Crème Pâtissière (French Pastry Cream Recipe)
Today we're diving headfirst into the creamy, dreamy world of Crème Pâtissière. This pastry cream recipe is deceptively simple, calling for just 7 easily accessible ingredients. It's actually one of the first recipes I mastered in pastry school! My instructor used to say, 'The mark of a great pastry chef can be tasted in their pastry cream.' Don’t worry — with this foolproof recipe, you're sure to earn top marks. 😉
Servings: 20 (4 cups)
Calories: 97kcal
Ingredients
- 4 cups Whole milk
- 1 Vanilla Bean
- 5 Egg Yolks
- ⅔ cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup Cornstarch
- Pinch Kosher Salt
- 3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
Instructions
- In a heavy saucepan, add your scraped vanilla bean and milk together and bring to a simmer.4 cups Whole milk, 1 Vanilla Bean
- Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and pinch of salt together in a bowl. Whisk until the mixture lightens in color and becomes a pale yellow.5 Egg Yolks, ⅔ cup Granulated Sugar, ½ cup Cornstarch, Pinch Kosher Salt
- Temper the egg mixture by slowly whisking in the hot milk to the egg mixture together until homogenous.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly over medium heat.
- When the pastry cream comes to a boil, continue to whisk constantly and boil for up to 2 minutes. The pastry cream should reach 200F.
- Remove from the heat and strain into a clean bowl. Stir in the butter and mix until the butter is melted and mixed into the cream.3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- Cover with plastic film placed directly in contact with the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming and place in the fridge to cool.
- Before using, whip the chilled pastry cream until smooth before using!
Video
Notes
Expert Tips
I've learned a few tricks since I first started making pastry cream back in school:
- Temperature control is key. When heating your milk, do it gently and gradually. Sudden high heat can cause the milk to scald or form a skin. Similarly, when adding the hot milk to the egg mixture, do it slowly and steadily to avoid curdling the eggs.
- Can’t keep your bowl still as you’re stirring and tempering? Dampen a kitchen towel, then wrap it around to form a ring on your counter. Place the bowl inside the ring, and voila! It should stay nice and still for you.
- Maintain constant vigilance. Once all ingredients are combined, constant stirring is crucial. Use a whisk and continuously stir the mixture over medium heat.
- Strain for perfection. After cooking, strain your pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve. This step is essential to remove any cooked egg bits or lumps.
- Keep it smooth. To prevent a skin from forming on the surface as it cools, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream.
- Check your consistency. Remember, pastry cream will thicken further as it cools. It should coat the back of a spoon but still be pourable when hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 97kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 21mg | Potassium: 79mg | Fiber: 0.03g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 196IU | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 0.1mg
