Bakers Creme Food

PASTRY CREAM, CREME PATISSERIE

Steps:

• Measure out all of the ingredients. Cut the butter into small pieces.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks (110 grams, 6 large) with the sugar (100 grams, ½ cup), cornstarch (30 grams, ¼ cup), and salt (1 gram, ¼ teaspoon) with a whisk until foamy and about double in size. This will ensure a smooth pastry cream.
• In a saucepan, heat the milk (568 grams, 2 ½ cups) until it starts to boil.
• Temper the egg yolks by slowly pouring about half of the milk into the egg/cornstarch mixture while whisking continuously. It can be helpful to nestle the mixing bowl in a damp kitchen towel to stabilize the bowl while you whisk and pour.
• Pour the milk/egg mixture back into the pot with the remainder of the milk and cook over low heat, whisking continuously, until the mixture thickens and starts rapidly bubbling. Do not rush this process.
• Pour the hot pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve.
• If you are adding any chocolate or other flavorings, they can be whisked in at this point. Add the butter (28 grams, 2 tablespoons) and vanilla (1 ½ teaspoons) and whisk in.
• Place a piece of plastic wrap right on top of the pastry cream and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Pastry cream can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

HOW TO MAKE PASTRY CREAM (CRèME PâTISSIèRE RECIPE)

Steps:

• In a 2-quart stainless steel saucier, combine milk and scraped vanilla bean along with its seeds. Bring to a bare simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat, cover to prevent evaporation, and let steep for 30 minutes.
• In a large bowl, set up an ice bath by partially filling it with a combination of cold water and ice. Set aside.
• In a medium heatproof mixing bowl set on top of a dampened towel (this serves as a stable base), stir together sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in egg yolks until mixture is pale yellow, smooth, and fluffy, about 1 minute.
• Uncover infused milk and remove vanilla bean (see note). While whisking continuously, slowly pour milk into egg yolk mixture in a thin stream, until all of it has been added.
• Return the mixture to the same saucier. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until pastry cream begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Once it thickens, continue to whisk, pausing every few seconds to check for bubbles, about 1 minute. When it begins to bubble, set a timer and continue whisking for 1 minute. This step is important to neutralize a starch-dissolving protein found in egg yolks.
• Off-heat, whisk in butter until melted and thoroughly combined. Strain pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve set over a heatproof medium bowl. Immediately place plastic wrap or buttered parchment paper directly on the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Transfer bowl to prepared ice bath to chill for 30 minutes, then refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
• When ready to use the pastry cream, whisk until smooth.

GLEN'S CREAMY CAKE FILLING (MOCK CREAM)

Steps:

• Dissolve icing sugar with very little boiling water, only enough to make it just slide into butter but not be watery.
• Beat butter until soft and creamy, then add icing sugar, a little at a time and beat until white and creamy - taste before all the icing sugar has been added to see if it is sweet enough, only add the rest if it is needed.
• Add 1 tbs of boiling water, beat again, then add 1 tbs cold water.
• Continue beating until smooth, keep adding alternately a little boiling water then cold water until sugary taste has gone.