Vanilla Pastry Cream

Have you every been watching a baking show on TV and someone says “Crème Pat”? Well, she’s not a relative but a delicious Pastry Cream. Here’s a SIMPLE one-pot way to make a delicious Crème Pâtissière! I have to thank Martha Stewart for the inspiration for this recipe!

Ingredients:

DRY Mixture:

½ C granulated white sugar

¼ C Corn Starch

Pinch of Kosher Salt

WET Mixture:

2 C whole milk, room temp

4 Large Egg Yolks, room temp

2 T butter, salted or unsalted (may need to adjust the size of your “pinch” in Dry mix

1 t pure vanilla extract

Other Stuff:

Heavy-Bottomed pot

Whisk

Wide 4 C Measuring Cup

Fine-mesh Sieve

Spatula

Large cooling bowl

Cling Film

Instructions:

Set everything out to become room temp.

Whisk together your cornstarch, sugar and pinch of salt. In your large measuring cup, combine the milk and egg yolks, whisking until eggs are well incorporated. Add Wet mixture to Dry mixture whisking the entire time as to not form clumps. Add Softened butter. Whisking constantly, cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Once on a full boil, let boil for one minute to completely activate the corn starch, still whisking.

After the minute of boiling, turn the heat off and add in the vanilla (flavoring of your choice) and whisk until thoroughly combined. Switching to a spatula pour mixture through sieve into bowl to filter any potential cooked egg pieces. Cover with cling film place directly onto the mixture to keep from forming a “skin”. Let cool at room temp for 30 minutes and in the fridge for up to 2 days before use.

I always make mine a day ahead and use it in a tart shell the next morning to allow ample time for it to set up!

That’s all there is to this wonderful Crème Pâtissière! 

Vanilla Pastry cream is the base of this delicious fruit tart! 

Will Bake 4 Food RSS

LEMON CURD!!

Ingredients:
DRY:
1 Cup of Sugar
WET:
5 Egg Yolks (I've also used 3 yolks and one whole egg for a fluffier version)
Zest and Juice of 4 lemons (only 1/3 cup of juice)

1 Stick of butter chilled and cubed.

Other Equipment:

Hand Held mixer with Beater attachment

Zester.

Separate Eggs and make a delicious meringue with the whites!
Prep the lemons by zesting and Juicing (it only takes me 2 1/2 lemon's juiced to gain 1/3 cup).

Start a pot with c. 1 inch of water in it to simmer

In a stainless steel bowl, combine yolks and sugar and whisk until dissolved. Then add lemon and zest and combine until smooth.

Place bowl with mixture over simmering pot of water and with a hand mixer fitted with beaters, beat until the mixture sticks to the back of a spoon. It takes about 8-10 minutes.

Remove from heat and then add in the butter a pad at a time making sure that each one is melted into the lemon mixture before adding the next.

Place curd into a clean bowl and then put plastic wrap over the curd and make sure that it touches the top of the curd and stick it in the fridge.

Here's my tutorial of how to make Alton Brown's Lemon Curd! Thank you, Alton Brown for the recipe!