Vanilla Pastry Cream
This versatile vanilla pastry cream is perfect for filling doughnuts, French fruit tarts, cream puffs, banana cream pie, Boston cream pie, and more!
Ingredients
- 480 g whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- 65 g granulated sugar
- 30 g cornstarch
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or 1 whole vanilla bean, seeds scraped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 45 g butter
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat the milk until it is just at a simmer but don't let it boil. 480 g whole milk
- While the milk is warming, add the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and salt in a separate bowl until smooth.4 large egg yolks2 tsp vanilla bean paste, 65 g granulated sugar, 30 g cornstarch, 2 tsp vanilla bean paste, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Place the bowl on a dampened kitchen towel to prevent slipping. Add the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture in a steady stream while whisking.
- Return the combined mixture to the saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until it bubbles. Once it starts bubbling, it will begin to thicken. Keep it at a bubble don't stop whisking for 1 minute.
- Take it off the heat and whisk in the butter until thoroughly combined. Pour the hot pastry cream into a clean bowl. If you want an extra silky smooth texture, you can push it through a fine mesh sieve first. 45 g butter
- Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to avoid a skin forming. Let it come to room temperature, then chill it in the refrigerator until completely cold.
- When ready to use, give it a whisk to loosen it up again, as it will get very thick in the fridge. Pastry cream can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
Freezing pastry cream - You can freeze pastry cream but it may separate and appear curdled upon thawing. To fix this, reheat the thawed creme on the stove until hot and whisk until smooth. Or, heat a small portion in the microwave until hot and then whisk it into the rest of the custard until you get a smooth consistency.
Cook it long enough: It's vital to cook your pastry cream for the right length of time. There's an enzyme called amylase in egg yolks that can thin out your custard as it cools by breaking down the starch. To tackle this, once your mixture thickens and starts to bubble, keep cooking and whisking it for a full minute. This will deactivate the amylase and ensure your custard stays beautifully thick and creamy.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 94kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 3gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 85mgPotassium: 86mgFiber: 0.03gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 183IUCalcium: 73mgIron: 0.2mg
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