An easy crème pâtissière recipe
I used to study at Le Cordon Bleu in London, and it is widely known for it’s pastry discipline. Therefore, I had to learn very quickly and because the next desserts were way more complicated. One of the first lessons we ever learned was how to make vanilla bean pastry cream. After mastering this, we got tested on it and moved on to much more difficult recipes. So when I say this is easy to make, I really mean that anyone can do it, with some patience. The basis of this pastry cream is egg yolks and milk, it sounds unhealthy but again, not large amounts of this are eaten in one sitting.
Crème Pâtissière is the French term for “pastry cream”, it is a silky smooth custard with specks of vanilla bean swirling around. On the other hand the Western version of this would be custard. However, custard is more liquid. This is more firm in texture and is often used as a filling in eclairs, mille-feuille etc. I am going to show you how to temper the egg yolks and warm milk and the do’s and don’ts. I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, leave a comment if you have any questions.
Bon Apetit,
Zorah
How to stop your eggs from curdling in vanilla bean pastry cream
One important thing to note in this recipe is the mixing of the egg yolks and the warmed milk. We all know that adding these two together can cause our eggs to curdle almost immediately. Once your milk is warmed (not boiled, just warm enough to see some steam), allow it to rest while you whisk your egg yolks. This gives the milk some time to cool down and not be too to when adding it. Now we can start with tempering, this is basically the concept of slowing adding one liquid to another in stages.
Once your egg yolks are whisked with the dry ingredients they will be very pale yellow in colour. At this point the milk will be slightly cooled, pour about 1/4 cup if not less into the egg yolks while whisking the whole time. The trick is that you don’t stop whisking , now place the warm milk down and whisk to combine it fully with the yolks before adding in more. Keep doing this in stages, until you have added in all the milk.
Can I use an ice bath for tempering the yolks and milk?
This step is very important and really can’t be rushed. If you are a bit pressed for time, you can make an ice bath. Simply add ice cubes and water to a larger bowl than the egg yolks are in. Place the egg yolk bowl on top of the ice bath, make sure no water gets in the bowl. Then slowly add in the milk, start off with 1/4 cup warmed milk and then whisk it through. This process takes a bit longer but it may help you feel more confident in tempering the yolks and milk.
What do I do with the vanilla bean stalk in the pastry cream
I leave my vanilla bean in the pastry cream until it has set and refrigerated. I only remove it once I am ready to use the pastry cream. If you do not have vanilla beans, I would suggest you add in two teaspoons of vanilla extract. Try not to use vanilla essence as it is not as powerful in flavour.
How To Make Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream
Course: SweetCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Easy5-10
servings10
minutes15
minutes2
hoursIngredients
440g whole milk
1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tbsp. corn starch
4 large egg yolks
2 tbsp. room temperature butter
Directions
- Split the vanilla bean down the middle using a sharp pairing knife.
- Then use the flat side of the knife to scrape out the inside, that is where the flavour is.
- In a small pot, combine your milk, the vanilla seeds you took out and the bean stalk itself.
- On a medium heat, let the milk come to steam, this should take about 5-7 minutes.
- Do not let it boil, remove from the heat and set aside for now.
- In a medium sized bowl, add in the egg yolks, corn starch and sugar and whisk until the colour turns a pale yellow and it becomes thicker in consistency. This should take about 10 minutes by hand.
- Slowly add in the milk (1/4 cup at a time, refer above for method on how to temper) and keep whisking while the milk is being poured in. This is all being done off the heat.
- Once all the milk is in, whisk to combine everything, then return it to the stove.
- On a medium heat start to whisk continuously.
- It will start to thicken eventually, do not increase the heat or the cream will burn at the base.
- Once the pastry cream starts to bubble, let it bubble for another minute. Then remove from the heat.
- Whisk in the butter and then place it in a medium sized tray or flat dish and spread out the pastry cream. Place cling film on to, press it down so it touches the pastry cream and allow it to come to room temperature.
- Then refrigerate for 2 hours or until you need it.
- Once you are ready to use it, by hand with a whisk or in a mixer, whisk it so that the consistency becomes a bit more fluid and easy to use.
[…] hope you enjoy this recipe! You can also try my Vanilla Pastry Cream Recipe if you would like to omit the chocolate […]
[…] If you are not in a rush to make everything on the same day, you should make your pastry cream the day before. This will save you a lot of time and energy. The filling is really the main star of the show, so once it is set you can move on to the puff pastry. Here is the link for the pastry cream recipe. […]