Pastry cream (Crème Pâtissière) is a simple and delicious cooked custard with a smooth and creamy texture. Often used in French pastries, it's perfect for filling cakes, pies, and tarts, and solo as a rich gluten-free vanilla pudding!
⅔cup(132grams)granulated sugar, divided, see Recipe Notes
3tablespoons(24grams)cornstarch
2cup(480grams)milk, see Recipe Notes
1(1)fresh vanilla bean, split, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, see Recipe Notes
3tablespoons(44grams)unsalted butter, optional
Instructions
In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks briefly. Add the cornstarch and half of the sugar and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Whisk the milk and the remaining sugar together in a medium saucepan. Using the tip of a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the milk mixture (if using), then add the vanilla bean pods.
Heat the milk mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until small bubbles form and it starts to steam, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Gently heat the yolk mixture by slowly adding ¼ cup of the warmed milk mixture to the yolk mixture while continuously whisking. Add another ¼ cup of the milk and whisk again. This process is called tempering the eggs, and its purpose is to prevent the yolks from curdling while the custard cooks.
Add the yolk mixture to the pan and cook, whisking constantly, until the custard is bubbling and thickened. Allow it to boil approximately 1 minute longer, stirring constantly. Don't overcook the custard to avoid curdling the eggs.
Remove the custard from the heat and strain it through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl, removing the spent vanilla bean. If the custard boiled during thickening, straining it out will help remove any curdled bits of egg.
If you are using vanilla extract instead of a vanilla bean, stir it in now along with the butter, if using. Stir until the butter melts, but don't over-mix, as this will thin the custard.
Cool the custard using an ice bath (½ ice cubes, ½ water), reaching halfway up the sides of the bowl. Stir until it's cooled to room temperature (a digital thermometer should read about 80 °F to 85 °F).
Once cooled, place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the custard and refrigerate until needed.
Storage information: Pastry cream can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface, for up to 5 days. If tit starts to separate, just stir it until it's smooth.This pastry cream should not be frozen because the cornstarch will break down during thawing, ruining the texture.
This recipe makes about 2 cups (615 grams) of pastry cream, enough to fill a full-sized Boston Cream Pie or a 10-inch fruit tart.
Recipe Notes
You can reduce the amount of sugar by up to a half if you want less sweetness.If you want an even richer product, you can substitute up to ½ cup of heavy cream for some of the milk. You can also make a non dairy pastry cream by using your favorite dairy-free milk alternative.Don’t toss that vanilla bean - instead rinse the bean, then place it in a jar and cover with vodka to make your own vanilla extract.Flavor Variations (from King Arthur Baking):
Chocolate Pastry Cream: Omit the butter and stir in 1 cup (170 grams) chopped semisweet or dark chocolate after the custard has been strained, stirring until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
Caramel Pastry Cream: Omit the butter and stir in ¾ cup (213 grams) chopped caramel after the custard has been strained, stirring until the caramel has melted and the mixture is smooth.
Orange Pastry Cream: Stir in 1 teaspoon orange extract, ¼ teaspoon orange oil or Fiori di Sicilia, or 3 tablespoons finely grated orange zest after the custard has been strained.