Pastry Cream

Creme patissiere or pastry cream is a thick sauce used as the basis for a cream or other dessert, or as filling for pastries.

The sauce may be made with part cream and part milk.

When used as filling for pastries, pastry cream is allowed to cool, then beaten or whisked until smooth; it may be lightened and enriched by folding in whipped cream or whisked egg whites.


INGREDIENTS

1 Litre of milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
190g caster sugar
95g french custar powder
200g whole eggs (or 4 eggs)
25-50g unsalted butter



METHOD

1. In a sauce pan warm up the milk with the vanilla extract.
2. In the meantime, in a metal bowl break the eggs with the sugar and the custard powder.
3. Slowly add the warm milk to the egg mixture and still together.
4. Put the mix onto the sauce pan and keep on stirring on a low heat (if cooked on a high temperature the eggs may scramble).
5. Once the cream has reached a thick consistency, add in the butter  and still until melted.
6. Take it off the heat and cover with cling film (make sure the cling film touches the cream surface) and refrigerate.