Pastry Cream Recipes

PASTRY CREAM, CREME PATISSERIE

Steps:

• Measure out all of the ingredients. Cut the butter into small pieces.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks (110 grams, 6 large) with the sugar (100 grams, ½ cup), cornstarch (30 grams, ¼ cup), and salt (1 gram, ¼ teaspoon) with a whisk until foamy and about double in size. This will ensure a smooth pastry cream.
• In a saucepan, heat the milk (568 grams, 2 ½ cups) until it starts to boil.
• Temper the egg yolks by slowly pouring about half of the milk into the egg/cornstarch mixture while whisking continuously. It can be helpful to nestle the mixing bowl in a damp kitchen towel to stabilize the bowl while you whisk and pour.
• Pour the milk/egg mixture back into the pot with the remainder of the milk and cook over low heat, whisking continuously, until the mixture thickens and starts rapidly bubbling. Do not rush this process.
• Pour the hot pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve.
• If you are adding any chocolate or other flavorings, they can be whisked in at this point. Add the butter (28 grams, 2 tablespoons) and vanilla (1 ½ teaspoons) and whisk in.
• Place a piece of plastic wrap right on top of the pastry cream and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Pastry cream can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• Stir together the milk, salt, vanilla bean and seeds and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a medium saucepan until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the sugar has just dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the cornstarch, egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl until smooth. While continually whisking, slowly pour in about 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture. Continue to whisk until smooth. (This is called tempering, and it will prevent the yolks from scrambling.) Continue whisking and adding 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture at a time until completely combined and smooth.
• Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan and turn the heat to medium. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and the texture of pudding, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, then whisk in the butter until smooth and glossy. Remove the vanilla bean.
• Strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the pastry cream, and refrigerate until chilled through, at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Before serving, whisk the pastry cream until smooth and fluffy.

PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine milk, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, and salt. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a simmer.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, cornstarch, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Whisking constantly, slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the hot-milk mixture into the egg-yolk mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, until it has been incorporated. Pour mixture back into saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes. Remove and discard vanilla bean.
• Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter, and beat on medium speed until the butter melts and the mixture cools, about 5 minutes.
• Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Just before using, beat on low speed until smooth (you can also whisk by hand).

NO-FUSS PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk together milk and egg yolks in a glass measuring cup; add to saucepan along with butter and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let boil 1 minute, still whisking; then remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
• Strain pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface of cream to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. Just before using, whisk until smooth.

PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan, stir together the milk and 1/4 cup of sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and egg. Stir together the remaining sugar and cornstarch; then stir them into the egg until smooth. When the milk comes to a boil, drizzle it into the bowl in a thin stream while mixing so that you do not cook the eggs. Return the mixture to the saucepan, and slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly so the eggs don' t curdle or scorch on the bottom.
• When the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, remove from the heat. Stir in the butter and vanilla, mixing until the butter is completely blended in. Pour into a heat-proof container and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled before using.

PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• Put the milk in a saucepan. Scrape the vanilla seeds into the milk and throw in the pod. Bring just to a boil, remove from the heat, cover and set aside to infuse for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Beat the yolks and sugar to pale, thick ribbons. Gradually beat in the flour and salt. Whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture in a thin stream. Return the mixture to the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Strain and set aside to cool with a buttered piece of waxed paper on top to prevent a skin from forming. When cool, fold in the whipped cream.

FRAISIER (STRAWBERRY CREAM CAKE)

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until lightened. Whisk in the cornstarch. In a saucepan, warm the milk, then slowly pour it into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Pour the combined mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until very thick, about 5 minutes. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Make the sponge cake. Sift the flour. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and one-third of the sugar until lightened. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites into stiff peaks, adding the remaining sugar a little at a time halfway through the beating time. Fold the beaten egg whites into the yolk mixture, then fold in the flour. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely.
• Carefully peel the parchment paper from the cake.
• Using the cake ring, cut out two circles from the cake.
• Add the butter to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until light and creamy.
• Add the pastry cream and beat until well incorporated. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
• Place the cake ring on a serving plate and place one cake circle on the bottom.
• If necessary, briefly rinse the strawberries and pat them dry on paper towels.
• Set aside one dozen of the most attractive strawberries for the top decoration. Hull and cut similarly sized strawberries in half and place them next to each other around the perimeter of the ring with the cut side touching the ring.
• Cover the strawberries with a little of the pastry cream to seal them against the ring.
• Hull the remaining ones and place in the center of the cake.
• Cover the layer of strawberries with some of the pastry cream.
• Place the second cake disk on top.
• Evenly spread a thin layer of the pastry cream on top.
• Hull the remaining whole strawberries then set them on top of the cake, pointed ends up.
• Scrape the remaining pastry cream into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/3-in plain pastry tube and pipe pointed mounds of cream on top of the cake between the strawberries.
• Refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, carefully remove the ring.

CREME PATISSIERE

Steps:

• Beat the egg yolks and sugar for a few minutes until pale and slightly thickened.
• Whisk in the flours.
• Heat the milk in a saucepan until stating to boil.
• Whisk the milk into the egg mix.
• Put the whole lot back into the pan, stirring all the time until thick and boiling.
• Take the pan off the heat - cover with cling-film to prevent a skin from forming.