THICK VANILLA PASTRY CREAM FOR BRIOCHE BRETZELS

Thick Vanilla Pastry Cream for Brioche Bretzels image

Provided by Hubert Keller

Yield Makes about 2 cups

Number Of Ingredients 8

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4 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) plus 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise in half, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

Steps:

Place the half-and-half, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and the salt in a large saucepan over medium heat. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the milk and then drop in the pod. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, and let the vanilla infuse into the milk while you work with the eggs.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Whisking some of the sugar into the eggs helps prevent lumps later when you whisk in the hot cream. Whisk in the cornstarch until smoothly incorporated.
Remove the vanilla bean, rinse, dry, and reserve for another use. While whisking vigorously, pour the hot milk into the eggs a little at a time. Then pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil, whisking all the while and making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the pan. Boil until the pastry cream thickens, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat. If the cream looks lumpy, pass it through a sieve into a bowl. Otherwise, whisk in the butter and vanilla extract, if using, and then transfer the pastry cream to a bowl to cool for about 5 minutes. Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool to room temperature.