Recipe: Pastry Cream (Crème Patissière)
I wanted to make this recipe as a filling for my niece's birthday cake, but pastry cream is a fabulous filling for cream puffs or eclairs, or whatever you fancy. Pastry Cream (Crème Patissière): 2 cups (450mL) milk 1/3 cup (70g) sugar pinch salt 3 tbsp cornstarch 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla bean 3 egg yolks + 1 whole egg 3 tbsp (45g) butter Split vanilla bean and scrape out vanilla seeds and put seeds and pod in a saucepan with milk. Heat over medium high heat stirring frequently to a simmer (not quite a boil). While the milk is heating, whisk sugar, salt, cornstarch and all eggs in a bowl until well combined. Temper the egg mixture with about half a cup (100g) of hot milk mixture, whisking constantly until smooth. Then add egg mixture to the milk mixture (don't forget to remove the vanilla pod). Continue to heat while whisking constantly until mixture thickens. (About 1-2 minutes). Allow to come to boil and boil for about 2 minutes, whisking constantl...