The thick pastry cream for all seasons is a very light cream with a delicate taste thanks to the use of whole eggs instead of yolks. Very easy to make, it has a less intense flavor compared to the creams made with yolks which, in my opinion, are much tastier. Extremely versatile, it can be paired with dried fruit pastes like pistachio or hazelnuts or with jams.
The recipe I propose today is by Master Massari and is taken from a book I have owned for years. I find it ideal, besides the pairings mentioned above, for filling cakes or layered tarts with jams, ganache, and fresh fruit where the cream’s taste should not dominate the other preparations; it is essential, however, to flavor it well with citrus and vanilla.
Usually, in creams, egg yolk is used because it contains lecithin, an emulsifier that prevents the separation of liquids if the mixture is cooked at the correct temperature. Creams made with whole eggs are mostly used for baking, but from the books I own, I notice that Master Massari often uses them in less technical versions like this one.
A good pastry cream must be smooth, silky, shiny, with a fresh taste of vanilla and lemon and the correct consistency for the recipe being made. It is a simple preparation, but in reality, you must follow some fundamental steps, how much and how to cook it are the two most important aspects.
How to cook pastry cream?
Cooking can be done in a bain-marie, on a classic stovetop, or induction by continuously stirring with a whisk. If you are skilled, you can also cook it in the microwave.
How long to cook pastry cream?
The pastry cream does not have an exact cooking time but varies based on the number of eggs present and the thickeners (rice starch, cornstarch, flour) you have chosen to use because each thickener gels at a different temperature, from the 179/181°F degrees of the starches to the 198/201°F of the flour (find a clearer table below the recipe).
If the cream is cooked too little or too long besides altering the taste, it can cause the formation of liquid at the bottom of the container after resting (“syneresis”), to avoid this problem I recommend using a thermometer (available at a very low cost).
If you’re interested in knowing more, follow me as I will soon publish a much more comprehensive article dedicated to pastry cream.
Try the other recipes as well:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: for 1.76 lbs of cream
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
In the preparation of this cream, glucose syrup is used; if you prefer, you can replace it with sugar in a smaller quantity. Glucose syrup allows the cream to be shinier and silkier, helps preserve the product by preventing liquid from forming after resting in the fridge (syneresis).
- 1.4 cups whole milk
- 9 eggs (whole)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup glucose syrup (you can substitute with 3 tbsps of sugar)
- 1/3 cup rice starch
- Half pod vanilla
- lemon zest (grated, need the zest of an organic lemon)
- 1/4 tsp salt
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Scale
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Immersion Blender
- 1 Thermometer recommended
Procedure
Pour the milk into a saucepan, add the grated lemon zest, vanilla pod seeds, and salt, bring to a boil and turn off.
In a bowl, mix the rice starch with the sugar, add the eggs, mix the mixture well with a whisk and add the glucose. Pour the hot milk little by little to avoid lumps.Note: if I have time and want a very aromatic cream, I heat the milk the night before, leaving the chosen flavors to infuse all night, the next day I strain the milk and use it to make the cream by heating it in the microwave or again on the stove.
Cook the cream in a bain-marie or on the stove, continuously stirring with a whisk until you get a nice thick and shiny cream, the correct cooking temperature is 176/180°F. Once it’s ready, turn off the stove and emulsify it well with the immersion blender.Cool it quickly, to do this, transfer it to a baking dish, cover it with cling film in contact, and place it in the fridge or use an ice water bath. Rapidly bringing down the cream’s temperature prevents bacterial growth.
The thick pastry cream for all seasons by Massari is ready.
Advice
Storage
Iginio Massari’s thick pastry cream is stored in the fridge from 32°F to 39°F for 4/5 days.
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FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What is the correct temperature for cooking pastry cream?
The egg coagulates around 158°F but, when making a pastry cream, we add milk, sugar, starches, cream, salt, and flavors, these ingredients disturb the egg coagulation and allow us to bring the cooking of the mixture and thus also the eggs around 176/180°F.
How long should pastry cream be cooked?
The cooking time of pastry cream varies based on the number of eggs present, but primarily based on the thickener used:
with rice starch, cook to 176°F
with cornstarch, cook to 181°F
with half cornstarch and half rice starch, cook to 181°F
with flour, it is necessary to reach 198/201°F, a very high temperature for the egg which risks ruining it by bringing out an unpleasant sulfur taste, which is why starches are preferred over flour.
