Sunday 22 May 2016

Creme Patissiere

Often forgotten for playing a part in so many desserts and pastry recipes is the classic French Pastry Cream, also known as Creme Patissiere, or  confectioner's custard.

Made correctly, the texture and flavour of this versatile thick custard does wonders for simple desserts like trifle or fruit tarts, or in more elaborate recipes such as in a mousseline and even soufflés.

A batch of crème pat can last up to 5 days refrigerated, but common practice in the hospitality industry is a 3 day stock rotation.

None the less, it’s not very expensive to make and can be used in so many ways, I’m sure that you will use this recipe quicker than you would expect.

Ingredients

* 2 Large eggs
* 100g Caster sugar
* 50g Plain flour
* 10g Custard powder
* 500ml Whole milk
* 1 vanilla pod

- Cut the vanilla pod in half lengthways, and scrape the insides vanilla pod of all the little vanilla seed. Now place the seeds and pod into a small saucepan and add the whole milk. Over a medium heat, place the saucepan to heat the milk.

- In a bowl, crack in the 2 eggs, and beat it with a whisk until the yolk is mixed and broken through the egg white, now add the sugar, flour and custard powder and mix it in together.

- Just as the milk is heated to just below boiling point (scalded), take the pan off the heat and slowly pour the hot milk through the mixed egg whilst whisking. Only do this a little at a time also being careful not to splash hot milk over you.

- When all the hot milk has been added to the egg mix, return the whole mix to a pan and place it back onto the heat.

- Cook the mixture out now over the heat, stirring or whisking continually. The mix will slowly thicken, once it becomes very thick, cook it out for 1 minute to ensure the flour and custard powder is properly cooked out before removing it from the heat.

- Pass the mixture through a fine sieve to remove any lumps or any other traces of foreign textures and place into a container to cool.

- It's important to cover the creme pat with a layer of cling film, or baking parchment pressed against it, to stop a skin from forming over the top of the custard.




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About Me

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The Pastry king was started in 2009 when I wanted to showcase my skills, & a personal résumé portfolio. The credit crunch really resulted in founding a business, The Pastry King, the name became about, because of circumstances during the time. It was when deciding on this very blogging handle; did I think of one particular pastry chef, the person I most admired & wanted to learn from. To me, he is a Pastry King – so it was from there it came really. The Pastry King grew, people showed they wanted a bespoke service even in a credit crunch. The early days I made chocolates, & cakes. I involved myself in consultancy roles and training jobs. I helped businesses developed recipes and so much more. At one time I was developing my range of chocolate spreads, & award winning truffle selection, packaged to be shelf ready for retailers to sell from their store shelves. Several years back I decided to close up shop, really due to a job vacancy I took post of. One, which I could not & therefore did not refuse. Over the past few years, I have really enjoyed to still be doing what I love doing, & since become a father to one lovely little boy. I consider myself to be very lucky.