The pastry cream is a cream prepared with egg yolk, sugar, milk and flour. It is one of the most used creams in pastry, it can be served as a spoon dessert or used as a filling for cakes, sponge cake, puffs and many other pastry products.
A good custard must be smooth, shiny, of medium consistency, with a good scent of vanilla and lemon. The aroma of vanilla and peel, with the fresh milk taste, must produce a pleasant and elegant mix where the starches are not very perceptible. The importance of cooking is fundamental: if overcooked, it is only a sugary mixture with an unpleasant taste. If undercooked, it will not maintain the structural creaminess and the cake will become heavy and watery.
INGREDIENTS
- 6 yolks
- 250g milk
- 60g sugar
- 20g corn starch
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 lemon (peel)
HOW TO MAKE PASTRY CREAM
Cut along the length of the vanilla bean and extract the seeds with the help of a knife, add it to the milk with the lemon peel and bring it to the boil.
In a bowl, mix the sugar with the corn starch, add the yolks (one at a time) and stir until the mixture is clear and frothy.
When the milk starts boiling, pour it through a strainer (to prevent not to add lemon zest) and stir. Put the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over a very low flame for about 10 minutes until the cream is thick.
Remove the cream from the heat and pour it into a cold container to lower the temperature more quickly and prevent lumps from forming. Cover with the plastic wrap it in the fridge.
Your pastry cream is ready for use!
