Sweet White Sauce

This basic Sweet White Sauce is inexpensive to make and can be easily adapted to complement your favorite dessert. Why not try these quick and easy Orange and Lemon variations? Recipes make 1/2 pint (300 ml).

Basic Sweet White Sauce

Ingredients:

3/4 ounce (20 g) butter
3/4 ounce (20 g) flour
1/2 pint (300 ml) milk
1 tablespoon sugar
4 drops vanilla essence

Method:

1. Melt the butter, add the flour, and cook for 30 seconds to make a roux. Off the heat, stir in the milk until smooth, then return to the heat. Add sugar and vanilla. Bring to the boil and stir until thickened.

Tip: You can use cornflour instead of a roux. In a pan, mix 2 teaspoons cornflour with a little milk taken from 1/2 pint (300 ml). Stir in the remaining milk, add the sugar and vanilla, and stir until boiling and thickened.

Variations:

Orange Sauce

Infuse the milk by gently heating with the thinly pared rind of 2 oranges before straining into the roux. Just before serving add 3 tablespoons cream and 1 tablespoon Orange Flower water, available from Chemists.

Lemon Sauce

Add up to half a jar of lemon curd to the Basic Sweet White Sauce once it has thickened.