La Creme Patissiere (Pastry Cream)

Here is the pastry cream to go with La Pate Sucree. Once you make your tart shells you fill them with this pastry cream and top with fruit... yum! This cream can also be used to fill cream puffs, eclairs, etc.

In a good tart you aren't supposed to see much of the cream... it is in there, I promise!

La Creme Patissiere

Yield: 2.5 cups

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
2 cups half & half or heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
scant 1/4 cup cornstarch
pinch of salt
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped or 1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 T butter, optional

Directions
Combine milk, half the sugar, salt and the vanilla bean in a pot. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch and remaining sugar together. Then whisk the sugar mixture into the eggs. This will help the eggs not curdle when you add the hot milk mixture. Slowly add the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture, stirring constantly. Strain back into the pot.
Return the pot to medium high heat and whisk constantly until it begins to boil and thicken. This will happen very quickly so be paying attention and stir vigorously when it thickens. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. The finished cream should be thick and smooth. Taste it to make sure you cannot taste any raw cornstarch.
Remove from heat and add vanilla extract and butter, if using. Pour onto sheet tray lined with plastic wrap. Fold the plastic over the cream and let cool outside of the fridge for about 45 minutes. Transfer to a container by lifting up the plastic with the cream in it and making a cut on the bottom so you can squeeze it out into the container. Refrigerate.
Pastry cream stores up to 4 days in the fridge, but cannot be frozen due to the cornstarch in it.

Here is Jenny filling some cream puffs.

More cool sugar work.