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
360 g
5 IngredientsLast modified on: January 27th 2017
For 360 g, you will need:
- 1
3 egg yolks - 2
50 g caster sugar - 3
250 ml Milk - 4
20 g cornflour - 5
½ vanilla pod - Total weight: 385 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 250 ml Milk into a pan, and add the inside of ½ 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 3 egg yolks in a bowl and add 50 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 | 20 RDI=9 % | 70 RDI=7 % | 30 RDI=5 % | 680 RDI=30 % | 2,840 RDI: 30 % |
| Per 100 g | 6 RDI=2 % | 20 RDI=2 % | 8 RDI=1 % | 180 RDI=9 % | 740 RDI: 9 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 360 g : 1.90 €
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
Peach and green tea tart
This refined tart combines peaches with the delicate flavour of green tea. The sweetcrust pastry case is baked blind, then filled with a green-tea custard and topped with slices of poached white peaches.
55 K5 1 hour 15 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.
337 K4.6 1 hour 45 min.
Diplomat cream
Diplomat cream or "crème Madame" (a much prettier name) is one of many creams in French pâtisserie based on confectioner's custard. The classic confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière, or french pastry cream) has gelatin added while hot, then whipped cream is folded in when cold. This gives a...
76 K 1 hour 50 min.
Strawberry Verveine Tart
This tart has a crisp sweetcrust pastry case filled with verveine-flavoured cream and, of course, strawberries.
71 K3.8 1 hour 35 min.
Almond cream or frangipane
Light and delicious, it is used in a lot of desserts like tarts, cakes and pies (epiphany galette).
466 K 25 45 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Milk
Like these other recipes: Chocolate eclairs, Chocolate tart, Loaf for "les filles'", Ciabatta, Potato gratin, ... See them all 60
Caster sugar
Like these other recipes: Caramelized apple rice pudding, Gâteau Basque , Melon with port sorbet, Doughnuts, Strawberry Charlotte, ... See them all 361
Cornflour
Like these other recipes: Italian hot chocolate , Rich hazelnut buttercream, Chocolate eclairs, Rabbit civet "à la normande", Blackcurrant, vanilla and lime verrine , ... See them all 33
Egg yolk
Like these other recipes: Coconut-vanilla cream for Elsa , Langoustine sabayon tart, Cannelés, Mousse with two chocolates, Key Lime Pie for Jeremy, ... See them all 74
Other recipes you may also like
Hotpot my grandmother's way
If you like slow-cooked dishes prepared with loving care (mitonné), you will certainly love this hotpot recipe, with the taste of Franche-Comté, inspired by my grandmother. It's an old-fashioned dish full of flavours and aromas, cooked vegetables, stock, smoked sausages, all cooked long and slow.February 21th 2011348 K5 4 hours 7 min.
Panna cotta
Panna cotta is an Italian dessert which means "cooked cream". It's a set vanilla cream, similar to blancmange, which is frequently served with other things like fruit coulis (fruit purée), caramel etc.. Here is the basic panna cotta recipe.February 21th 2011357 K4.3 25 min.
Alsatian-style salad
This salad is based on a traditional Alsatian recipe: cabbage julienne, warm potatoes, bacon, parsley and vinaigrette.January 3rd 2014288 K4.4 1 hour 15 min.
"BN style" chocolate-filled biscuits
These are similar to the BN biscuits so well-known in France. They are a sandwich of chocolate filling between two layers of biscuit. Children adore them!March 21th 2011220 K 24.6 5 hours 15 min.
Piedmont salad
Piedmont salad is a mix of potaotes, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, gherkins and cervelas sausage dressed with mayonnaise.September 29th 2012283 K 14.5 1 hour 20 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-08-24)
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.