Pastry Cream

Please note: This recipe is part of the Premium section.

Originating in France or Italy in the 17th century, pastry cream, also known as "crème pâtissière," is a beloved classic in the realm of French patisseries. With just a few key ingredients such as eggs, milk, sugar, and starch you can create a decadent pastry cream that serves as the perfect filling for tarts, éclairs, and other delightful pastries.

La Crème Pâtissière

Course: Filling

Cuisine: French

Keyword: custard

Difficulty: easy

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 5

Servings:

Calories: 75kcal

Cost: $6

The mother of all pastry fillings

Equipment

1 Saucepan
1 Immersion blender
1 Baking tray
1 Immersion blender
1 Whisk
1 Rubber spatula
4 deli containers

Ingredients

Custard

1000 g Milk
5 g Vanilla bean or extract
250 g Sugar
160 g Egg yolks
50 g Flour
50 g Corn starch
150 g Mascarpone optional

Pastry Cream For Croissant (Pain Aux Raisins)

500 g Milk
5 g Vanilla optional
125 g Sugar
1 ea. Egg
3 ea. Egg yolks
25 g Flour
25 g Corn starch

Instructions

Pastry cream ingredients.
Flatten vanilla bean, split in half and scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean.

Vanilla Milk Infused

In the saucepan, combine the milk, vanilla, and one third of the sugar. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. Cover and let infuse for 15 minutes or longer. The vanilla pod can be removed now or once the pastry cream is cooked.

Egg-Starch Mixture

In the bowl, beat the egg yolks with sugar for 30 seconds.
Then incorporate the flour and corn starch.
Bring the milk back to a boil and turn off the heat. Temper the egg mixture by gradually whisking in about half of the hot milk.
Pour tempered egg mixture into remaining hot milk; whisking constantly.

Cooking Custard

Place the pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove custard from heat. Take out the vanilla bean pod, rinse it, and save it for your homemade vanilla sugar. If using mascarpone, add it now and mix with an immersion blender until smooth.

Cooling Custard

For rapid cooling, pour the custard onto a chilled, plastic wrap-lined baking sheet.
Cover it with another sheet of plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the custard's surface. Place an ice pack on top and refrigerate until completely chilled.

Storage

The pastry cream can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; freezing is not recommended.
When ready to use, stir it vigorously with a spatula by hand, or beat it on medium-low speed in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment to restore its smooth consistency.