Pastry Cream or Creme Patissiere

Silky and delicate pastry cream combined with super creamy and light whipped cream that make irresistible filling for cream puffs, éclairs, fruit tarts, cakes and pastries.

Ingredients:

500 ml milk
6 egg yolks
160 g sugar
45 g corn starch
1 tsp vanilla extract
150 ml heavy whipping cream

Step 1

Separate the egg whites from the yolks into separate bowls. (Save the egg whites, you can use them to make meringue cookies or Italian/Swiss meringue buttercream).

Step 2

Pour the milk into a medium size saucepan. Add half of the sugar to the egg yolks and the other half to the milk. Heat the milk by bringing it to a boil over medium heat.

Step 3

Add the cornstarch to the egg yolks and sugar and whisk all together until the color lightens and texture thickens.

Step 4

Whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture until it is incorporated then slowly drizzle in the remaining hot milk mixture while whisking.

Step 5

Strain the mixture back into the saucepan. Place pot over medium-high heat and cook while whisking continuously until thickened and slowly boiling.

Step 6

Transfer the pastry cream in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill it for at least 2 hours.

Step 7

Whip the cold heavy cream to medium peaks (be careful not to overbeat the cream) and add to the custard. Mix everything together being careful not to knock the air out.

Step 8

Transfer into the pastry bag and use for your favorite desserts.

Notes:

You can make the custard or creme patisserie ahead of time, it will keep for a couple of days in an airtight container in the fridge then give it a quick whisk to break it up as it will set and loose that silky texture. However, I would not add the whipped cream until you were ready to serve it. It is best served immediately.