Chocolate creme patissiere (Chocolate pastry cream)
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4.9
100 reviews
Excellent
Chocolate creme patissiere (Chocolate pastry cream)
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Chocolate creme patissiere is a rich, custard-style pastry cream made by cooking milk, eggs, sugar, cocoa, and cornstarch together with melted bittersweet chocolate and butter. It has a smooth, thick texture and deep chocolate flavor, with optional gelatin added for firmness. This versatile cream is used in desserts and pastries.
Description
The Chocolate creme patissiere blends eggs, brown sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and vanilla into a smooth base tempered with hot milk. Cooking this mixture on the stove thickens it into a custard, to which melted bittersweet chocolate and butter are folded in, resulting in a velvety texture and intense chocolate taste. The addition of gelatin is optional but provides a firmer consistency suitable for layering or piping.
The cream can be varied by adjusting egg yolks for thickness, swapping milk for plant-based alternatives with similar fat content, or adding flavorings like instant coffee, bourbon, orange extract, or cinnamon for unique profiles. This adaptability allows it to complement numerous desserts, including tarts, cakes, and pastries.
Using whole milk ensures richness, and careful whisking during tempering prevents curdling. The recipe notes provide ideas for customizing thickness and flavor, enhancing versatility within chocolate pastry cream applications.
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Ingredients
- 540 g milk 2 ¼ cups, whole
- 10 mL vanilla extract 2 tsp
- 18 g dutch processed cocoa powder 2 tbsp
- 2 egg from large eggs, yolk
- 2 egg or substitute with 2 egg yolks for a slightly thicker version, large
- 100 g brown sugar ½ cup (You can also use white sugar)
- 25 g cornstarch 2 ½ tbsp
- ¼ tsp salt ½ tsp for a salted chocolate pastry cream, sea salt
- 170 g bittersweet chocolate 6 oz, or semisweet chocolate
- 30 g butter 2 tbsp, softened (OR vegan butter)
- 2 tsp gelatin optional
- 30 mL water 2 tbsp (To bloom the gelatin)
Instructions
- Optional step - Place the water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Mix gently with a toothpick (or something similar) and allow the gelatin to bloom in the water while you get the custard ready. Use gelatin if you want a more stable chocolate pastry cream.
- Add the milk into a saucepan. Heat the milk over medium high heat until it's steaming and just about to boil. It's not necessary to boil the milk, but it is OK if it does boil gently.
- While the milk is heating, place the sugar, eggs and yolks, cornstarch, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt in a bowl. Whisk until you have a thick, smooth mix. Place this egg mix on a towel or napkin (to prevent it from slipping in the following step), and then set it aside until the milk comes to a boil.
- As soon as the milk starts to boil, remove it from the heat. Slowly pour about one half of the hot milk into the egg mix (in a thin stream), WHILE WHISKING CONSTANTLY to temper the egg mix. When the eggs have been tempered, add the egg-milk mix back into the hot milk in the saucepan.
- Heat the custard base over medium heat, while whisking vigorously until it starts to thicken. This should take about 2 - 5 minutes (depending on your stove and heat level and type of saucepan you use).
- Heat until the pastry cream comes to a boil. The pastry cream is boiling when you see bubbles at the surface (see pictures in the post for reference). Once the first few bubbles break the surface, keep whisking the pastry cream for about 1 - 1.5 minutes while whisking constantly. This ensures that the cornstarch cooks and thickens the custard properly. Now turn off the heat.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately add the chocolate, butter, and bloomed gelatin (if using). Whisk the mixture well until the chocolate, butter, and gelatin dissolve and mix in well with the rest of the custard. If needed, keep the pot on the stove (with the heat off), so that the residual heat continues to melt and mix the custard together.
- Strain the custard (optional, but recommended if you think you have lumps in the custard), directly into a bowl or container where you will be storing the chocolate pastry cream.
- Immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap is touching the whole surface. This is to prevent a custard skin from forming on top.
- Let the custard cool down slightly, and then let it chill in the fridge for a few hours, or overnight, until completely chilled. You can use the pastry cream once it has cooled down to room temperature as well.
- This may set as it cools down (definitely will set in the fridge), so you will need to whisk the chocolate creme patissiere to make it smooth again before use.
- Store the chocolate pastry cream in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Notes
- Use 4 egg yolks instead of a mix of yolks and whole eggs for a thicker, richer cream.
- Add gelatin to stabilize the pastry cream for firmer textures.
- Increase cornstarch to thicken the cream further if desired.
- Plant-based milks with similar fat content, like barista oat or cashew milk, can replace dairy milk.
- Enhance flavor with additions like instant coffee granules, bourbon, orange extract, or cinnamon based on preference.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
0.25cup
Calories
162kcal
(8%)
Carbohydrates
18g
(6%)
Protein
4g
(8%)
Fat
8g
(12%)
Saturated Fat
6g
(30%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.4g
(2%)
Monounsaturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Trans Fat
0.1g
(5%)
Cholesterol
61mg
(20%)
Sodium
97mg
(4%)
Potassium
177mg
(4%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
13g
(26%)
Vitamin A
188IU
(4%)
Vitamin C
0.1mg
(0%)
Calcium
100mg
(10%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 14servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 162 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 0.25cup | |
| Calories | 162kcal | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 18g | 6% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 8g | 12% |
| Saturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.4g | 2% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Trans Fat | 0.1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 61mg | 20% |
| Sodium | 97mg | 4% |
| Potassium | 177mg | 4% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 13g | 26% |
| Vitamin A | 188IU | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 0.1mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 100mg | 10% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
100 reviews
Excellent
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