Italian Pastry Cream Recipe

A thick and creamy Italian pastry cream that is perfect for pastries and desserts. This Italian version of creme patissiere has a delicate lemon and vanilla flavour and can be adapted to make other flavours such as chocolate or coffee.

📝 Ingredients

• 2 cups (480 mls) whole milk (divided)
• 1 vanilla bean (split down the length)
• strip of lemon rind
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
• 5 teaspoons (1/2 ounce/15 grams) plain (all purpose) flour (sifted)
• 5 teaspoons (1/2 ounce/15 grams) cornstarch ((also known as cornflour) sifted)
• pinch salt
• 2 tablespoon (1 ounce/30 grams) unsalted butter (optional but recommended)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Place 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.
2. 2In a bowl whisk egg yolks, flour, cornstarch and salt until smooth. Whisk in the remaining ¼ cup of milk.
3. 3Remove lemon rind and vanilla bean from the milk.
4. 4Slowly pour the hot milk onto the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
5. 5Strain 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.
6. 6If adding unsalted butter, whisk into hot pastry cream until melted and mixed through.
7. 7Pour the pastry cream into a heatproof bowl pressing plastic wrap directly onto the surface to stop a skin forming.
8. 8Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
9. 9Before using, stir until smooth.