Orange Pastry Cream

By feeferlump

Ingredients

• 1 1 1 cup milk
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 2 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1 1 large egg yolk
• 2 2 2 1 (1 by 2 inches) orange zest, from 1 orange
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1 1 1 large whole egg
• 2 2 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a small saucepan, combine milk, orange zest, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Scrape in vanilla seeds, and add the pod. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and cover. Set aside 10 minutes; discard orange zest and vanilla pod.

2. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with cornstarch. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg and egg yolk; add the sugar mixture, and continue whisking until pale yellow.

3. Return milk mixture to heat. Bring to a boil, scraping vanilla seeds from sides of pan.

4. Slowly ladle half of boiling milk mixture into egg-yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Transfer this new mixture back to saucepan.

5. Set pan over medium heat, whisking constantly and scraping sides and edges of pan. Once mixture comes to a boil, whisk vigorously until very thick, about 1 1/2 minutes.

6. Remove pan from heat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape pastry cream into a medium bowl; set over ice bath. Whisk butter, piece by piece, into the pastry cream while still warm. Let cool completely. Lay plastic wrap on surface of pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming; wrap tightly. Store pastry cream, refrigerated, up to 1 day.