Pistachio Pastry Cream

Pistachio pastry cream is a delicious variant of the classic pastry cream, enriched with the intense flavor of pistachios. It’s perfect for filling cream puffs, tartlets, or simply enjoying by the spoonful. Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients

• 500 ml of whole milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 100 g of granulated sugar
• 40 g of cornstarch (cornflour)
• 100 g of pistachio paste (or finely chopped pistachios)
• 1 vanilla pod (or a teaspoon of vanilla extract)

Preparation

1. In a saucepan, bring the milk to a slight boil with the vanilla pod split lengthwise. If you don’t have a vanilla pod, you can add the vanilla extract later.
2. In the meantime, in a bowl, whisk the yolks with the sugar until the mixture is pale and frothy.
3. Add the cornstarch to the yolk and sugar mixture, and mix until it forms a smooth, lump-free cream.
4. Remove the vanilla pod from the milk (if you are using it), then slowly pour the hot milk over the cream of yolks, stirring constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling.
5. Transfer everything back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens (this should take about 5-7 minutes).
6. Once the cream is thick and velvety, remove the saucepan from the heat and incorporate the pistachio paste or finely chopped pistachios, mixing until the color and flavor are uniform.
7. Pour the cream into a bowl and cover it with cling film in contact, to prevent a skin from forming on the surface.
8. Allow the cream to cool to room temperature, then store it in the fridge until it’s time to use it.

Tips

If you want a more intense pistachio flavor, you can lightly toast the pistachios before chopping them and adding them to the cream. Make sure to use quality pistachios, preferably unsalted, to achieve the best possible taste.

Pistachio pastry cream is great to enjoy on its own, but imagine adding it to a shortcrust pastry base: you will have a pistachio tart worthy of a high-level patisserie!