Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pastry cream is a type of custard used to fill cakes, pies and various other pastries. It is especially lovely in Caramel Cakes (recipe soon). It is rich and thick and can be mixed with other fillings like jams, caramel and whipped cream to make it lighter. It is thus a lovely canvas for a lot of other sweet creations. This is a recipe for a basic vanilla bean pastry cream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

(1) 1 Cup Milk (Whole or Reduced Fat)

(2) 1 Vanilla Bean (Or 1-1/2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract or Paste)

(3) 3 Egg Yolks

(4) 2 Tablespoons Butter (Room Temperature)

(5) 2 Tablespoons Corn Starch

(6) 3 Tablespoons Sugar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROCEDURE:

(1) Place milk in heavy bottomed sauce pan and bring to simmer on medium heat.

(2) Add vanilla to milk. If using bean, divide it in the middle and scrape out seeds with knife. Place both bean and seeds in the milk. The bean is used here for better flavor and aesthetic value. The tiny seeds in the pastry cream gives it a gourmet feel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TIP: Do not discard used vanilla bean pods. Rinse and place them in your sugar jar to make vanilla sugar.

(3) In a bowl, combine egg yolks, sugar and corn starch. Mix with whisk to blend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4) As soon as the milk starts boiling, add it to the egg mixture. This should be done gradually through a process called tempering. When tempering you pour the milk into the egg mixture gradually while you whisk continuously. This evens out the temperature of the mixture and prevents the eggs from cooking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(5) When you are done, pour the mixture back into the sauce pan and cook on medium heat, whisking continuously until the cream thickens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(6) Place the butter in a large bowl and strain the pastry cream into the bowl. The heat from the cream will melt the butter. Straining removes and lumps that might be in the cream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(7) After straining, stir cream to combine with butter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(8) Pastry cream should be stored in the fridge until needed. To prevent a skin from forming on top of the pastry cream, place a plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream.