The Secret to Perfect Pastry Cream

Ingredients

2 cups (480 ml) whole milk

1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar, divided

1 vanilla bean (or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract)

5 large egg yolks

1/4 cup (30 g) cornstarch

2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Instructions

Prepare the Milk Mixture:

In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk with half of the granulated sugar (1/4 cup) and the

seeds from the vanilla bean. If using vanilla extract, add it later.

Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Stir occasionally to

ensure the sugar dissolves.

Prepare the Egg Mixture:

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, the remaining granulated sugar (1/4 cup), and the

cornstarch until the mixture is smooth and pale in color. This will take about 2-3 minutes.

Temper the Eggs:

Once the milk mixture is hot, slowly pour about 1/3 of it into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to

temper the eggs. This step prevents the eggs from curdling by gradually increasing their temperature.

Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk, continuing to

whisk constantly.

Cook the Pastry Cream:

Return the saucepan to medium heat and cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until it thickens and

starts to bubble. This will take about 2-3 minutes. Once it starts to bubble, cook for an additional 1-2

minutes to ensure the cornstarch is fully cooked.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately whisk in the butter (and vanilla extract if you

didn’t use a vanilla bean).

Strain and Cool:

Strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any lumps or pieces of

cooked egg.

Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from

forming.

Allow the pastry cream to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until completely chilled, at least

2 hours.