The baked pastry cream is thick and firm, specially balanced to withstand double baking without losing structure. Ideal for tarts or baked cakes, it remains perfect when cut without dripping or separating.
The classic pastry cream should be silky and velvety to offer a pleasant sensation on bite but is not capable of withstanding further baking in the oven.
There are two types of baked creams, the first is low in yolks, sugars, and fats like Massari’s, while the second, on the contrary, is enriched with fats, yolks, and sugars, like Montersino’s. Both are excellent baked creams, but the first has a more delicate taste, while the second has a richer and more robust flavor.
The recipe I propose today is the version by Maestro Massari, it is a light and delicate cream flavored with lemon and vanilla, thickened with cornstarch and rice starch; unlike the classic cream, it contains whole eggs, whose purpose is to limit the cream’s boiling during baking to prevent excessive vapor production that would make it swell.
Also try the other creams:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: for 750 g of cream
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 141.58 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 24.73 (g) of which sugars 17.17 (g)
- Proteins 3.88 (g)
- Fat 3.57 (g) of which saturated 2.04 (g)of which unsaturated 1.51 (g)
- Fibers 0.07 (g)
- Sodium 70.45 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/8 cups whole milk
- 2 large eggs (whole, 2 medium eggs)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup rice starch
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- lemon zest (use the zest of one untreated lemon)
- 1/2 pod vanilla
- 1 pinch salt (optional)
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Baking dish rectangular
- Plastic wrap
- 1 Sieve
Procedure
Split the vanilla pod, take the seeds and put them in the saucepan along with the milk, also add the pod and the zest of half a lemon in pieces.
Bring the milk to a boil, turn off the heat and let it rest while you weigh and prepare the other ingredients.
In a bowl, mix the whole eggs with the sugar, incorporate the cornstarch and rice starch to create a smooth and homogeneous mixture.
Using a sieve, strain the milk, add a few tablespoons to the egg mixture to make it more fluid, then gradually add the rest, stirring constantly with the whisk.
Transfer the mixture to the saucepan, place it on the heat, and cook the cream for a few minutes, stirring vigorously with the whisk (this is because the higher amount of starches will tend to create lumps during cooking), it should reach 183°F. If you do not make it often, I recommend using a food thermometer.
Pour the cream into the baking dish, cover it with plastic wrap in contact, and place it in the fridge to cool for 2 hours.
The baked pastry cream by Iginio Massari is ready. Before using it, mix it with a whisk to make it shiny and creamy, place it in a piping bag, and use it to make your recipes.
Tips
Storage
The baked pastry cream by Iginio Massari can be stored in the fridge from 32°F to 39°F for 4/5 days.
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