Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere)

Vanilla Pastry Cream (aka creme patissiere, creme patisserie, or creme pat) is silky and delicious - no wonder it's a component of countless desserts. Fruit tarts (like this one), eclairs (step-by-step tutorial here), cream puffs (another tutorial here), Portuguese custard tarts, trifle, profiteroles, mille-feuilles, Boston cream pie, and so many more.   

I've made a lot of pastry cream over the years and this recipe is definitely the easiest.  All the ingredients are placed in a saucepan and cooked together until they thicken.  Strain, chill, and use!  Here's how I make it.   

To begin, place sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan (like this one).

Whisk them together to break up any cornstarch clumps. 

Add milk.  I like to use whole milk.

Whisk to mix.

Add egg yolks.  Just check out the color of those yolks - it really pays to buy free-range eggs from a local farm.

Whisk to mix.

Add butter.  No need to soften, just throw it in cold. 

Next scrape the seeds from half of a vanilla bean pod.  Cut the pod lengthwise and scrape the seeds out.

Add them to the saucepan.  Now it's time to start heating our mixture.

You can substitute pure vanilla extract if you don't have vanilla bean pods, but wait until the pastry cream is finished cooking before you add it (or it may taste bitter).

Whisk constantly over medium-high heat until the mixture reaches the boiling point.

Continue to boil, whisking constantly, for a full minute.  

Mmm - see how the mixture has thickened?  Now turn off the heat. 

Immediately pass the pastry cream through a sieve.  Actually, you don't have to do this step, but it'll remove any lumps.  

See?  There were some bits of cooked egg and some vanilla bean strands, but not anymore! 

The last step is to cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap, directly on the surface of the cream, and chill completely before using. 

Oh, and don't throw that vanilla bean pod away.  See all those old vanilla bean pods in the jar?  I've been saving them for years to make vanilla sugar.

Every time I use a pod, I put it in the jar...

And whenever the level of sugar in the jar gets low, I top it off with more.  The sugar will absorb the flavor of the vanilla.  I use it for baking and sweetening beverages.

Give it a try!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• small knife https://amzn.to/3sjWL9G

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3ovS9fE

• whole vanilla bean pods https://amzn.to/3B67JUp

• heavy bottom saucepan https://amzn.to/3LiRdF8

• mesh sieve https://amzn.to/3LjBYM7

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Vanilla Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere or Creme Patisserie)

makes 2 cups

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup cornstarch

• pinch table salt

• 2 cups whole milk

• 4 large egg yolks

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean pod (or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract)

Directions

1. In a 2-quart heavy bottom saucepan over medium-high heat, cook all ingredients (except vanilla extract, if using), stirring constantly, until it begins to boil; continue whisking for a full minute.

2. Remove from heat and strain through a sieve.

3. Cover pastry cream with a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface; chill completely before using.

Notes

• When using vanilla extract instead of vanilla beans, stir in to thickened pastry cream AFTER it is removed from the heat.

• To make vanilla sugar, place used vanilla bean pod in jar and cover with sugar. Use for baking or sweetening beverages.

adapted from Martha Stewart

Vanilla Bean Creme Frappuccino

My husband loves coffee and likes to occasionally stop at a popular coffeehouse for a large, steamy, freshly-brewed cup.  On the other hand, I'm not much of a coffee drinker so I order a small, icy, vanilla cream beverage.  It's a very simple treat, but they're not cheap so I decided to come up with my own version that I can make at home for a fraction of the cost.  For the best results, be sure to use premium quality ice cream, vanilla bean paste, and vanilla bean powder.  

Let me show you how it's done. 

Start with ice, whole milk, and your favorite premium quality vanilla ice cream.  We like to use premium vanilla ice cream such as Haagen Dazs.

We'll also need a little sugar, the best pure vanilla bean paste, and pure vanilla powder.

Place everything in a small blender that can handle chopping ice cubes.  I really love this model - have had it for years, it's not expensive, and it works great!  

Pour the liquified mixture into a glass and top with copious amounts of real whipped cream.  To keep things on the light side, use canned whipped cream, but if you want to be extra indulgent...

...make your own.  

In a small mixing bowl, combine heavy whipping cream, confectioners sugar, and pure vanilla bean paste (it tastes so good and adds those lovely specks of vanilla seeds).

Use a hand mixer to whip everything together.  If yours has a whisk attachment, that works very well, but the standard beater attachments will work too.

When you start seeing tracks in your cream, it's almost done.  Just a few seconds longer.

Now for the fun part - putting the whipped cream into a large disposable piping bag fitted with an open star tip.  Today I used this tip to pipe my whipped cream, but this is another one of my favorites.  

Recommendation:  When purchasing disposable piping bags, I suggest you get large bags (like these) instead of 8 to 12-inch bags, which are more common.  The small bags are hard to fill, they don't hold very much, and they're nearly impossible to refill once they've been used.  The bags I recommend are much easier to use, fill/refill, and you can always cut them down if you find yourself in a situation that requires the use of a smaller bag.  Just saying.

Fill the disposable pastry bag with the whipped cream and pipe a mountain of swirly goodness on top of your frappuccino.

Add a green straw if you have one and go for it!  Mmmm.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• personal beverage blender https://amzn.to/3soFRXB

• small food processor https://amzn.to/3HDO3cQ

• pure vanilla bean paste https://amzn.to/3HhfWXZ

• pure vanilla powder https://amzn.to/3HDNQ9y

• my favorite ice cream scoop https://amzn.to/3Gz0OEg

• wilton 1M https://amzn.to/3HCHWWb

• ateco 826 https://amzn.to/3HDO7t6

• large piping bags https://amzn.to/3rI618R

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Vanilla Bean Creme Frappuccino

makes 1 serving

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup whole milk

• 1 large scoop vanilla ice cream (premium quality)

• 4 ice cubes

• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla powder

• whipped cream for topping

Directions

1. Place all the ingredients in a personal blender and pulse to break up the ice cubes, then blend until mixture is smooth.

2. Pour into serving glass and top with whipped cream. Serve immediately.