Pastry Cream

Pastry cream is a classic stovetop-cooked custard, similar to vanilla pudding, that forms the foundation for many dessert fillings.

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Pastry Cream

  • Total time: 4 Hours
  • Servings: 2 Cups

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Milk
  • 1/2 Cup Sugar
  • 3 Tbsp Cornstarch
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 Egg Yolk
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Optional:

  • 1/4 Cup Whipped Cream
  • Liqueur, eau-de-vie, or extract , to taste

Directions

  • 1)

    Start by putting a blend of milk and a sprinkle of sugar into a pan and bringing the mixture to a boil. The little bit of sugar keeps the milk from scalding on the bottom of the pan.

  • 2)

    Blend the rest of the sugar with the cornstarch; then, beat in the eggs. Whisk the mixture carefully to make sure it has no lumps. If you have lumps now, you won’t be able to get rid of them later on.

  • 3)

    When the milk has reached a simmer, pour a little of it into the egg mixture. After you’ve tempered the egg mixture, spoon it into the pan with the milk.

  • 4)

    Turn the heat down a bit and whisk constantly. At first, the mixture will look fairly fluid, but it will thicken up rather abruptly and come to a bubbling boil.

  • 5)

    Turn the heat down a little bit, grip the whisk tightly in the palm of your hand, and really work it so that no lumps form in the mixture. Cook the cream in this way for about a minute so that it loses any starchy flavor, then take it off the heat.

  • 6)

    The last step is to gently stir in the flavoring. Pastry cream is typically flavored with vanilla, either vanilla extract or a vanilla bean. It can also be flavored with an infusion of milk and coffee beans, a cinnamon stick, or a bit of orange zest. Or you can add chocolate to the finished mixture, as well as different liqueurs.

  • 7)

    At this stage, a little bit of butter may be added to enrich the pastry cream, or you might wait for it to cool off and then fold in some whipped cream.

  • 8)

    As soon as it’s made, pastry cream will look soft and soupy, but as it cools off, it will thicken considerably. To cool it, transfer it to a bowl and put a piece of plastic wrap right on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, then put the bowl in the refrigerator or a larger dish of ice water. Don’t leave it out at room temperature.

  • 9)

    After the pastry cream has cooled completely, it will likely be too thick to use for filling a dessert. If that happens, soften it by beating it with a whisk or use a mixer with a paddle attachment.

Notes

Source: Great Courses – Baking Pastries and Pies