Pastry Cream

Ingredients

• 16 oz. milk
• 4 oz. granulated sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 42 grams cornstarch
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 oz. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 oz. butter

Directions

1. Place 90% of the milk and salt in a medium pot. Sprinkle half of the sugar over the milk. Do NOT stir.
2. Bring the milk to the boil. Do not stir.
3. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, make a slurry by whisking the remaining milk, sugar, and cornstarch. Add the eggs and whisk to create a liasion.
4. Temper the boiling milk into the liasion, whisking to prevent the eggs from cooking. Pour the custard back into the pot and return to heat, whisking constantly.
5. When the starch just begins to thicken, remove the pot from the heat and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Return to heat and stir constantly while boiling for 1-2 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat and taste for starch. Continue boiling is starch is present.
7. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract and mix until homogeneous.
8. Pour the pastry cream onto a plastic-lined sheet pan. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming.
9. Let sit out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to cool. Refrigerate.
10. Reconstitute: mix with a whisk or paddle before use.