Servings: 2.25 cups
Equipment
- whisk
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk ~480g
- 4 egg yolks medium or large (about 60-70g)
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch ~40g
- 7 tablespoons sugar ~87g
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter ~28g
Instructions
- Boil Milk: In a pot, mix milk with vanilla extract and half the sugar, and heat until almost boiling.
- Prep Yolks: Whisk yolks in a bowl, then mix in cornstarch and the remaining sugar.
- Temper Eggs: Gradually add a few tablespoons of hot milk to the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to avoid curdling. Repeat until all milk is incorporated.
- Thicken Cream: Return mixture to the pot and cook on low/medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and bubbles (2-4 minutes).
- Off Heat Whisking: Once thick, remove from heat and whisk for another minute.
- Add Butter: Stir butter into the mixture until melted and integrated.
- Taste and Adjust: Taste the cream and add more sugar or vanilla if needed.
- Chill: Cover with plastic wrap touching the cream's surface to avoid crust formation. Cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate.
- Final Whisk: Before use, "chop" the chilled cream with a fork, then whisk until smooth. It's now ready for piping.
Notes
This recipe uses less sugar than most other recipes out there. Make sure to taste the pastry cream and adjust the sugar if needed. It should be sweet, but not so that the vanilla flavor is barely noticeable.
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