The French use a lot of different pastry cremes to fill their lovely patisserie. In this baking basics post, I will be giving you a basic recipe for a classic vanilla Crème Pâtissière, as well as some alterations so that you can make a chocolate version of this Crème Pâtissière, too!
Let´s get started!
What is Crème Pâtissière?
Crème Pâtissière, often abbeviated to Crème Pat or known as French Pastry Cream in English, is basically a thick vanilla custard. Unlike British vanilla custard you may pour over your dessert (called Crème Anglaise, i.e. English Cream, in French), crème pâtissière is a lot thicker and can therefore hold its shape when used to fill pastries or piped.
It is used to fill éclairs or profiteroles, or it can be piped in between layers of puff pastry to make mille feuille. The possibilities are endless!
How Do You Make Crème Pâtissière?
Crème Pâtissière is made in the same way you would make a custard, except for the addition of flour and cornflour to the egg mixture which will help thicken it.
You start by carefully heating the milk and vanilla over a medium heat, until the milk just starts to come to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse and cool slightly, then remove the vanilla pod (if you are using one).
In the meantime, you whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, plain, and corn flour until light and frothy. I´d recommend that you use room-temperature eggs, so that they are not too cold when you add the milk.
Next, you need to add the milk in a thin but steady stream, whisking well as you do so. This will ensure the eggs are heated gradually and don´t become too hot – you don´t want to end up with scrambled eggs!
The pot is then returned to the heat, where you need to whisk the mix until your crème pâtissière is smooth and thick. Pour the crème pat into a bowl, cover the surface with clingfilm to prevent a skin from forming and chill in the fridge until completely cool before you use it.
Crème Pâtissière Variations
Obviously, vanilla crème pâtissiere is the most common version you will find. Instead of or even in addition to the vanilla flavouring, you could also add some lemon or orange zest for a flavour twist (add it to the whisked egg yolks and sugar). You could also try to replace the vanilla extract with some lemon or orange extract.
One time I was in France, I had Chocolate Éclairs that were filled with Chocolate Crème Pâtissière – and I absolutely loved it! It was probably one of the best things I have ever eaten, so I wanted to try and recreate it at home.
As you can see in the recipe below, I made a few alterations to the basic recipe to make a Chocolate Crème Pâtissière. I replaced some of the plain flour and cornflour with some cocoa powder, and some chopped dark chocolate is stirred in to melt whilst the crème pât is still hot to make it even more chocolate-y. For a chocolate-orange twist, I added some orange extract to the milk instead of the vanilla, and added some grated orange zest to the egg yolk mixture.
More French Pâtisserie Recipes
If you are looking for more French baking basics or some recipes in which to use this crème pâtissière, check out some of my other posts:
- Crème Chantilly | Baking Basics #7
- French Chocolate Éclairs
- Mary´s Strawberry Fraisier Cake
- 3-Day Crusty French Baguettes
- Baguettes aux Olives | French Olive Baguettes
Crème Pâtissière – Baking Basics #8
Basic Recipe
Ingredients (enough to fill 12 éclairs or 24 profiteroles):
- 500ml full-fat milk
- 1 vanilla pod or 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 6 medium egg yolks
- 60g caster sugar
- 20g cornflour
- 30g plain flour
Method:
- Gently heat the milk and vanilla pod/vanilla bean paste over a medium heat until the milk just comes to the boil. Set aside and leave to infuse and cool for a few minutes.
- In the meantime, whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar until pale and frothy. Then whisk in the cornflour and plain flour.
- If using, remove the vanilla pod and pour the milk into the egg mix in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly. Return to the pot (you can use the same one you used for the milk) and set over a medium heat. Bring the mixture to the boil, whisking constantly until the crème pâtissière is thick and smooth.
- Transfer the crème pât to a bowl and cover the surface with clingfilm to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the fridge until cooled completely before using.
- You can keep the crème pâtissiere in the fridge for up to three days before using it. Give it a quick mix to remove any lumps before you use it, then spoon it into a piping bag and start filling your pastries!
Chocolate Crème Pâtissière – Baking Basics #8
A twist on the Basic Recipe
Ingredients (enough to fill 12 éclairs or 24 profiteroles):
- 500ml full-fat milk
- 2 tsp orange extract or other flavouring (e.g. alcohol), optional
- 6 medium egg yolks
- 60g caster sugar
- 20g cornflour
- 20g plain flour
- 20g cocoa powder
- 60g dark chocolate, finely chopped
Method:
- If you are wanting to use additional flavouring (e.g. orange extract) add 2 tsp to the milk. Then pour into a pot and gently heat the milk over a medium heat until the milk just comes to the boil. Set aside and leave to infuse and cool for a few minutes.
- In the meantime, whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar until pale and frothy. Then whisk in the cornflour, plain flour and cocoa powder.
- Pour the milk into the egg mix in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly. Return to the pot (you can use the same one you used for the milk) and set over a medium heat. Bring the mixture to the boil, whisking constantly until the chocolate crème pâtissière is thick and smooth.
- Remove from the heat, then add the finely chopped chocolate and stir into the crème until melted.
- Transfer the crème pât to a bowl and cover the surface with clingfilm to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the fridge until cooled completely before using.
- As with the normal crème pât, you can keep the chocolate crème pâtissiere in the fridge for up to three days before using. Give it a quick mix to remove any lumps before you use it, then spoon it into a piping bag and start filling your pastries!
Check out my other Baking Basic Posts:
- How To Make Shortcrust Pastry | Baking Basics #1
- How To Master Chocolate – Melting, Tempering and Decorating | Baking Basics #2
- How To Make Puff Pastry | Baking Basics #3
