Milk Cream

Milk cream is a light and delicious spoon dessert that can be served either as a standalone dessert or as a base for other sweet creations.

Ingredients

• 500 ml of whole milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 100 g of granulated sugar
• 40 g of all-purpose flour
• 1 vanilla pod (or one teaspoon of vanilla extract)

Preparation

1. Begin by heating the milk in a saucepan. If you’re using a vanilla pod, split it lengthwise and add the seeds and the pod itself to the milk. Bring it to almost a boil, then turn off the heat. If you are using vanilla extract, you will add it later.

2. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until you get a light and frothy mixture. Incorporate the sifted flour and mix until smooth.

3. Remove the vanilla pod from the milk if you’ve used it. Gradually add the hot milk to the egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly.

4. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a whisk or a wooden spoon, until the cream starts to thicken. If you have chosen to use vanilla extract, add it now.

5. Once the cream has thickened and is velvety, remove the saucepan from the heat. If you desire an even finer consistency, you can strain the cream through a fine sieve.

6. Pour the cream into a bowl and cover it with cling film, making sure the film touches the surface of the cream. This prevents a skin from forming on the surface.

7. Let the cream cool before refrigerating it for at least a couple of hours. Serve it cold, perhaps accompanied by cookies or fresh fruit.

Trivia

Milk cream is very versatile in pastry: it can be used as a filling for tarts, éclairs, or as a base for more elaborate creams such as chocolate or fruit pastry cream. Additionally, by changing the proportions of the ingredients or adding other flavors, like cinnamon or lemon zest, you can easily customize it to your taste.