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

FAQs

What is the difference between custard and 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.

At its most basic, pastry cream is a combination of milk, eggs, and starch that are cooked together to create a rich and thick custard that's a workhorse in the baker's kitchen.

Pastry cream delivers in flavor — sweet and custard-like — but lacks lightness. Whipped cream is as light as it comes but doesn't have much flavor or stability.

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.

Both have a sweet flavor and velvety texture that can be used to punch up all kinds of desserts. Don't be fooled, though; custard sauce and pastry cream differ in both composition and consistency. For this reason, the two ingredients can rarely act as substitutes for one another when cooking.

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.

Lomas's recipe calls for just four ingredients: cream cheese, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. These ingredients may not scream “crème patissiere,” but when beaten together the result is pleasantly similar to the pastry cream you'd make on the stove.

A small amount of starch is needed to thicken the cream: I used corn starch (Maizena) which is available practically everywhere. You can also use other starches like rice starch, but please don't use flour: it might form lumps more easily, it is heavier and might leave a bad after taste.

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.

Boston cream pie filling is traditionally made with vanilla pastry cream that tastes similar to a custard or a pudding. It's made with milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla and uses cornstarch to stabilize the mixture. It's cooked on the stove in a pan and is an easy recipe to make.

What can I use instead of heavy cream in pastry cream? ›

Pastry cream, also called Creme Patissiere, is a rich, thick and creamy custard made from a mixture of milk, eggs, sugar, flour and cornstarch (corn flour). Vanilla, liqueurs, chocolate, coffee and fruit purees are some complementary flavorings that can be added to the cream.

If your pastry cream hasn't thickened properly, that can be down to two possible reasons: What is this? You haven't cooked it enough – cook it longer. Remember, you need to cook the pastry cream until it's thickened and it comes to a boil, and then cook it for about one minute longer.

“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.

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.

The main difference between the two is that creme brulee is topped with a layer of sugar that caramelizes under a broiler or torch, resulting in a crunchy, burnt sugar topping. Egg custard does not have this additional layer of sugar, but some recipes call for a dusting of nutmeg or cinnamon.

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.

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.

At its most basic, crème brûlée is a creamy, pudding-like, baked custard with a brittle top of melted sugar that cracks when you gently tap it with a spoon. The custard is made with heavy cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla.