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Crème Pâtissière Recipe (Vanilla Pastry Cream)

Crème Pâtissière, at its heart, is a highly versatile 'custard' created from a simple blend of milk, egg yolks, sugar and starches. This culinary diamond is a must-have in your repertoire! It offers a multitude of uses and the best part is, it's a breeze to make, taking less than 10 minutes.

Prep Time
10 mins
Total Time
10 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 219 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French

Ingredients

  • 500 millilitre full cream milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or one vanilla pod, split lengthways and seeds scraped
  • 100 grams caster sugar
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 2.5 tablespoons plain flour or 20g
  • 2.5 tablespoons cornstarch or 20g
  • 1 tablespoon butter (heaped tabelspoon) or 20g

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large saucepan, pour in the milk and the vanilla extract (or any other flavourings you prefer).
  2. Using medium-low heat, slowly bring the milk to a gentle simmer. Be sure to keep a watchful eye on it. Milk can burn rather swiftly and even the slightest scorch can negatively impact the flavour of your pastry cream.
  3. As the milk is gradually warming up, place the sugar, egg yolks, all-purpose flour and cornstarch into a bowl.
  4. Whisk the ingredients together thoroughly until they are well combined with no lumps.
  5. Check on the milk. As soon as it reaches a gentle simmer, remove it from the heat.
  6. Carefully pour about one-third of the hot milk into the egg mixture and quickly whisk it together. This process is called tempering.
  7. Next, pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk and give it a thorough whisk to combine all the ingredients.
  8. Put the saucepan back on the stove over medium-low heat and slowly bring it to a gentle boil, making sure to whisk continuously.
  9. Once the mixture has reached a gentle boil and begins to thicken, reduce the heat to low. Continue whisking vigorously for an additional 2 minutes from boiling point to allow the flour and eggs to cook. Maintain a steady, gentle, 'slow bubble' - not too slow and not too fast.
  10. After the 2 minutes, remove the pastry cream from the heat and add the butter.
  11. Whisk vigorously until the pastry cream becomes smooth, creamy and shiny.
  12. Transfer the pastry cream to a clean bowl and cover the surface with a piece of plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let it cool down before placing the bowl in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
  13. When you're ready to use the pastry cream, give it a thorough whisk to make it smoother. If you need it to be a bit thinner, especially for something like a trifle, you can add a splash of milk or cream and whisk it in until it reaches your desired consistency.

Notes

  • Diligent whisking is vital as it guarantees that the pastry cream thickens uniformly and minimises the risk of lumps or burnt spots. Use a wire whisk and not a fork or a spoon.
  • Avoid distractions, such as checking your phone or multitasking in the kitchen.
  • After the mixture has thickened, be sure to maintain that gentle, consistent 'slow bubble'. If it's too low, you might encounter texture problems and if it's too high, the pastry cream could burn.
  • Pause the whisking for a second and see if you notice the slow 'plop...plop...' effect. That's the sweet spot.

Nutrition Information

Calories 219kcal (11%) Carbohydrates 27g (9%) Protein 6g (12%) Fat 10g (15%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 3g Trans Fat 0.1g Cholesterol 210mg (70%) Sodium 57mg (2%) Potassium 155mg (4%) Fiber 0.1g (0%) Sugar 21g (42%) Vitamin A 458IU (9%) Calcium 130mg (13%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 219

% Daily Value*

Calories 219kcal 11%
Carbohydrates 27g 9%
Protein 6g 12%
Fat 10g 15%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 3g 15%
Trans Fat 0.1g 5%
Cholesterol 210mg 70%
Sodium 57mg 2%
Potassium 155mg 3%
Fiber 0.1g 0%
Sugar 21g 42%
Vitamin A 458IU 9%
Calcium 130mg 13%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.