Egg Yolks
Sweet Recipes
Custard (Crème Anglaise)
The base for many desserts: pour over fruit, cake, or use to make ice cream or semifreddo.
Made with milk/cream, sugar, yolks, and vanilla.
Crème Pâtissière (Pastry Cream)
Thicker custard for tarts, éclairs, or trifles.
Can be flavoured with chocolate, coffee, citrus, or rum.
Lemon Curd
Egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, butter — tangy and lush.
Use in tarts, with yoghurt, or spread on toast.
Ice Cream
Classic French-style ice cream is custard-based.
Use 4–6 yolks for a rich, silky result.
Tart Bases like Tarte aux Fruits
Many sweet tart doughs (pâte sucrée) use yolks for richness.
Flan / Crème Caramel
A silky baked custard with a caramel top.
Needs just yolks, milk, sugar, vanilla.
Kogel Mogel
Eastern European comfort food: raw yolk whipped with sugar and optional vanilla, chocolate, or honey.
Sablé or Shortbread Biscuits
Rich, crumbly texture using yolks instead of whole eggs.
Savoury Recipes
Hollandaise Sauce
Warm emulsion of egg yolks, butter, and lemon juice.
Serve with asparagus, fish, or eggs Benedict.
Mayonnaise or Aioli
Raw yolks emulsified with oil, mustard, vinegar/lemon.
Add garlic, herbs, or anchovy for variations.
Carbonara (Proper Roman Style)
Yolks stirred into hot pasta with cheese and pancetta.
No cream — just creamy yolk.
Enriched Pasta Dough
Use yolks only for luxurious, golden pasta.
Great for tagliatelle, ravioli, or pappardelle.
Gratin or Potato Purée Enrichment
Stir a yolk into mashed potatoes or gratin base for a silky finish.