Vanilla Pastry Cream
This delicious Vanilla Pastry Cream or Creme Patisserie recipe is creamy, easy to prepare, and is the perfect filling for donuts, cakes, pastries, and more
Ingredients
- 4 cups Milk
- 1 cup Sugar divided
- 8 Egg Yolks
- 1/2 cup Cornstarch
- 6 tablespoons Butter
- 1 tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
Instructions
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In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks until combined. Add in the cornstarch and half of the sugar. Whisk again until creamy
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In a large saucepan, bring the milk and the other half of the sugar to a boil. Remove from heat
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Carefully, temper the eggs, that means to bring up the temperature of the yolks without cooking. To do that, add a bit of the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking vigorously. Then slowly add the rest of the milk mixture. Do not stop whisking
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Pour the whole mixture back into the pot and cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens
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Strain the pastry cream into a clean bowl and add the vanilla and butter. Stir until butter melts
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Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap touches the pastry cream directly (to avoid creating a film)
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Refrigerate for 2 hours or until completely chilled.
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Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
-To make chocolate pastry cream, add a melted 4 oz bar of chocolate before chilling.
-Replace vanilla with other extracts or liquors, some are stronger that others so start with 1/2 teaspoon and keep adding until desired flavor is achieved
-Add 1 tablespoon of instant coffee or expresso powder when heating the milk for a coffee taste. You can also infuse the milk with your favorite tea or spice
- Add 1/3 cup of your favorite strained fruit puree before chilling to give it a fruity flavor