VANILLA PASTRY CREAM - crema pasticcera

This is my mother's recipe for the pastry cream, which I usually use as a lining for fruit tarts or as a filling for layer cakes. With fresh vanilla it's simply delicious!

Ingredients

400 ml milk
2 egg yolks
75 gr sugar
50 gr plain flour or 27 gr cornstarch
1 vanilla bean

Method

1. In a pot, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until they lighten in color. Add the flour (or cornstarch) and mix until smooth. Gradually pour in the milk while continuing to mix. Add the vanilla bean seeds.

2. Place the mixture on a medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Then reduce the heat and simmer for 7 minutes, or until smooth, while continuing to stir.

3. Strain the pastry cream into a bowl and place plastic wrap right down on the surface. Chill completely.


Tip:

- use your pastry cream as a base for an amazing chantilly cream: once your pastry cream is cooled, gently incorporate 250 ml of whipped cream;

- enrich your pastry cream adding 100 gr of dark chocolate. When your cream is ready and still hot, add the chocolate coarsely chopped and stir until smooth.