Pastry Cream Crema Pasticceria Recipes

Steps:

• Stir together the milk, salt, vanilla bean and seeds and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a medium saucepan until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the sugar has just dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the cornstarch, egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl until smooth. While continually whisking, slowly pour in about 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture. Continue to whisk until smooth. (This is called tempering, and it will prevent the yolks from scrambling.) Continue whisking and adding 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture at a time until completely combined and smooth.
• Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan and turn the heat to medium. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and the texture of pudding, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, then whisk in the butter until smooth and glossy. Remove the vanilla bean.
• Strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the pastry cream, and refrigerate until chilled through, at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Before serving, whisk the pastry cream until smooth and fluffy.

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar and beat with an electric mixer or whisk until creamy and light yellow. Mix in the flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until smooth.
• Put the milk, cream, and vanilla in a saucepan and heat over low heat until bubbles begin to appear around the edge of the pan. Do not boil. Gradually beat in the egg yolk mixture, making sure to beat until there are no lumps. Return to low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the pastry cream thickens, about 3 minutes. Do not overcook. The mixture should be thick, but not stiff. It will solidify as it cools.
• Immediately remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, with the wrap touching the surface of the pastry cream so it doesn't form a skin. Refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours.

Steps:

• Stir together milk and lemon zest in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring, just until small bubbles appear at edges. Remove pan from heat.
• Put egg and yolks and the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until pale, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add flour and vanilla. Beat until just combined. Beat in the hot milk mixture. Raise speed to high; beat 1 minute more. Transfer the pastry cream to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer warm pastry cream to a bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto surface. Refrigerate until just chilled, about 2 hours, or up to 1 day.

Steps:

• Slowly heat the milk, 2 t of the sugar, and the lemon zest in the top of a double boiler over simmering water.
• Meanwhile, whisk the remaining sugar, egg yolks, egg, and salt until thick but still golden, 2 to 3 minute.
• Sift the flour, a little at a time, whisking briskly to mix thoroughly.
• Whisk 1/2 c of the boiling milk mixture, 2 T at a time, into the egg mixture; then pour the egg mixture into the remaining milk mixture (this is a technique known as tempering).
• Cook over medium-high heat, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
• As it begins to reach a boil and look lumpy, whisk vigorously to smooth it.
• When the cream is as thick as mayonnaise, reduce the heat and whisk or stir for another minute.
• Remove from the heat and discard the lemon zest.
• Beat in the vanilla and then the butter, 1 T at a time.
• Cool the cream quickly by placing the pan in a bowl of cold water or by spreading the cream out on 2 baking sheets.
• Smear a little butter on top and cover tightly with plastic wrap so cream doesn't get a skin.
• Cool completely in refrigerator.
• You may want to thin it with a couple of T of milk before using it.