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Crème Pâtissière

The long and most quality version of Crème Pâtissière

Quick answerReady in 30 minutes, French cuisine.
By Jaron Kimhi··👁 1K views
Crème Pâtissière
Crème Pâtissière is one of the foundation creams of pastry baking and is a base for many other creams and fillings.

It's also known as pastry cream or 'crème pat' — basically a custard made from eggs, milk, all-purpose flour (or custard powder or cornstarch if you want to add richness), sugar, and vanilla.

Crème Pâtissière is a thick, smooth custard cream used as a filling for all kinds of pastry — from tarts and cakes to more signature dishes like soufflés and mille-feuille.

The method of making Crème Pâtissière

There are various ways to make Crème Pâtissière. In this recipe I'll show you a really detailed method adapted from Thomas Keller's Bouchon bakery cookbook. In this version we form a very thick custard that's a great base for many other creams. We start by creating a nicely puffed egg yolk and sugar mix in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. You know this stage is done right when the cream is thick and forms a ribbon shape when you lift the whisk. Crème Pâtissière Now add the custard powder or flour to thicken it up even more — because in a minute we'll add the milk and the whole batter will loosen up quite a bit. Crème Pâtissière The next stage is where we put the runny batter in a saucepan and start thickening it like a custard. It takes about 5–7 minutes, and in that time we're cooking off most of the liquid and building a really rich sauce. Like I said, this is the long, "by the book" version — so we continue by straining the cream through a fine mesh strainer over a double bowl with ice in it. That gives you a really smooth paste and stops the cooking immediately. Crème Pâtissière I'll go over the detailed process in the recipe below, so just keep in mind that this custard makes a really smooth, high-quality Crème Pâtissière that's the base for many other creams.

Method

  1. 1

    mixing the batter· 7 minutes

    Set an ice bath and place a medium bowl over the ice water and a mesh strainer on top of the bowl. place yolks and scraped vanilla bean in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk for 30 seconds, add the sugar and mix for another 2 minutes on medium speed. scrape the bowl and mix for 3 more minutes on medium-high speed. the batter should be puffed pale yellow and thick and when the whisk is lifted a dissolving ribbon forms. reduce speed to low and add the custard powder, mix for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the milk while the mixer is working on lowest speed. scrape the bowl again and mix for another minute until combined.

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  2. 2

    cooking the batter· 8 minutes

    pour the mixture to a large saucepan and place on medium heat. stir gently until it begins to thicken. switch into a whisk and whisk as the cream comes to a simmer. once bubbles are breaking the surface cook for 3 more minutes while constantly whisking.

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  3. 3

    strain the mixture· 3 minutes

    Pour the pastry cream thru the strainer pressing it gently to push the thickened cream through. Mix for another minute in the chilled bowl to cool the cream and whisk the butter in 2 additions. Place the pastry cream into a container and cover with a plastic wrap against the surface to prevent skin from foaming. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, it can be in the fridge for up to 4 days.

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Recipe by

Jaron Kimhi

Jaron Kimhi — self-taught home cook from Tel Aviv, writing and cooking every recipe on this site himself. 20+ years of tinkering in the kitchen, leaning toward slow cooking, classic technique, and honest ingredients.

More recipes by Jaron →

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Categories
Creams and Curds
Cuisines
French
Features
30 minutes or lessVegetarian
Tags
Crème Pâtissièrecreamcustardvanilla

Questions & answers

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of custard powder?
Yes, the recipe says you can swap in all-purpose flour at the same amount. Just know custard powder gives you that classic rich colour and flavour.
Can I use vanilla extract instead of a vanilla bean?
Totally — the recipe lists it as a valid swap. Just stir it in when you'd normally add the scraped bean.
How far ahead can I make this?
You can make it up to 4 days ahead — keep it in the fridge with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface so no skin forms.
Why do I need to press plastic wrap directly onto the cream?
It stops a skin from forming on top as it chills — skip this step and you'll end up with a rubbery layer you have to peel off or whisk out later.
What's the ice bath actually for?
It stops the cooking fast once you strain the cream through — pour it straight into that chilled bowl and give it a quick mix to bring the temperature down before you whisk in the butter.

Nutrition per serving

125
Calories
7g
Total Fat
3.2g
Saturated
67mg
Cholesterol
45mg
Sodium