crema pasticceria

the idea behind crema pasticceria or creme patisserie is to fill pastries and tarts with something vaguely sweet and creamy, stable enough to hold a shape without being stiff or gluey. obvious, really, when it's translated into English (where it sounds slightly less appealing- pastry cream), anyway the bit that always confounds me is the pastry- I usually eat the first batch of crema pasticceria straight out of the pot, being a bit of a custard freak. it doesn't get anywhere near the pastry. although it's very easy to make, it's best to make double what you think you'll need and don't kid yourself from the beginning, you don't need to make it twice.

French creme patisserie is usually based on a hint of vanilla, while the Italian version invokes the usual pastry debate- some cooks swear by a tiny bit of lemon zest, some by vanilla and some think that no pastry or filling is complete without both. I agree with the latter. you don't want so much lemon zest that you can taste it, just a fraction to add a note of sharpness beneath the vanilla sweetness.

wheat flour provides the texture and stability. a low gluten flour is best. if you're a hedonist, you can make it with half milk and half cream for a heavier, richer custard, but normally it's made only with milk.

this makes about 1 cup.

1 cup of milk
75g caster sugar
a scraping if lemon zest
vanilla seeds or vanilla essence
3 egg yolks
25g plain flour (a fine, low gluten flour such as tipo "00" works best)

heat the milk, a third of the sugar and all the lemon zest and vanilla. don't let it boil or heat up too fast or you'll get that "caught milk" taste, as in caught on the bottom of the pan. (also heating milk too fast can significantly change the protein structure, but this is only custard, not rocket surgery.)

beat the egg yolks in a separate bowl with the remaining sugar. when the mixture is fluffy and pale, add the flour and mix in well.

now gradually pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly (or mixing with an electric beater on a low setting).

return the custard to the pot and set on a medium heat, stirring constantly. you'll be bored for a few minutes but don't be tempted to turn the heat up, it will eventually start to thicken.

turn the heat down and cook it for a bit longer, stirring constantly, to ensure that the flour is cooked to avoid the raw flour taste.

it's quite stable because of the flour, but I like to cool the pot down in a sink of cold water while stirring just to make sure the texture holds and remains smooth.

if you're not using it straight away you can melt a bit of butter on top of the custard in the bowl to stop a skin forming.