Italian Pastry Cream Recipe

Ingredients

This is a vanilla flavored pastry cream. To vary the taste you can add a favorite liqueur,
such as Amaretto, Kahlua, Grand Marnier, or Limoncello.
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 cups whole milk or half-and-half
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons liqueur, optional

Preparation

Step 1

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan.
In a bowl, whisk together milk and egg yolks
Whisk milk mixture into sugar mixture.
Place the saucepan over medium heat.
Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly.
Boil for 1 minute; remove from heat.
Stir in vanilla and optional liqueur.
Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl.
Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface.
Allow to cool for 30 minutes and then refrigerate until cold.

Chocolate Pastry Cream:
Add 4 ounces of chopped semisweet chocolate to the hot pastry cream as it comes off the heat.
Stir and allow to sit for 2 minutes, then whisk it in until smooth.