How to Make Pastry Cream (Video), and a Giveaway
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Homemade pastry cream is so versatile! Every good baker should have a go-to recipe. Learn how to whip up this creamy, egg-y filling like a pro, with this easy video tutorial! (Gluten and dairy free.)
Good morning, friends! How was your holiday weekend? Ours was very busy, with birthday festivities, holiday celebrations, and lots of time with family. Plus I am still in the process of getting everything back in order, after the big kitchen paint project. I thought I would have been able to share lots of gorgeous pics with you by now, but it's funny how these things always seem to take longer than we expect them to. Look for something from me by the end of this week though, for sure!
For today's post I'm sharing a basic recipe that every good baker should have in her back pocket.
Pastry cream is a "building block recipe" that can be used in so many ways. As a filling for cakes, eclairs, layered into parfaits, or as a base for a cream pie, you will never run out of uses for this versatile item.
I think any time we hear about tempering eggs we tend to get a bit nervous, but this is truly so easy you could practically do it in your sleep. To prove just how do-able homemade pastry cream can be, I made you a little video! You can find it in the recipe card below.
Hopefully this shows how easy homemade pastry cream is to make. If you've never tasted it before, it's sort of like a cross between creme brulee and vanilla pudding. I used to make huge hotel pans of it every week, back in my days in the professional kitchen, and we always used regular dairy milk. But now, in my home kitchen, it's just small batches, and lately I've really been loving coconut milk pastry cream, for a dairy-free option. And it's also naturally gluten-free, so this is a really great thing if you or someone you love has food allergies or sensitivities.
Some tools/ingredients you may need for this recipe:
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Ingredients
- 6 egg yolks
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (32 g) cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups (366 ml) milk, (dairy, nut, soy, or coconut milk)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
- Heat the milk in a small pot until small bubbles form around the edge, and wisps of steam are rising from the surface.
- Add the hot milk to the egg mixture, a little at a time, whisking to combine.
- When all the milk has been added, transfer the mixture back to the pot and place over medium-low heat. Cook the pastry cream, whisking, until thickened.
- Stir in the vanilla, and pour the pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer, into a heat-safe bowl.
- Use the back of a ladle to press the mixture through the sieve.
- Press a layer of plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and refrigerate.
i really like the basic nude patent
I have a pair of nude flats and I wear them ALL the time! Thanks so much for entering the giveaway!
Allie, I love this pastry cream and love that you gave non-dairy options!!! and love your video!!! so beautiful!!!
Thank you so much Alice! I think I'm really starting to enjoy the video thing 🙂
Oh this is so fantastic! I think I could eat pastry cream all on its own honestly.
I could too, and I totally have! Thanks Jocelyn!
I love how easy pastry cream is to make, thank you for sharing.
My pleasure Janette! I love pastry cream too, and I make it so often!
I would choose metallic pewter.
Love these shoes!!! I have always wanted a pair! My favorite would be Lovestruck!
Fun giveaway! Hard choice on colors they are all gorgeous! I'd have to choose the golden glitz... so fun!
Ooh I love that one! I'm such a sucker for sparkly shoes- great minds! Thanks for reading and entering, Jan!
they are all super cute, but I think the chestnut would get the most use in my day to day wardrobe!
Great choice! You can't lose with a nice neutral. Thanks for reading! Good luck!
Love the video, Allie! Your pastry cream looks perfectly yum. Looking forward to your kitchen pictures!
Thank you so much Jen! I'm looking forward to sharing!
Allie, I literally went, 'whoa!', when I opened your page. This pastry cream looks so wonderfully decadent! I'll take a giant spoon, please 🙂
Lol thank you Kathleen! This is one of those things I make so often, a dedicated blog post is long overdue. I'm so happy you liked! Thank you for the sweet comment!
Love the video! I'm dying to see your kitchen....and, sure...I'll enter to win some Tieks. 🙂
Thanks Kellie! Hope you win sweetie! 🙂
I like the Lovestruck Tieks color, rose-gold and sparkle is perfect for summer.
Oh my gosh, YES! I had my eye on that color too. Great choice!
Outrageous Orange Is probably my favorite. It's hard to choose
Love that! Orange is one of those colors that seems to complement everything. Good luck Sandy!
I love the matte Black Tieks. Simple but the go with everything.
You can never go wrong with basic black! Thanks so much for reading and entering, Jessica!
Thanks for a great video! Can't wait to see your kitchen pictures! 🙂
Thank you Tiffany! I'm really looking forward to sharing them too 😉
I would get the clover green Tieks.
Green is my favorite color! Love it with dark jeans 😉 Good luck Elissa!