Custard Cream (pastry cream) is commonly used as a filling for western sweets like cream puffs and éclairs, but don’t forget that we can use it for Japanese sweets too! Aside from the good old red bean paste in typical Japanese sweets such as Dorayaki, Taiyaki, and Imagawayaki, custard cream is just as decadent as the original favorite. Ivory in color, custard cream has a smooth and velvety texture with a sweet hint of vanilla. For those of you who are not that interested in red bean, custard cream will be your delicious standby for trying out traditional Japanese snacks. You really don’t want to miss them out! Mr. JOC loves custard cream (pastry cream) in desserts, so I thought it’s about time to share this really good custard cream recipe that my family enjoys. There seem to be many different ways to make custard cream. There are short-cut methods using a microwave, and there are some recipes using whole eggs so you don’t have to worry about the leftover egg whites. Some recipes use cornstarch instead of flour, and some recipes use heavy cream instead of milk. But today, I’ll show you a somewhat traditional version. Although the method is rather simple and easy, the technique can be tricky. I’ll go over a few tips that would be helpful when you make homemade custard cream.
4 Tips on Make Delicious Custard Cream
Tip 1: Use low heat, a heavy saucepan, and constant stirring.
Having the right tools such as a heavy saucepan and silicone spatula is really important to get good result. You need to make sure the heat distributes evenly so your pot doesn’t have hot spots and scorch the custard cream.
Tip 2: Mix the egg yolks, sugar, and flour until white pale color.
This step really prevents the eggs from curdling as air bubbles inside the mixture slow down the distribution of the heat.
Tip 3: Heat up the milk until almost boiling
Remember that egg yolks start to solidify or thicken at 65 ºC (149 ºF) and sets around 70 °C (158 ºF). Flour starts to thicken at 70 to 80 ºC (158 to 176 ºF). It will complete final thickening process at 96 ºC (205 ºF). If you pour warm (140 ºF or 60 ºC) milk into the mixture, it will takes a longer time to reach 70 to 80 ºC (158 to 176 ºF). Meanwhile eggs will likely to curdle. Therefore, you should instead pour hot (close to boiling) milk, skipping the dangerous “curdling temperature”, and cook the eggs and flour at the same time. If the flour is under-cooked, the custard cream will have a undesired pasty flavor with a chalky, grainy texture. Make sure to cook custard cream for at least 10 minutes at 96 ºC (205 ºF).
Tip 4: Take your time and be patient.
You will also need quite a bit of patience as the process requires 20-25 minutes standing in front of the stove while waiting for the custard cream to thicken. When the custard cream starts to boiling, stir constantly in one direction until you see a shine/luster on the surface of the custard cream. The custard cream will come to a smooth, looser texture.
Custard Cream (Pastry Cream) Recipes
With these simple tips in mind, you are ready to make some delicious custard filling for many late afternoon snacks!
TaiyakiDorayakiImagawayaki (Obanyaki)
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