Pastry Cream Crema Pasticcera Recipes

ITALIAN PASTRY CREAM RECIPE

Steps:

• Place 1 ¾ cups of milk, vanilla bean, and strip of lemon rind in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the milk just before simmering point. Don't boil. Stir in the sugar until dissolved and set aside.
• In a bowl whisk egg yolks, flour, cornflour/cornstarch and salt until smooth. Whisk in the remaining ¼ cup of milk.
• Remove lemon rind and vanilla bean from the milk.
• Slowly pour the hot milk onto the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
• Strain the mixture back to the saucepan and place over medium heat. Whisk constantly until the mixture comes to the boil and thickens. Simmer for 1 minute to cook the flour.
• If adding unsalted butter, whisk into hot pastry cream until melted and mixed through.
• Pour the pastry cream into a heatproof bowl pressing plastic wrap directly onto the surface to stop a skin forming.
• Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
• Before using, stir until smooth.

CREMA PASTICCERA ITALIAN CUSTARD

Steps:

• Place a medium size glass bowl in the freezer to chill.
• In a small saucepan, heat milk with the vanilla and lemon zest just till you see steam rising, then remove from the heat and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, whisk the yolks and sugar, add rice flour and whisk till smooth and thick.
• Pour the warmed milk slowly into the egg mixture**, stirring constantly. Once fully combined, place the saucepan on medium-low heat. Keep stirring till it thickens (around 5 minutes), ensuring it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan, then remove from the heat.
• Pour the custard into the chilled bowl and whisk quickly to cool it down. Place plastic film directly over the custard to prevent a skin from forming and leave on the counter to cool. Once cool, place in the fridge and use within 2 days.

PASTICCIERA CREAM (ITALIAN PASTRY CREAM )

Steps:

• Place sugar, egg yolks flour, lemon rind (if using it), and vanilla in a sauce pan and mix together well.
• In a separate sauce pan, scald milk.
• Very slowly pour milk over egg yolk mixture, in a thin stream, beating constantly with rotary beater.
• Continue cooking on low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until mixture reaches the boiling point.
• Cook 4 minutes longer, stirring constantly.
• (**At this point, if making chocolate pasticciera cream, add chocolate and while stirring, cook 1 minute longer.) Remove pan from heat, add butter and mix well.
• Pour into bowl and let cool, stir occasionally to prevent skin from forming over the top.
• If using as a cake/pastry filling, chill (with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming) until very thick at least 3-4 hours.
• For Chocolate Pasticciera Cream: **Add grated chocolate to cooked pasticciera cream and cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly, until chocolate is blended well.
• Cool/chill before using as a cake/pastry filling.

PASTRY CREAM (CREMA PASTICCERA)

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.

PASTRY CREAM (CREMA PASTICCERA)

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.