Confectioner's custard (Crème pâtissière, or French pastry cream)
Quite similar to crème anglaise but much thicker. It is used in many pastries like choux pastry (pâte à choux) or millefeuille.
40 min.
Easy
720 g
5 IngredientsLast modified on: January 27th 2017
For 720 g, you will need:
- 1
6 egg yolks - 2
100 g caster sugar - 3
500 ml Milk - 4
40 g cornflour - 5
1 vanilla pod - Total weight: 765 grams
Change these quantities to make:
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 30 min.
Cooking: 7 min.
All in all: 40 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 20 min.
Pour 500 ml Milk into a pan, and add the inside of 1 vanilla pod (the little black seeds) after carefully scraping them out with the tip a knife.
Bring to the boil on medium heat. As soon as it boils, take off the heat, cover and leave vanilla to infuse 10 minutes.
Bring to the boil on medium heat. As soon as it boils, take off the heat, cover and leave vanilla to infuse 10 minutes.
Stage 2 - 2 min.
Meanwhile, put 6 egg yolks in a bowl and add 100 g caster sugar, and without delay beat to mix thoroughly.
It is not necessary to beat for a long time to whiten, so it can be done by hand with a whisk in 1 minute.
It is not necessary to beat for a long time to whiten, so it can be done by hand with a whisk in 1 minute.
Stage 4 - 2 min.
Then slowly pour the hot milk onto the mixture while beating continuously until thoroughly mixed.
Stage 5 - 2 min.
Transfer the mixture back into the pan.
Stage 6
Unlike for crème anglaise or crème brûlée, it is not essential to remove the froth, it will get mixed in during cooking.
But it's better...
But it's better...
Stage 7 - 7 min.
Put the pan on low-medium heat, and cook gently while beating continuously.
It's important to scrape the whisk over the bottom of the pan to avoid custard sticking.
It's important to scrape the whisk over the bottom of the pan to avoid custard sticking.
Stage 8
Cooking is complete when custard is of a good consistency, in other words like a thickish purée, but not too firm..
The custard thickens quite quickly, especially if the heat is high, so do not to hesitate to take pan off heat, while continuing to stir, if this happens.
Also, remember that your custard will continue cooking for a little while after being removed from the heat, so bear this in mind when deciding at what point to stop...
The custard thickens quite quickly, especially if the heat is high, so do not to hesitate to take pan off heat, while continuing to stir, if this happens.
Also, remember that your custard will continue cooking for a little while after being removed from the heat, so bear this in mind when deciding at what point to stop...
Stage 9
Once custard is finished, cover the pan to avoid a skin forming.
Later, if you use the custard cold and it is too stiff, beat one or two tablespoonsful of cream into it vigorously.
Later, if you use the custard cold and it is too stiff, beat one or two tablespoonsful of cream into it vigorously.
Stage 10
When finished, cream is very hot, if you want to use it immediately you should cool it.
The easier solution is to put it in the fridge, but it's quite long.
The best way is to proceed as chefs, and spread it on a plastic film (to protect from the air) then put it in the fridge.
The easier solution is to put it in the fridge, but it's quite long.
The best way is to proceed as chefs, and spread it on a plastic film (to protect from the air) then put it in the fridge.
Stage 11
This short video show you how to proceed.
Remarks
It's possible to flavour confectioner's custurd with other things rather than vanilla: coffee, alcohols, etc... You can also make a chocolate custard by folding about 100 g of chocolate, broken in small pieces into the custard with the whisk while it is still hot.
Keeping: Several days in the fridge, in a closed jar.
Source: After Gaston Lenôtre.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 50 RDI=20 % | 150 RDI=10 % | 60 RDI=10 % | 1,360 RDI=70 % | 5,680 RDI: 70 % |
| Per 100 g | 6 RDI=2 % | 20 RDI=2 % | 8 RDI=1 % | 180 RDI=9 % | 740 RDI: 9 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 720 g : 3.75 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
Some other recipes using this recipeSee them all 20
Paris-Brest
The Paris-Brest is a famous French patisserie: a ring of choux pastry, scattered with flaked almonds and icing sugar and filled with a praline cream. The name comes from a historic cycle race between Paris and Brest (600 km or 372 miles), as the shape is like a bicycle wheel.
195 K4.6 2 hours 20 min.
Saint Honoré cake
The Saint Honoré cake is a famous example of French patisserie. It consists of a puff pastry base surrounded by a ring of caramel-coated choux puffs and topped with whipped cream (Chantilly). It is a bit tricky to make, but this recipe gives you all the hints you need.
129 K4.7 2 hours 55 min.
Strawberry tart
For this great dessert classic: a sweetcrust pastry case, vanilla confectioner's custard and the best strawberries available. This recipe is simple yet demanding, but the result is an exceptional tart.
129 K4.6 2 hours 30 min.
Chinois
"Chinese" - what a strange name for this cake! A kind of brioche, filled with confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière) which can be decorated with fondant icing.
269 K 24.7 5 hours 30 min.
Millefeuille
Millefeuille is one of the best pastries available, if it is well made, i.e.: 2 layers of light vanilla cream between 3 layers of fine crispy (possibly caramelized) puff pastry.
335 K4.6 1 hour 45 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Milk
Like these other recipes: Potato Waffles with Smoked Salmon, Pretzels, Household cake (Gâteau de ménage), Liège waffles, Ciabatta, ... See them all 60
Caster sugar
Like these other recipes: Blackcurrant-almond muffins, Plum and almond panna cotta, Angevin plum pâté, Kouign-amann brioche, Like MaronSui's, ... See them all 361
Cornflour
Like these other recipes: Rabbit civet "à la normande", Du Barry soup, Paris flan filling, Lime confectioner's custard (pastry cream), Almond cream or frangipane, ... See them all 33
Egg yolk
Like these other recipes: Vanilla ice cream, Crusty cockle tart, Blackcurrant, vanilla and lime verrine , Gnocchi alla romana, Pistachio ice cream, ... See them all 73
Other recipes you may also like
Nanterre brioche
This is the classic, but delicious, brioche recipe that you can find in any good baker's. Her unique shape is made from small balls of dough put in a mould.September 10th 2018281 K3.8 2 hours 30 min.
Potato gratin
This classic French recipe is made with sliced potatoes baked in milk and browned on top.February 21th 20111.11 M 14.4 1 hour 50 min.
How to extract passion fruit juice
Passion fruit are rather strange fruit as they do not really have much flesh, but rather seeds surrounded by a fine layer of pulp. Here is a way to extract the juice.March 23th 2011528 K 32.3 20 min.
You should not leave egg yolks in contact with sugar
You should not leave egg yolks in contact with sugar for too long without beating them, because this contact "cooks" egg yolks and you will get small lumps of hard egg in your mixture.February 21th 2011129 K5
Scrambled eggs (Oeufs brouillés)
French-style scrambled eggs are rather special. It's not very difficult, just a bit long because it's cooked slowly in a bain-marie. Eventually you will get a delicious, refined and delicate preparation which can be eaten "as it is" or added to another recipe.February 21th 2011273 K5 30 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-06-29)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Follow this recipe (as 11 people already do)
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.
The 31 comments already posted on this recipe
In the past, when corn flour was not existing, that how pastry chef does.
You can also reduce caster sugar of one teaspoon and add a teaspoon of vanilla sugar instead.