Pastry Cream and Pastry Cream Variations by Le Cordon Bleu

Instructions

1. 1. In a heavy saucepan dissolve the sugar in the milk and bring just to a boil.
2. 2. With a whip, beat the egg yolks and whole eggs in a stainless-steel bowl.
3. 3. Sift the cornstarch and sugar into the eggs. Beat with whip until perfectly smooth. *Do this step when the milk/sugar is almost at a boil to prevent the sugar from cooking the eggs.*
4. 4. Temper the egg mixture by slowly beating in the hot milk in a thin stream. *adding to much too fast with cook the eggs*
5. 5. Return the mixture to the heat and bring to a boil; stirring constantly.
6. 6. When the mixture COMES TO A BOIL and thickens, remove from heat.
7. 7. Stir in the butter and vanilla. Mix until the butter is melted and completely blended in.
8. 8. Strain using a mesh strainer - this will remove any "scrambled" egg pieces, if any.
9. 9. Pour into a shallow pan, plastic plastic wrap directly over the surface to prevent crusting. Cool and chill as quickly as possible
10. VARIATIONS:
11. Deluxe Pastry Cream
12. omit the whole eggs in the basic recipe and use 8-10 egg yolks - this makes it taste much richer.
13. Pastry Cream Mousseline
14. For a lighter pastry cream filling, fold whipped heavy cream in to the chilled pastry cream. Quantities may be varied to taste. In general, for every 1at pastry cream, use .05-1 Cup heavy cream.
15. Chocolate Pasty Cream:
16. Melt together 2 oz sweet chocolate and 2 oz unsweetened chocolate. Stir into the hot pastry cream.
17. Coffee Pastry Cream:
18. Add 2 tbsp instant coffee powder to the milk in step 1.