Pastry Cream

Pastry Cream or crème patissière is a rich, thick stirred custard, cooked on the stove, made from a mixture of milk or cream, eggs, sugar, flour (roux) and/or cornstarch.

Pastry cream is a staple in pastry kitchens and originated in France. This versatile cream is used to fill cream puffs, éclairs, Napoléons, tarts, and other pastries. It is spread in between cake layers, such as Boston Cream Pie, and using as a base for endless recipes. It is called the "Mother of all creams!" 

Pastry Cream is versatile and can be easily flavored with vanilla beans, liqueur, coffee and fruit purees are some complementary flavorings are often added .

Types

Easy Pineapple or Any Flavor Pastry Cream Filling

Coconut Pastry Cream

Chocolate Thick Pastry Cream

Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream

Pastry Cream Tutorial

Preparation and care in production 

1. Do NOT make Pastry Cream in an aluminum pot because it gives a grayish coloration to it.

2. If the heat is too high or you are stirring too slow at the point when the pastry cream reaches a boil, it will lump. If this happens, pass it through a strainer immediately, before it cools. 

3. When removing the cooked Pastry Cream from the pot to another container, do not scrape the bottom of the pan. You often see a layer of the cooked or burned mixture on the bottom of the pan and you don't want to mix it in with the good stuff.

4. Always strain your Pastry Cream while still warm through a fine mesh strainer before chilling. You want to make sure you strain out the small lumps which are really the chalazae parts of the egg.

5. Once made and while still warm, press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the Pastry Cream, and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days. Chilling thickens the filling, so make it first, then make the rest of the recipe. But don’t whisk the cold Pastry Cream — it breaks down the starch, thinning it.

6. Never leave a recipe that includes Pastry Cream out on a hot day; it is an ideal mixture for bacteria! Refrigerate cakes or any recipe made with pastry cream fillings or whipped cream frostings immediately. You can freeze cakes with filled with pastry cream, but it won't be quite the same nice texture as before and may make the cake soggy. Remember to thaw and then store the cake in the refrigerator.

Pastry creams Are Used To Make Many Pastries