Pastry Cream

(Pastry cream being used in a Basque Cake)

I don't have many step-by-step pictures for this recipe, I was in a time crunch while making it in class and kept forgetting to pull out my camera on the different steps.

Pastry cream is nice to know how to make because it has many different uses. You can fill donuts with it, eat it like pudding, or use it for Basque Cake to name just a few. And it's pretty quick and easy to make!

(This recipe will make enough to fill two Basque Cakes)

Ingredients:
1 pint heavy cream
8 fl oz milk
8 oz granulated sugar (divided into 6 oz and 2 oz)
8 fl oz milk (yes, I know I posted it twice, you will need two different 8 oz)
2 1/4 oz corn starch
2 eggs
1/4 oz vanilla extract
2 oz butter (optional)

Directions:

1. Bring heavy cream, first 8 oz milk and 6 oz of the sugar to a boil, whisking frequently to prevent scorching.

2. Make a slurry of second 8 oz milk, corn starch, 2 oz sugar, and eggs.

3. Take a small amount (maybe about a cup's worth?) of the boiled mixture and add it SLOWLY (otherwise you will cook the eggs and your pastry cream will be lumpy!) to your slurry, whisking constantly. This technique is called "tempering". Add the tempered mixture back into the boiled mixture ALSO SLOWLY and bring new mixture back to a boil. Tempering helps to bring delicate mixtures up to heat gently without ruining the recipe.

4. Boil for about one minute to thicken, then remove from heat and add vanilla and optional butter.

5. To cool, place over an ice bath and mix frequently to prevent a skin from forming on the top. 

Once cool, place plastic wrap directly on the pastry cream (also to prevent skin from forming) and store in the fridge until you are ready to use it.