How to Make Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between custard and crème pâtissière? ›

Vanilla pastry cream is the smooth, silky, vanilla-scented custard that oozes out of so many classic desserts. Also called crème pâtissière and creme pat, this rich filling is essentially vanilla custard thickened with cornstarch to make it firm.

Once you have transferred the cooked creme patissiere to a bowl, press a damp piece of greaseproof paper, baking parchment or parchment paper on to the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Let the creme patissiere cool slightly then wrap the bowl tightly with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and transfer to the fridge.

Runny pastry cream most often comes from undercooking the egg yolk mixture. If you remove it from the heat too soon, the amylase in the egg yolks won't break down and will prevent the cream from fully setting. If you find your crème pâtissière is too thin, return to heat and bring to a boil over medium heat to thicken.

“Heavy cream”, “whipping cream”, or even “double cream” will work here. This lends a rich creaminess to the finished product. If you're in a pinch, you can substitute both the milk and cream for half and half. Egg yolks.

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However, Crème Pâtissière contains corn flour (cornstarch) which thickens the custard as it cools. Custard, however, thickens form the egg yolks alone and is of a more pourable consistency.

These are the key differences: Crème Chantilly (Chantilly Cream) is pretty much whipped cream but with some added sweetness. It's beautifully light and airy and perfect to compliment desserts like chocolate fondants and soufflés. Crème Pâtissière (Pastry Cream) is a much more decadent cream.

Stir as recommended by your original recipe, but if your custard is still runny, try more vigorous stirring. Make sure to use the appropriate tool, such as an immersion blender or a hand whisk.

Whereas some recipes use flour instead, I prefer using cornstarch as it gives a better final taste and texture. Unsalted butter. The addition of butter makes the pastry cream even richer and creamier. It also helps it to set to the perfect texture during cooling.

But for pastries with custard and other fillings, it is recommended that you store them in the fridge if you are not consuming them within 12 hours. If you are planning to keep any pastry for longer, make sure you pop them in the freezer so that the freshness does not get compromised.

Pastry cream will keep for several days once refrigerated. You can reheat it in the microwave, whisk hard and it becomes spreadable again.

How to thicken runny crème pâtissière? ›

Starch. Starch thickens pastry cream. Most recipes incorporate flour, cornstarch, or a mix of the two. I found that flour produced a thicker, heavier texture and imparted an undesirable “floury” taste.

Reheat the pastry cream slowly and bring it to boiling point. Once bubbling, reduce the heat and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Reason 2 - Adding too little corn starch or flour will result in a runny pastry cream.

What's the difference between crème anglaise and crème pâtissière? Crème anglaise has a similar composition to crème pâtissière, but doesn't contain cornstarch or flour. It's therefore more liquid and less thick. It's possible to turn a crème anglaise into a crème pâtissière.

P.S. In case you're wondering what the difference is between Crème Pâtissière and custard (which the French refer to as Crème Anglaise), it's the cornflour. Officially, custard shouldn't contain cornflour. So basically, Crème Pâtissière (or pastry cream) is simply set custard.

Always cover your pastry cream with plastic wrap, letting the plastic wrap touch the top of the pastry cream to avoid the creation of any film on top. Store in a fridge for up to three days. You can also freeze the pastry cream for up to three weeks, but only if you are using flour in this recipe.

Let's see if I'm correct. For a caramel cup custard, the caramel is at the bottom of the cup. The dessert is chilled, then the custard cup is inverted and the custard is released onto a dessert plate. Creme brulee, on the other hand, features the "burnt cream" (or caramel) on the surface of the custard.

There are three types of custard: baked, stirred, and frozen. Baked custards include bread pudding, flan, and cheesecake, and are prepared by baking in an oven or water bath. Boiled Custards include beverages like eggnog. Puddings, creme anglaise (krem on-GLAYZ), and pastry cream are some examples of stirred custards.

*Ironically, the term “crème anglaise” translates as “English cream,” not because the French believed that the custard was an English invention but because they perceived it as characteristic of the English.

Crème anglaise (French: [kʁɛm ɑ̃glɛz]; French for 'English cream'), custard sauce, pouring custard, or simply custard is a light, sweetened pouring custard used as a dessert cream or sauce. It is a mix of sugar, egg yolks, and hot milk usually flavoured with vanilla.