Pastry Cream

Pastry cream is a classic of Italian pastry, loved for its versatility and delicate taste. Let’s see how to prepare it.

Ingredients

• 500 ml of whole milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 100 g of sugar
• 40 g of cornstarch (cornflour) or flour
• Zest of untreated lemon or vanilla bean

Preparation

1. Start by heating the milk with the lemon zest or vanilla in a saucepan. Bring it almost to a boil and then turn off the heat.
2. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until you have a light and frothy mixture.
3. Incorporate the sifted cornstarch or flour, stirring well to avoid lumps.
4. Remove the lemon zest or vanilla from the milk and gradually pour the hot milk over the egg and sugar mixture, continuing to mix.
5. Transfer everything back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat.
6. Stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until the cream starts to thicken.
7. Once the cream has reached the desired consistency (it should coat the back of a spoon), remove it from the heat.
8. Transfer the cream to a bowl and cover it with cling film touching the surface to prevent the formation of a skin.
9. Let it cool and then use the pastry cream as you like, to fill sweets or as a base for other preparations.

Curiosities

Pastry cream is a fundamental element in many Italian sweet preparations such as profiteroles (or cream puffs), mille-feuille, or trifle. Its use in some savory dishes is equally interesting: some daring chefs use it as a base for savory pie fillings or combined with spices and aged cheeses.