Pastry Cream

Total Time: 20 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 8 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 piece vanilla beans (4-inch) or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Recipe

• 1 place the yolks, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk until blended.
• 2 stir in the cornstarch.
• 3 heat the milk and vanilla bean (if using) to scalding in a heavy saucepan.
• 4 slowly whisk the milk into the eggs, whisking the eggs constantly.
• 5 this is called"tempering".
• 6 start out with just a thin stream of milk, constantly whisking, then as the eggs warm up you can add the milk faster.
• 7 you need to do this slowly at first to avoid scrambling the yolks.
• 8 if you do that, you have to start over.
• 9 remove the vanilla bean and pour the yolk mixture back into the pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens- about 3-5 minutes.
• 10 remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cream and the vanilla extract (if using).
• 11 pass the cream through a fine mesh strainer (very important to do!!!), then place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
• 12 refrigerate for at least 2 hours to chill.
• 13 will keep several days in the refrigerator.