Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream

This Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream is silky, rich, and perfectly sweet with vanilla flavor. It’s often used in many types of desserts like fruit tarts, cream puffs, and eclairs.

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WHAT IS PASTRY CREAM?

Pastry Cream or Creme Patissiere is basically a delicious, silky, and rich custard that’s usually flavored with vanilla. It is used in a variety of decadent desserts like fruit tarts, cream puffs, and eclairs. You can also just eat it with a spoon like a pudding, this is my favorite way to eat this delicious custard. Don’t judge me! Hehe

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED

Milk – Whole milk / full-fat milk is best for pastry cream. You can also use 1% milk, but it won’t be quite as rich and thick.
Sugar – Caster sugar or granulated sugar.
Butter – You can use salted or unsalted butter. Butter adds extra richness to the texture.
Salt – This will do the job of balancing out the flavor.
Vanilla – I love using vanilla bean, but you can also use vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract.
Cornstarch – This is what thickens the cream.
Eggs – I use egg yolks for a richer cream.

TIPS FOR THE BEST PASTRY CREAM

• Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
• Tempering the eggs. You need to get the eggs to the same temperature as the hot milk in the pan to avoid curdling eggs.
• Cook over medium heat. Don’t try to speed up the process with a higher temperature. High temperature can cause a lumpy cream.
• Stir constantly while you cook the pastry cream.
• Strain the pastry cream.
• Cover the surface with plastic wrap immediately to prevent a skin from forming.
• Let it cool in the fridge for at least 1 hour before using it for your dessert.

EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED

1. Medium pot or large saucepan
2. Medium bowl
3. Rubber spatula
4. Whisk
5. Measuring cups or kitchen scale
6. Strainer
7. Container or medium bowl
8. Plastic wrap

HERE’S HOW TO MAKE PASTRY CREAM

1. Cut the vanilla bean lengthwise then use a small knife to scrape the seeds out.
2. In a medium pot or large saucepan, combine milk, half of the sugar, butter, salt, and vanilla. Heat the milk over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil.
3. While heating the milk, place the remaining sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch in a medium bowl and whisk into a smooth paste.

4. Remove the milk from the heat, then add 1/2 cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture to temper the egg yolks. Whisk the egg mixture for about 40 seconds
5. Pour the egg mixture back into the hot milk. Return the mixture to the stove over medium heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly until thick about 2 to 3 minutes. When the pastry cream is done it will be smooth and glossy.

6. Carefully strain it into a container or a medium bowl.
7. Cover it with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until totally cold before servings.

HOW TO STORE

Pastry cream must be stored in the fridge, and the best way to store it is in an air-tight container, with a piece of plastic wrap covering the entire surface to prevent a skin from forming.
Pastry cream will last for up to 4 days in the fridge, but I don’t recommend freezing it, because it will split and lose the creamy texture.

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Happy Baking!