Incredible Edible Egg | Eggs - Pastry Cream (Vanilla Custard Filling)

Here’s How

BEAT egg yolks well in medium bowl or glass measure; gradually stir in milk until blended.
MIX sugar, cornstarch and salt in large heavy saucepan. GRADUALLY stir in a small amount of milk mixture, making a smooth paste. Gradually stir in remaining milk mixture until blended.
COOK over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil, 20 to 25 minutes. BOIL and stir 1 minute. REMOVE from heat immediately.
COOL quickly: Set pan in larger pan of ice water. STIR occasionally and gently for a few minutes to hasten cooling. STIR IN vanilla. PRESS piece of plastic wrap onto surface of pastry cream to prevent "skin" from forming. REFRIGERATE until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.

Enjoy

Pastry cream (crème pâtissière in French) is basically a stirred egg custard (Vanilla Custard Sauce) with cornstarch, flour or a combination of the two added for thickening. It can be used as is or lightened with whipped cream as a filling for Cream Puffs or Éclairs. Other familiar desserts made with pastry cream include luscious fresh fruit tarts and Boston cream pie.
Experiment with other flavor accents, such as instant coffee powder, rum or a liqueur. For pastry cream with a light almond flavor, add 3/4 tsp. almond extract along with the vanilla.

Insider Info

Plan ahead: Make pastry cream well in advance, so it can chill thoroughly and thicken up. A hot or warm filling will make pastries soggy.
Secrets of success: Low heat, a heavy saucepan, constant stirring and patience are the keys to making pastry cream. It takes at least 20 to 25 minutes for the pastry cream to thicken. If you increase the cooking temperature to try to speed the process along, the mixture is likely to curdle. Stirring constantly, making sure to cover the entire bottom and the corners of the pan, prevents scorching and ensures that the mixture heats evenly.
Check for bubbles: It's hard to see the first signs of boiling when stirring constantly. When you begin to feel a heavier drag on the spoon, start lifting the spoon up occasionally to check if any large bubbles are bursting at the top of the mixture. Keep cooking and stirring until large bubbles appear. Then boil and stir for 1 minute.
Cool quickly: The ice water bath is another aid to prevent curdling. It cools the pastry cream and stops the cooking quickly. Have it ready in advance. At this point it is important to stir only occasionally, not constantly. Too much stirring will break down the structure of the thickened pastry cream and result in a thin consistency.

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Nutrition Information

Per Serving

calories: 95
total fat: 2g
saturated fat: 1g
polyunsaturated fat: 0g
monounsaturated fat: 1g
cholesterol: 57mg
sodium: 76mg
carbohydrates: 15g
dietary fiber: 0g
protein: 3g
vitamin A: 176.6IU
vitamin D: 30.8IU
folate: 9.2mcg
calcium: 77.2mg
iron: .1mg
choline: 39.0mg

vitamin C: .1mg
vitamin E: .2IU
trans fat: 0g
sugars: 11g
potassium: 99.0mg
magnesium: 7.2mg
selenium: 4.0mcg
phosphorus: 74.5mg
vitamin B12: .4mcg
vitamin K: .1mcg
vitamin B6: .0mg
copper: .0mg
vitamin B1 - thiamin: .0mg
manganese: .0mg
zinc: .4mg
vitamin B2 - riboflavin: .1mg
vitamin B3 - niacin: .1mg
omega 3: .0g
omega 6: .2g

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Pastry Cream (Vanilla Custard Filling)