Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière) Recipe
Follow this detailed guide to create a velvety and rich Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière), a versatile component in many desserts like éclairs, fruit tarts, and cream puffs.
Equipment
- 1 Medium saucepan For cooking the cream
- 1 Whisk For mixing the ingredients
- 1 Strainer For straining the cream to ensure smoothness
Ingredients
- 500 ml Milk Whole milk preferred for richness
- 4 Egg yolks Large
- 100 g Granulated sugar
- 40 g Cornstarch For thickening
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract Pure, for flavor
Instructions
- Heat the milk in a medium saucepan until it just starts to simmer.
- In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add cornstarch to the egg yolk mixture and mix until smooth.
- Gradually pour half of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking continuously.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the cream thickens.
- Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Strain the cream through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl to remove any lumps.
- Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming.
- Chill in the refrigerator until cold before using.
Notes
Pastry cream can be flavored with a variety of ingredients like chocolate, coffee, or citrus zest for a twist on the classic version.
Nutrition
Serving: 60gCalories: 200kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 4gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 120mgSodium: 50mgPotassium: 110mgSugar: 22gVitamin A: 15000IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 1000mgIron: 0.1mg
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