Pastry Cream Crema Pasticceria 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.

PASTRY CREAM (CREMA PASTICCERIA)

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.

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.