Pastry Cream
Definition
- Pastry Cream
- Pronounced: [PAS-tree creem]
- In French, crème pâtissière [KREHM pah-tee-see-EHR]
- A thick, egg and flour or cornstarch custard used in tarts, as a filling between cake layers, and in cream puffs, eclairs, profiteroles, and napoleons.
Basic Recipe For Pastry Cream
Ingredients
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Beat the egg yolks with the sugar, flour, and cornstarch in a mixing bowl until pale. Heat the milk until almost boiling in a saucepan over medium heat. Slowly add the hot milk to the egg mixture while beating constantly. Pour into the saucepan and return to medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and boils. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Let the cream cool with plastic wrap pressed against the surface. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
Fixes
If the pastry cream doesn't thicken enough, add any of the following (mixed with a small amount of cold milk first) for every 1 cup of milk used in the recipe:
- 3 tablespoons flour, or
- 1 tablespoons cornstarch, or
- 1 1/2 tablespoons rice flour, or
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot, or
- 1 tablespoon tapioca
Substitutes
Don't have the ingredients you need or the time to make the custard? Try any of these substitutes instead:
- Vanilla pudding
- Whipped cream flavored with vanilla extract
- Marshmallow creme
