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Home > All Recipes > French Pastry Recipes

Pastry Cream Recipe Perfection

Modified: Jan 13, 2025 by Judith E. Coates · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

Bon Appetit
Crème Patissière, Like it? ~ Let us know below!
Create delicious Pastry Cream or Creme Pat tarts, as the French say, often with your favorite fruit.
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Tarts filled with chocolate pastry cream topped with red raspberries.

Creme Patissiere

Pastry Cream or Creme Patisserie is a custard cream filling technique that can be mastered easily with this recipe to create delicious tarts. It produces a smooth custard filling with many flavor variations to be topped with a variety of fruits. Learn to add a beautiful finishing touch with a glaze or sprinkling of sugar. It is quite easy to make and you will have a lovely smooth cream with this method & can be used to make Raspberry Tarts & Strawberry Tarts!

Tarts filled with chocolate pastry cream topped with red raspberries.

Once you have mastered the techniques for Crème Pat, you'll be well on your way to making these delicious Strawberry and Chocolate tarts and many, many more excellent flavors of tarts.

Like, chocolate cream, coffee cream, or flavored with your favorite liquor, only limited by your creative power.

Then top your exquisite cream custard filling with a luscious fresh fruit or frozen fruit that has been well drained.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar, crystal sugar or glaze it for a lovely sheen!

After dressing your tarts they will look as good as they taste!

Try These Tasty Recipes

  • Amazing Chocolate Cream Filled Crepes
  • Onion Tart Recipe
  • Short Crust Pastry Recipe

📖 Recipe

Prep Like a Pro
Before you start cooking, chop, measure, and prep every ingredient, and gather your tools.
This simple habit reduces stress, prevents overcooking, and instantly improves your meals. Mise en Place - "Everything in its place."

Tarts filled with chocolate pastry cream topped with red raspberries.

Pastry Cream Recipe Perfection

Judith Coates
Bon Appetit
Crème Patissière, Like it? ~ Let us know below!
Create delicious Pastry Cream or Creme Pat tarts, as the French say, often with your favorite fruit.
Print Recipe Pin
Prep Time 8 minutes mins
Cook Time 7 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 ounce/50 gram ¼ cup castor sugar
  • 1 ounce/25 gram ¼ cup plain flour
  • ½ pint/ 1 cup milk
  • A few drops of vanilla essence optional
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Instructions
 

How To Make The Basic Pastry Cream

  • In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar using a wire balloon whisk until they are pale and thick.
  • Gradually beat in the flour with just one tablespoon of the milk.
  • Place the rest of the milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil.
  • Whisk this into the egg mixture in a slow stream, ensuring that you whisk continuously so that it does not go lumpy (by using a balloon whisk you should have no problems with this).
  • Return the mixture to the saucepan and place back on the heat. Continue to whisk until boiling, just a few seconds.
  • Remove from heat and continue whisking and cooking for 2-3 minutes. By removing from the heat it prevents any burning!
  • Allow to cool.
  • Pour into a dish and keep it in a refrigerator until you are ready to fill your pastry shells.
  • Now you have your crème patissière for your favorite fruit tarts.

How To Put The Tarts Together

  • Simply fill the cooled empty pastry shells with your pastry cream filling and arrange the fruit on the top. A little dusting with icing sugar to finish off if you prefer.
  • This is the basis of some delicious fillings for your pastries.

Variations

  • Chocolate
  • To make a wonderful chocolate filling, just add 2oz melted chocolate at the end of the method. Make sure it is good quality chocolate as it will make all the difference.
  • Flavor With Spirits
  • You can also add your favorite liqueur to the cooled custard filling to flavor it such as rum, brandy, kirsch, or orange liqueur.
  • Coffee Flavored
  • If you want a lovely coffee flavor simply add some instant coffee.

Method For A Glaze

  • Mix 2 tablespoons of preserve/jam with 1 tablespoon each of water and Kirsch.
  • Heat until just melted.
  • Set aside to allow the glaze to cool.

Such a variety of flavorings and all from one simple basic recipe!

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    Nutrition

    Calories: 203.72kcalCarbohydrates: 25.11gProtein: 9.87gFat: 6.96gSaturated Fat: 3.74gCholesterol: 111.82mgSodium: 131.7mgSugar: 12.65g
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