Coffee Diplomatic Cream

17/11/2023

The Coffee Diplomatic Cream is a variant of the classic diplomatic cream, which consists of pastry cream and whipped cream, sometimes enriched with gelatin to make it firmer. The coffee variant adds an aromatic touch that pairs perfectly with sweets such as cream puffs, tartlets, or as a filling for cakes and spoon desserts.

Ingredients

250 ml of whole milk
2 egg yolks
60 g of granulated sugar
20 g of all-purpose flour (or cornstarch for a gluten-free version)
1 packet of vanilla sugar or the seeds of 1 vanilla pod
4 g of sheet gelatin (fish glue)
250 ml of fresh liquid cream for whipping
30 ml of very strong espresso coffee, or 1-2 tablespoons of instant coffee if you prefer a more practical version

Preparation

Start by preparing a coffee custard. Put the egg yolks in a bowl with the sugar and beat them until you have a light and fluffy mixture. Add the sifted flour and mix well.
Heat the milk with the vanilla sugar or vanilla pod seeds in a saucepan until it begins to simmer. Take the milk off the heat and gradually pour it over the yolks, stirring constantly.
Transfer everything back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until the cream thickens. At this point, incorporate the espresso coffee.
Soak the sheet gelatin in cold water for a few minutes. Squeeze out the water and add it to the hot custard, stir until completely dissolved.
Let the cream cool down, perhaps placing it in a wide container and covering it with plastic wrap touching the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
In the meantime, whip the very cold cream with an electric mixer until it has a firm but not buttery consistency.
When the custard is cold, gently fold it into the whipped cream, using a spatula with an upwards motion to keep the mixture airy.
Your Coffee Diplomatic Cream is ready. Now you can use it to fill desserts or as a spoon dessert, perhaps accompanied by ladyfingers or cookies of your choice.

Curiosity

Diplomatic cream gets its name from the fact that it combines two other creams, making “diplomacy” between custard and whipped cream. The coffee version pays homage to the Italians’ love for this ingredient, which makes the cream more refined and perfect for concluding an important dinner.