Dessert -- Pastry Cream (I could eat it by itself!)
Submitted by dvdlee on August 27, 2004 at 10:22 am

DESCRIPTION
Dessert -- Pastry Cream (I could eat it by itself!)

SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under Misc. Recipes & Requests

INSTRUCTIONS
This is a great pastry cream with several advantages over any other I have tried. 1) Its quick 2) Its very tasty 3) Its consistent in thickness 4) Is easy to make.

This is a mildly sweet pastry cream - so use top-quality milk & butter

Notes: Anything filled with this cream MUST be kept well-chilled. I do not keep any baked goods using pastry cream more than 2 days (this is never a problem!)

The only problem is that it is 'easiest' if there are two people involved at one point in time. You can make this cream by yourself (just hold and tip the pan with one hand, whip with the other). However, its easier/faster if you have someone who can hold down the pan as you whip in step #4 (you only need help for a minute).

1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teasppons cornstarch
1 large egg
1 cup milk
3 Tablespoons butter (unsalted, soft)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Sift sugar, flour & cornstarch together in a bowl. Stir to ensure all ingredients are well-distributed

2. Add the egg and beat until light.

3. Place milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.

4. Stirring vigoriously with a wire wisk, dump 1/2 of the milk into the bowl with egg/flour mixture. (Leave the burner on). Then quickly pour everything back in the pan that has the rest of the milk. Continue to cook on high heat stirring frantically with the wisk until the center bubbles and the mixture is very thick. (Stir with a large whisk across the bottom of the pan, then quickly circle the edge, repeat, etc.) The cooking takes less than a minute.

5. Remove from heat, and stir butter and vanilla in. Pour in a bowl, stir sporadically to release steam. Stir and let cool to room temp before using. If using later, cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill. Let cream warm until only slightly chilled before spreading or use.

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Recipe from The American Baker: Equisite Desserts from the Pastry Chef of the Stanford Court by Jim Dodge (1987, ISBN: 0-671-61158-5

• This topic was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by rottiedogs.