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My review
Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream
Chef John
"The key to a great pastry cream is using the minimum of starch. You need enough so the cream holds a shape, but not so much it interferes with the flavor. This version uses cornstarch; just be careful not to keep cooking it once it has thickened. This is perfect in Napoleons, pies, tarts, or cakes."
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Ingredients
2 h 30 m servings 120 calsOriginal recipe yields 12 servings (3 cups)
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- US
- Metric
Directions
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Prep
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Cook
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Ready In
- Place whole egg and 2 egg yolks into a mixing bowl. Add sugar, corn starch, and salt. Whisk together completely until mixture turns from yellow to a very page creamy color and is slightly thickened, 5 to 8 minutes.
- Place milk in a saucepan. Split vanilla bean lengthwise. Scrape the cut side with a paring knife to extract the seeds (paste). Add the seeds to the milk. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until milk just barely starts to simmer and a few small bubbles appear on the surface. Remove from heat. Whisk hot milk into egg mixture, starting with a small splash then incorporating the rest. Pour mixture back into saucepan.
- Place pan over medium-low heat and continue to whisk until mixture begin to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool 5 minutes. Add chunks of butter and whisk until butter melts into the warm milk mixture. Pass mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove and chunks of cooked egg or vanilla seeds. Cover surface with plastic to keep it from discoloring; refrigerate until thoroughly chilled 2 to 3 hours.
Footnotes
- Chef's Note:
- Tip:Â Save the scraped pods, and stick them in your sugar container for lovely, vanilla-scented sugar!
- To use this cream as Napoleon filling, here's Chef John's recipe for Mille Feuille, or Napoleon Pastry Sheets.
Nutrition Facts
Per Serving: 120 calories; 6.3 g fat; 13.9 g carbohydrates; 2.3 g protein; 64 mg cholesterol; 211 mg sodium. Full nutrition
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Reviews
Read all reviews 1215 Ratings
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Most helpful positive review
4/30/2017
This recipe really is easier than others. To anyone who is not a big fan of stirring for what seems like an eternity over a hot stove, this recipe is for you. It comes together literally in just...
Most helpful critical review
3/1/2017
I don't know what I did wrong. Are you sure the recipe needs one whole teaspoon of kosher salt? I followed the recipe EXACTLY with fresh ingredients and it seems too salty.
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4/30/2017
This recipe really is easier than others. To anyone who is not a big fan of stirring for what seems like an eternity over a hot stove, this recipe is for you. It comes together literally in just...
3/1/2017
I don't know what I did wrong. Are you sure the recipe needs one whole teaspoon of kosher salt? I followed the recipe EXACTLY with fresh ingredients and it seems too salty.
7/29/2017
First time making pastry cream and it was delicious! I chose this recipe because the instructions were clearest and easiest to follow. If you don't have all the ingredients on hand, substituti...
4/1/2018
This recipe is easy to follow. I sub 2% percent milk and Vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean. LOVE IT
9/18/2017
Like most of Chef John's recipes, works like a charm and tastes great. Used as a filling for cream puffs.