On steeping. French culinary tradition calls for steeping a vanilla bean in the warm cream for a while (or at least briefly boiling it in the cream). But crème anglâise is still sinfully delicious with a nice dose of pure vanilla extract. If you aren't using a vanilla bean, you can combine all of the ingredients in the pot, and cook them over low heat until the sauce coats the spoon.  

On the Yolks. You have a little leeway when it comes to the number of egg yolks you use in relation to the milk and cream. One less or one more won't make too much of a difference. You'll just end up with a slightly thinner or thicker custard sauce. For a traditional consistency, stick with the recipe as written. But if you're short an egg yolk, don't fret and use what you have. 

On Heavy Cream. Crème anglâise can be made with only milk and without heavy cream. Replace what's lost from the heavy cream, namely fat, by adding another egg yolk to the recipe. Or simply replace the cream with another cup of whole milk, it'll still be delicious. 

For Eggnog. Use all heavy cream for crowd-pleasing eggnog at your annual holiday soirée. Add freshly grated nutmeg to taste, but start with ½ teaspoon for this recipe. For thinner easy-drinking eggnog, you can take away two of the egg yolks, or add another half of a cup of heavy cream.