Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière) after Supper

Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière) after Supper keeps the shopping list focused on milk, vanilla bean seeded, and sugar. It serves 16 people.

Count on 30 minutes of prep, 1 hour of resting, about 1 hour from the first measurement to the plate.

Ingredients Method

What goes in the bowl

• 2 cups milk
• ½ vanilla bean seeded
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 whole egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 5 tablespoons cornstarch

How the cooking goes

Making Pastry Cream

1. Scale the milk and the sugar into a medium pot.
2. Split and scrape the seed from half a vanilla bean. Put the seeds in the milk mixture then whisk together.
3. Warm the milk mixture on medium heat until it comes to a boil.
4. While the milk is coming to a boil, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks to break up the proteins. Then Blanchir the eggs with cornstarch. This means whisking the cornstarch and eggs together to lighten them and give them more protection for the tempering process.
5. Once the milk has come to a bowl time to temper it into the eggs. Slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the blanchired eggs while you continue to whisk the eggs. You prefer to pour all the milk into the eggs to ensure they are adequately tempered.
6. Tip the mixture back into the pot. Continue to cook on medium-low heat and whisk, ensuring you touch the bottom of the pan at all times and scraping the edges to prevent burning and clumping.
7. Cook the pastry cream until it has thickened and starts to boil. Once it starts to boil, set a timer or watch the clock for 1 minute and continue to whisk. It needs to boil for one minute to properly activate the cornstarch and to cook out the starch flavor and mouthfeel.
8. Pour the pastry cream onto a plastic-lined sheet tray or baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap, poke a few holes, and cool until it is no longer warm in the refrigerator.

How to Prepare Pastry Cream for Use

1. Before you use pastry cream, you need to “refresh it” or “condition” it. This means beating it so that it becomes smooth and silky. This will not remove lumps, but it will create a more pleasant product to eat and work with.
2. Set the desired amount of pastry cream in a electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until the texture looks smooth. You don’t want to beat it too long, or the cornstarch will lose some of its hold. This can lead to loose, unruly fillings.

After it comes off the heat

Chill it for the time the method names before serving. Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator.

If you want another plate from Custards, open Almond Cream for the Dessert Plate and Butterscotch Pudding for the Dessert Plate.