The thick pastry cream is a basic preparation that will be very useful in the kitchen for preparing your desserts. The ingredients are always the same, but what changes is their quantity within the recipe, which also determines a different flavor and especially a different texture. There are many recipes around, which are more or less valid depending on the dessert you want to prepare. Usually, I always use my pastry cream with two eggs, which is a recipe where whole eggs are used and is very quick to prepare.
There are desserts, however, that require a more substantial and structured cream, that holds its shape and does not drip, especially when filling choux pastry. This is the case with zeppole… how beautiful is the well-defined curl on top of the zeppola where you can place our delicious syruped cherry? This pastry cream is thick enough without having too much of a flour taste and you can use it whenever you need a thick cream that won’t drip, for example in a millefeuille or in a tart to garnish after baking with the piping bag.
Preparing this pastry cream for zeppole and other desserts is very simple. Let’s see the procedure together, but first I leave you with links to other delicious creams to try! At the end of the recipe, you will also find delicious ideas for using the egg whites that will remain from preparing the cream!
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 238.86 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 42.81 (g) of which sugars 32.13 (g)
- Proteins 6.01 (g)
- Fat 6.02 (g) of which saturated 3.15 (g)of which unsaturated 2.75 (g)
- Fibers 0.51 (g)
- Sodium 69.72 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 135 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 to prepare thick pastry cream
- 2 cups cups milk (whole or semi-skimmed)
- 5.64 oz oz sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup cups all-purpose flour
- 1 packet vanillin
- lemon zest
- 1 pinch salt
Tools to prepare pastry cream
- Pan
- Spatula
- Kitchen Scale
- Bowl
- Hand Whisk
- Sieve
- Vegetable Peeler
Steps to prepare thick pastry cream
Let’s see together how to prepare this thick pastry cream, perfect for filling all kinds of desserts.
In a pot, place the sugar and sifted flour.
Mix the dry ingredients with a hand whisk.
Add the egg yolks and a small amount of milk taken from the total. Stir to combine the ingredients and then gradually add the rest of the milk, continuing to stir.
Add the packet of vanillin or, alternatively, a teaspoon of vanilla extract or the seeds of a vanilla bean.
Mix well until obtaining a liquid and lump-free mixture.
If there are lumps, you can use an immersion blender before cooking.
Wash a lemon, preferably organic, and peel it with a vegetable peeler. Avoid the white part of the peel, as it could make the cream bitter. Put the peels in the cream and turn on the heat to medium flame.
Stir continuously with a spatula until it starts to thicken.
As soon as bubbles start to form, turn off the heat and stir vigorously with a spatula.
Add a pinch of salt, which will enhance the flavor of the cream and mitigate the egg taste.
Mix again, then use a fork to remove all the lemon peels.
Transfer the cream to a bowl and stir occasionally. Let it cool slightly and then use it for your desserts.
Your thick and delicious pastry cream for your zeppole and other desserts is ready to be enjoyed in all its goodness!
And with the egg whites that remain from preparing this cream, you can make delicious breakfast cookies, delicious coconut treats, a egg white ring cake with chocolate chips, a apple cake, a delicious chocolate cake or a very soft brioche pastry!
Storage, tips, and variations
– I recommend using this pastry cream to fill your desserts as soon as it is lukewarm. Since it’s thicker, you may have difficulty using it later. By putting it immediately in the piping bag and decorating your zeppole or other desserts to your liking, the shape will remain perfect once the cream is completely cold.
– The sugar in this recipe may seem a lot, but keep in mind that, especially if you use it for zeppole, the choux pastry is not sweetened, and therefore the only sugars in the finished dessert will be those from the cream (and the cherry). If, however, you use it for other desserts, you can also reduce the sugar by 30-40 g.
– The cream keeps for no more than 24-48 hours at most. Even though, as mentioned, it’s better to use it at the moment, if you prepare it in advance, store it in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator and consume it as soon as possible.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I use cornstarch instead of flour?
Yes, you can substitute flour with cornstarch, but the final result and texture will be different.
Can you make lactose-free pastry cream?
Yes, you can use lactose-free cow’s milk (there are those with a very low lactose percentage of 0.01% on the market) or, for a completely plant-based alternative, you can use soy, rice, oat, almond, or coconut drinks. However, keep in mind that with these plant-based drinks, the flavor of the cream will be different.
Can pastry cream be frozen?
It would be better to avoid it because, once thawed, it might become grainy and lose consistency.
