What do all the best French desserts—we’re talking eclairs, fruit tarts and Napoleons—have in common? Pastry cream!
Also known as crème pâtissière, this mix of sugar, milk, cornstarch and butter is a major component of the decadent French treats we all love.
At first blush, making pastry cream can seem like a tough challenge. After all, when you see it all dressed up coming out of the pastry case, it can seem as impossible as making a ten-tier cake. But pastry cream isn’t so hard to make yourself.
How to Make Pastry Cream
That’s right: Pastry cream doesn’t have to be a challenge. Much like choux pastry (another French must), pastry cream requires no special ingredients or tools.
To show you the basics, we’re taking the cream component from our contest-winning Chocolate-Glazed Raspberry Eclairs.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 cups whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Tools for Making Pastry Cream
- Saucepan: Pastry cream starts on the stovetop. Make sure you have a sturdy saucepan for simmering.
- Mixing bowl: Grab your old favorite vintage Pyrex mixing bowl or snag a nice new one. You’ll need a heat-safe bowl for cooling the cream before using it in your dessert.
- Whisk: To get the right texture for the cream, grab a whisk.
Directions
Step 1: Heat the milk, sugar and cornstarch
Start by whisking together the sugar, cornstarch and milk together in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, stirring all the while.
Once thickened, reduce the heat to low and keep whisking for another two minutes. Then take the pan off the heat.
Step 2: Temper the eggs
Now comes the most challenging part of making pastry cream: tempering the eggs. This just means adding a small amount of a hot mixture to eggs so they don’t scramble. This isn’t a challenging technique, but you do have to work fast.
To do this, take a few spoonfuls of your hot milk mixture and add it to your room temperature egg yolks and whisk quickly.
Step 3: Cook some more
Next, add the egg yolk mix to the saucepan and whisk, whisk, whisk. Bring the mix to a gentle boil and continue to whisk for another two minutes.
Step 4: Add the butter
It’s not a decadent French dessert without butter! After your mix is thickened, transfer it to a clean bowl. Then stir in the butter until the pastry cream is nice and smooth.
If you want to add extracts to your pastry cream for flavor, this is the time. Stir in a teaspoon of vanilla extract or paste along with the butter.
Editor’s Tip: If you find your cream looks a little lumpy coming off the stove, don’t worry! Press it through a mesh sieve first, then stir in the butter.
Step 5: Cool
Before you can use your pastry cream in your decadent desserts, it needs to cool.
Much like pudding, pastry cream can form an unpleasant skin if stashed uncovered. For best results, press plastic wrap right onto the cream and chill.
Once cold and you’re ready to finish creating your dessert, give the pastry cream a good whisk to lighten up the texture. Then spread, pipe and sample to your heart’s content.
How to Flavor Pastry Cream
Pastry cream is most often flavored with vanilla extract or vanilla beans, but there’s no need to stop there. Flavored pastry creams can really elevate your desserts. Even simple eclairs can get a big lift by stirring fresh raspberries into the cream.
- Berries: Fresh berries are delicious in pastry cream. So good, in fact, that you might just want to eat the mix plain! Simply mash the berries with a fork and fold into the cream. Just be aware that if you stir in fruit like this, skip the pastry bag; the berry bits will clog most piping tips.
- Chocolate: For a subtle chocolate flavor, stir in a tablespoon or two of cocoa powder. For a more potent chocolate taste, stir chopped chocolate into the mix while on the stove.
- Coffee: A touch of instant espresso powder or a splash of cold, strong coffee can give your cream a little kick that your dessert needs.
- Liqueurs: In lieu of extract, add a touch of your favorite spirit into the cream. A teaspoon or two of amaretto, rum, kirsch or even Irish cream can add a punch of flavor.
- Zest: If you want to flavor your cream with fresh citrus, grate zest right into your cooled cream and give it a good stir. You’ll get the fruit flavor and flecks of color.
