DIY Pastry Cream Recipe
Prep Time:
2 hours,
10 minutes
- 4 large egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar, divided
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 ¼ cups whole milk, divided
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Place a kitchen towel under a medium bowl then whisk the egg yolks, ¼ cup of sugar, ¼ cup of cornstarch, and ¼ cup of milk until smooth. Set the bowl aside.
- Stir ¼ cup of sugar, 2 cups of milk, and vanilla in a small pot over low heat.
- Cook, stirring occasionally until the mixture is lightly simmering, then remove it from the heat.
- Slowly pour a bit of hot liquid at a time into the egg yolk mixture, whisking to combine as you pour. Continue until about half of the liquid has been added.
- Add this mixture back to the pot and cook over low heat, whisking constantly for 1 to 2 minutes until it thickens to a pudding-like consistency. When the mixture starts to bubble up, remove it from the heat.
- Strain it into a clean bowl.
- Add the cubed butter and salt and whisk until smooth.
- Place plastic wrap on the surface of the pastry cream and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours until cold.
- Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.