VANILLA BEAN PASTRY CREAM

Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream image

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.

Provided by Chef John

Categories World Cuisine Recipes European French

Time 2h30m

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

1 large whole egg
2 large egg yolks
½ cup white sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean
4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed

Steps:

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.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 120.1 calories, Carbohydrate 13.9 g, Cholesterol 63.9 mg, Fat 6.3 g, Protein 2.3 g, SaturatedFat 3.6 g, Sodium 210.9 mg, Sugar 11.4 g