French Desserts to Inspire
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French Macarons
Even decorated simply—a sprinkle of sugar, a drizzle of icing—these stylish beauties are part of our creative Christmas cookies collection. They will be the showstoppers on any cookie tray. —Josh Rink, Photo Stylist Taste of Home
Palmiers
It takes just two ingredients to make these impressive but easy-to-do French pastries, which are often called palm leaves. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Chocolate-Glazed Raspberry Eclairs
I first made choux pastry in high school for a French class assignment, and I was fascinated. Since then, chocolate raspberry eclairs have been my favorite pastry to make. I garnish each eclair either with a single fresh raspberry or with a sprinkling of crushed freeze-dried raspberries. —Elisabeth Larsen, Pleasant Grove, Utah
French Butter Cookies
The Brittany region of France is known for its use of butter. These French butter cookies, also known as sable Breton, shine the spotlight on the famous ingredient. This recipe is mildly sweet, rich, crisp and has a hint of salt. You won't be able to resist having a second—or third. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
French Hot Chocolate
One of my fondest memories of Paris was sipping a cup of thick, dark hot chocolate at one of their patisseries. French hot chocolate is velvety smooth, rich, decadent and almost the consistency of a molten chocolate bar. It is meant to be sipped slowly and savored. —Darlene Brenden, Salem, Oregon
Very Blueberry Clafoutis
This blueberry clafouti is somewhere between a fruit-filled pancake and a fruity egg custard. Wrong season for fresh berries? Use frozen berries thawed in a colander and discard the juice. —Ken Hulme, Venice, Florida
Meringue Snowballs In Custard
My family has passed down this elegant dessert generation by generation. It started with my Russian great-grandmother, who traveled to America more than 100 years ago. I love continuing the tradition with her recipe. —Tonya Burkhard, Palm Coast, Florida
Decadent Chocolate Crepe Cake
No other dessert has wowed family and friends the way this stunning crepe cake did the first time I made it. A showstopper in every sense of the word, it features layers of tender chocolate crepes and rich white chocolate buttercream frosting draped in a semisweet chocolate ganache. —Tina Sawchuk, Ardmore, Alberta
Rum Raisin Creme Brulee
Inspired by a favorite ice cream flavor, I created this make-ahead recipe to free up some time in the kitchen. You can also serve this as a custard if you choose to not caramelize the top. —Eleanor Froehlich, Rochester, Michigan
Springtime Beignets & Berries
I've always loved beignets, but never thought I could make them myself. Turns out they're easy! Sometimes I'll even make a quick berry whipped cream and pipe it inside for a fun surprise. —Kathi Hemmer, Grand Junction, Colorado
Tart & Tangy Lemon Tart
Our family adores lemon desserts. I often make this cheery tart for brunch. For extra-special events, I bake it in my heart-shaped tart pan. —Joyce Moynihan, Lakeville, Minnesota
Hazelnut Madeleine Cookies
These soft, cakelike cookies have a delicate hazelnut flavor—perfect for making great memories! They’re baked in the distinctive shell-shaped madeleine pan, available in kitchen specialty stores. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Maple-Apple Clafoutis
This fruit pudding could not be easier to make! A traditional comfort food in France, it is often made with cherries. I use apples and maple syrup to give it a real Midwestern flair. —Bridget Klusman, Otsego, Michigan
Strawberry Creme Crepes
I always feel like a French chef when I serve these pretty crepes. Although they take a little time to prepare, they're well worth the effort. My guests are always impressed. —Debra Latta, Port Matilda, Pennsylvania
Finger-Licking Good Mini Cream Puffs
This recipe is quick and easy to whip up and the kids will love it! They are perfect to pack for a picnic or to have as a snack for family game night I guarantee you can't eat just one…hey are so addicting & they're perfect for satisfying any sweet tooth! —Jennifer Erwin, Reynoldsburg, Ohio
Strawberry Tart
This creamy strawberry tart boasts a crunchy chocolate layer tucked next to the crust. Try making individual tartlets instead of one big dessert. —Dawn Tringali, Hamilton Square, New Jersey
Lemony Walnut-Raisin Galette
This flaky, buttery pastry dessert has a filling of fruit, walnuts, coconut and cinnamon. There's a lot to love! For even more appeal, dollop sweetened whipped cream on top of each serving. —Ellen Kozak, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Hazelnut Macarons
You don’t have to be an expert in French cooking to whip up these sandwich cookies. The crisp, chewy macarons require attention to detail, but they’re not hard to make—and they’re simply a delight, both for personal snacking and giving as gifts! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Blood Orange Caramel Tarte Tatin
I never had blood oranges until I moved to California. The season is short, so I use them in everything while I can get them. That sweet orange flavor with some brown sugar is a perfect combination. Whenever I have something to go to, my friends demand that I bring this dessert. —Pamela Butkowski, Hermosa Beach, California
Cranberry Creme Brulee
Dress up classic creme brulee with an easy-to-make cranberry sauce. The sweet-tart sauce compliments the rich, creamy custard. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Festive French Pancakes
Not quite as thin as true crepes, these light-as-a-feather pancakes are topped with preserves and a dusting of confectioners' sugar. They're elegant, so easy to make and say "Joyeux Noel" with delicious French flair!
