Pastry cream

Rich, smooth pastry cream adds the gourmet touch that makes countless desserts irresistible. Try this recipe for a lump-free version with an ideal consistency.

Ingredients

125 mL (½ cup) sugar
80 mL (1/3 cup) whole wheat flour
2 eggs
500 mL (2 cups) milk, heated
2 mL (½ tsp.) vanilla

Serves:750 mL (3 cups)
Level:Easy
Preparation time:5 minutes
Cooking Time:20 minutes
Total time:3 hours 25 minutes

Method

Mix sugar and flour in a saucepan away from the heat. Whisk in eggs until incorporated.
Heat the mixture over medium-low for about 1 minute. Gradually pour in hot milk and vanilla, adding a little at a time and whisking constantly until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely cold, for at least 3 hours.
Use the pastry cream as a pie filling or in trifle, or serve with fresh fruit.

Make it your own

Do you know that you can flavour pastry cream? Once it has set, simply add the flavouring of your choice in the right quantity for the taste you want.

Lemon, orange, or lime zest
Caramel flavouring
Almond or coconut flavouring
Melted chocolate (dark, milk, or white)
Instant coffee (diluted in a little hot water)
Orange blossom water

Pastry cream: the foundation

From much-loved profiteroles to grandma’s trifle, pastry cream is just as the name implies: an essential ingredient for pastries! Here are a few easy ways to bake with it.

Fresh fruit flan

Cover a sponge-cake flan base with a layer of pastry cream. Arrange a selection of fruit on top in a pretty pattern. Be creative! Dust with a little icing sugar before serving.

Gourmet flavour combinations

Coconut pastry cream + exotic fruit + toasted coconut shavings

Vanilla pastry cream + fresh strawberries + mint leaves

Caramel pastry cream + sliced bananas + melted dark chocolate

The perfect way to use up cake trimmings, trifles are made of layered cake and smooth cream. Layer chunks of cake, pastry cream, and chopped fruit in a large trifle bowl. Cover with whipped cream and chopped fruit. Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours to let the cake soak up some of the moisture from the cream.

Gourmet flavour combinations

Lemon pastry cream + white cake cubes + fresh raspberries + limoncello-spiked whipped cream

Chocolate pastry cream + chocolate cake cubes + black cherries + whipped cream with kirsch

Orange pastry cream + white cake cubes + stewed cranberries + Grand Marnier whipped cream

Cream puffs and éclairs

These classics of French cuisine are easy to make and create a sensation! All you need to do is prepare choux pastry, bake it in the shapes you want, and fill the cooled pastries with cream. Decorate with melted chocolate or maple butter for a mouth-watering finishing touch.

Gourmet flavour combinations

Coffee pastry cream + melted dark chocolate

Almond pastry cream + white melted chocolate + garnish of slivered almonds

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