Italian Pastry Cream
A thick and creamy Italian pastry cream that is perfect for pastries and desserts. This Italian version of creme patissiere has a delicate lemon and vanilla flavour and can be adapted to make other flavours such as chocolate or coffee.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 cups (480 mls) whole milk (divided)
- 1 vanilla bean (split down the length)
- strip of lemon rind
- 4 egg yolks
- ½ cup (100 grams) sugar
- 5 teaspoons (½ ounce/15 grams) plain (all purpose) flour (sifted)
- 5 teaspoons (½ ounce/15 grams) cornstarch ((also known as cornflour) sifted)
- pinch salt
- 2 tablespoon (1 ounce/30 grams) unsalted butter (optional but recommended)
Instructions
- 1
Place 1 ¾ cups of milk, vanilla bean, and strip of lemon rind in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the milk just before simmering point. Don't boil. Stir in the sugar until dissolved and set aside.
- 2
In a bowl whisk egg yolks, flour, cornstarch and salt until smooth. Whisk in the remaining ¼ cup of milk.
- 3
Remove lemon rind and vanilla bean from the milk.
- 4
Slowly pour the hot milk onto the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
- 5
Strain the mixture back to the saucepan and place over medium heat. Whisk constantly until the mixture comes to the boil and thickens. Simmer for 1 minute to cook the flour.
- 6
If adding unsalted butter, whisk into hot pastry cream until melted and mixed through.
- 7
Pour the pastry cream into a heatproof bowl pressing plastic wrap directly onto the surface to stop a skin forming.
- 8
Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
- 9
Before using, stir until smooth.