Meringue Kisses
There's a nice chocolaty surprise inside these sweet kisses. They're my husband's top choice each Christmas.—Tami Henke, Lockport, Illinois
Semisweet Chocolate Mousse
A friend shared this rich velvety chocolate mousse recipe with me. I love to cook and have tons of recipes, but this one is a favorite. Best of all, it's easy to make. —Judy Spencer, San Diego, California
Chocolate Cherry Crepes
One of the reasons that we love this impressive-looking recipe is that it's easy to make. We prepare the crepes and filling in advance, and assemble them and add the topping just before serving. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
French Buttercream
French buttercream has a custard-like texture and is great if you're going to be piping shapes or decorations. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Almond Pear Tart
I had never seen a "pie without a pan" until my daughter brought back this wonderful pear almond tart recipe from a Rotary Club exchange program in Belgium. It's still a family favorite after all these years. —Sherry LaMay, Capitan, New Mexico
Burgundy Pears
These warm spiced pears elevate slow cooking to a new level of elegance, yet they're incredibly easy to make. Your friends won't believe this fancy-looking dessert came from a slow cooker. —Elizabeth Hanes, Peralta, New Mexico
Baba au Rhum Cakes
Dry and candied fruit stud this baba au rhum. The rum is subtle, so it is suitable as a dessert or on a brunch buffet. —Diane Halferty, Tucson, Arizona
Hot Cocoa Souffle
A friend invited me to go to a cooking demo at her church years ago, and one of the recipes prepared was this luscious souffle. It was so easy—and absolutely delicious. —Joan Hallford, North Richland Hills, Texas
Chocolate Pear Hazelnut Tart
As a teenage foreign exchange student in the south of France, I was horribly homesick. Then my host family's Grandmother Miette arrived and asked if I'd like to help her bake this nutty tart from scratch. It turned my trip around and inspired my lifelong passion for baking. Weighing ingredients, roasting nuts, kneading dough—the art of baking transcends language. —Lexi McKeown, Los Angeles, California
Chocolate Truffles
You may be tempted to save these chocolate truffles for a special occasion since these smooth, creamy chocolates are divine. But with just a few ingredients, this truffle recipe is easy to make anytime. —Darlene Wiese-Appleby, Creston, Ohio
Strawberry Banana Crepes
My family often has company over for breakfast or brunch, and these light fruit-topped crepes are our favorite. The sweet sensations are as fast to make as they are fabulous. You can cook the crepes the night before, refrigerate them with waxed paper in between, then fill and top them in the morning. —Shelly Soule Las Vegas, Nevada
French Christmas Cookies
These moist treats will have everyone reaching for more. Folks tell me they enjoy these French Christmas cookies. In fact, the batches I make ahead for my family and store in the freezer until Christmas seem to mysteriously disappear each year—even though the chocolate topping I put on before serving hasn't been added yet! —Judy Wilder, Mankato, Minnesota
Chocolate Eclairs
With creamy filling and fudgy frosting, this chocolate eclair recipe is extra special. —Jessica Campbell, Viola, Wisconsin
French Lemon-Apricot Tart
If you like the tang of citrus, you’ll love this lemon tart. The apricot preserves on top add a nice bit of sweetness. —Peggy Lunde, Costa Mesa, California
Raspberry Mousse
This raspberry mousse recipe guarantees a creamy, smooth finale to any summer meal. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Rustic Caramel Apple Tart
Like an apple pie without the pan, this scrumptious tart has a crispy crust that cuts nicely and a yummy caramel topping. —Betty Fulks, Onia, Arkansas
Lemon Cream Puffs
The fluffy filling for these light crisp shells has a delectable citrus flavor. —Doreen Martin, Kitimat, British Columbia
French Crescent Rolls
Whenever we have rolls and coffee after church, these come along with me. Here on the high plains, we've been raising cattle, wheat and daughters for 30 years. Our two oldest are grown, and our youngest just began college. —Betty Ann Wolery, Joplin, Montana
Banana Cream Eclairs
To surprise my banana-loving family, I made this dessert for a reunion, where it stood out among the usual fare. These special treats are something to look at and mouthwateringly delicious. —Ruby Williams, Bogalusa, Louisiana
Elegant White Chocolate Mousse
Simply elegant is a fitting description for this smooth treat. Whipped cream teams up with white chocolate to make this easy recipe extra special. —Laurinda Johnston, Belchertown, Massachusetts
French Noisette Cups
The word “noisette” is French for hazelnut, and these delightful tassie-style treats have a yummy toasted nut flavor in a golden and delicious pastry. —Marie Rizzio, Interlochen, Michigan
Pistachio Palmiers
My family loves palmiers from the bakery, so I created my own recipe. These have a Middle Eastern twist with the addition of rosewater, honey and a touch of cardamom. They are light and crisp—a special treat for the holidays. —Deborah Hinojosa, Saratoga, CaliforniaThe post How to Make Pastry Cream from Scratch appeared first on Taste of Home.
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