Custard cream is the quintessential cream, featured in numerous desserts, from éclairs and profiteroles to mini pastries and many cakes and tarts. The ingredients for making it are few, and the process is simple, but some precautions must be taken. The result should be a smooth, glossy cream with a balanced consistency, and the flavor should not remind you of cooked egg.
The milk must be whole and fresh. In this recipe, we only use the egg yolks; you will find recipes that use the whole egg; however, the egg white makes the cream stiffer and also affects the flavor. Regarding the powders, we use flour, but starches like rice starch (for a good creaminess) and cornstarch (for a good structure) are also suitable. Our custard cream recipe is without cream, although some people substitute part of the liquid with cream, which certainly makes the cream richer in flavor.
The custard cream should be fragrant with vanilla, but you can also flavor it differently, for example, with citrus zest.
| 4 | 20min | Medium |
|---|---|---|
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Ingredients
- 4 egg yolks
- 100 g of sugar
- 30 g of flour
- 1/2 liter of milk
- Vanilla or grated lemon zest
Method
- Add the egg yolks with the sugar in a saucepan and mix using a wooden spoon.
- Gradually add the flour, continuing to stir until the mixture is well combined.
- Gradually pour the boiling milk, into which you have added a bit of vanilla or some grated lemon zest, while stirring constantly.
- Place the mixture over the heat and continue to stir, allowing it to simmer for 3-4 minutes. Do not exceed a temperature of 82°C. The ideal temperature is 84-85°C, but it is advisable not to exceed 82°C, as the cream will continue to cook even after being removed from the heat; therefore, take it off the heat when it reaches 82°C. This way, you will achieve a smooth custard cream without unpleasant cooked egg flavors.