the milk and heavy cream. Heat over medium / medium-high heat until the milk starts to steam. Make sure to regularly stir to prevent the milk from burning.
3. In a medium bowl, place the egg yolks, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Whisk very well until the egg yolks become very smooth and start to turn pale in color.
4. Once heated, remove the milk from the stove and it’s ready to be added to the egg mixture.
5. To add the milk to the egg mixture, the eggs must be tempered. Place the bowl with the egg mixture on a non-slip surface (i.e. on a rubber pad or wet cloth napkin placed on the kitchen counter).
6. Carefully pour the hot milk mixture in a thin stream into the egg mixture, making sure to constantly whisk the egg mix as the milk is poured in.
7. When about half of the milk is added to the egg mix, the egg mixture should be warm enough and be tempered. Whisk it once more to make sure all the egg yolks are mixed in well (while scraping down the sides of the bowl).
8. Pour this egg and milk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Whisk well to combine.
9. Now it’s time to cook the custard. Lower the heat on the stove to a medium low or low heat, and return the saucepan to the stove. When you cook the custard, you may have to alternate cooking it on the stove and then remove it from the stove to stir and disperse the heat if the custard is overheating too quickly (and then return it to the stove once again). You may have to do this, a few times depending on the heat from your stove. You can also lower the heat of your stove as well.
10. Cook the custard while constantly stirring with a rubber spatula until the custard has thickened to the right consistency. This can take anywhere from 4 - 10 minutes depending on the stove, size of the saucepan, and saucepan material. Make sure to scrape the edges, sides, and bottom of the pan with the spatula to evenly heat the custard.
11. The custard will start to thicken as it reaches the correct temperature. The custard is done when it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon with a film of custard (see pictures in the post for reference). The temperature of the custard should reach 180 - 185°F (82 - 85°C).
12. Once the custard is cooked, remove it from the heat. It's now ready to be added to the chocolate.

Making the cremeux

1. Before making the custard, place the chocolate in a large bowl. Remember you'll be adding the custard and will need room to blend the chocolate mix with a stick blender.
2. Once the custard is cooked, pour the custard through a sieve into the bowl with the chocolate.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid for about 1 minute.
4. Uncover and stir the mixture with a spatula or whisk and mix the melted chocolate with the pastry cream. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted.
5. If you’re adding butter, add the butter at this stage while the chocolate is still warm. Stir to melt and mix in the butter.
6. Next, use a stick blender to blend the chocolate cremeux. This will help emulsify the mixture. The cremeux will start to look smooth and shiny.
7. Cover the cremeux with plastic wrap, making sure that the plastic wrap is in contact with the entire surface so as to prevent a skin from forming on top.
8. Transfer the chocolate cremeux to the fridge to completely chill, or until it reaches room temperature.
9. If you're serving the chocolate cremeux in a tart OR individual dishes, pour the cremeux into the dishes and let it chill in the fridge until it sets.
10. To use the cremeux as a topping or for piping, keep the chilled chocolate cremeux at room temperature for a while until it’s softened to room temperature.