How to make pastry cream in 5 minutes? Creamy, firm, and versatile for any sweet preparation, such as spoon desserts, fruit tarts, cream puffs, and zeppole.
It’s a gluten-free pastry cream because I used cornstarch instead of flour with the milk and eggs, achieving a delicate consistency, firm and perfect for using with a pastry bag. For those who are lactose intolerant, soy milk can also be used, and the result will be just as perfect. And then, if you follow the simple steps I’ll indicate, you’ll make it in just a few minutes.
The amount in this recipe is enough for 1 fruit tart (here you’ll find the recipe for shortcrust pastry), for 10 cream puffs or zeppole and for 4 cups of spoon cream. As I always say, you can double or halve the quantities based on the amount of cream you want to make.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 4 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 2 1/8 cups milk (can also be replaced with soy milk)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup cornstarch (can also be replaced with potato starch)
- 2 whole eggs (medium or large)
- 1 packet vanillin
- 1 lemon (peel cut whole)
Steps
In a non-stick saucepan, beat the whole eggs with the sugar, then add the cornstarch (can be replaced with potato starch) and vanillin powder, then beat well with a fork to obtain a smooth and homogeneous mixture. Set aside the eggs and proceed to the next step.
In another saucepan pour the milk (can be replaced with natural soy milk) and add the whole lemon peel. Make sure to only trim the yellow part of the lemon peel, excluding as much as possible the white part of the rind, which is bitter.
Boil the milk with the lemon peel, then turn off the heat and remove it.
At this point, pour the hot milk into the saucepan where you have beaten the eggs with the other ingredients. Mix the mixture well with a whisk and bring it to low heat.
With the whisk moving in the saucepan, cook the cream, which will thicken after about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and beat the cream with a fork, mixing it well until it compacts evenly. This last operation serves to eliminate any small lumps formed during cooking.
Place a piece of cling film directly in contact with the cream and let it cool this way. This will prevent a thin solid skin from forming on the cream’s surface, which is impossible to remove when cold.
Our delicious pastry cream is ready to be used in any sweet preparation. When it’s cold, you can put it in a pastry bag and distribute it over the zeppole or inside the cream puffs, or decorate the fruit tarts creatively.
I made it in 5 minutes, and you? :))
