{"id":2285,"date":"2021-01-26T14:17:19","date_gmt":"2021-01-26T19:17:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thequaintkitchen.com\/?p=2285"},"modified":"2023-02-06T17:23:55","modified_gmt":"2023-02-06T22:23:55","slug":"vegan-creme-patissiere-pastry-cream","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thequaintkitchen.com\/en\/vegan-creme-patissiere-pastry-cream\/","title":{"rendered":"Vegan Cr\u00e8me P\u00e2tissi\u00e8re (Pastry Cream)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This vegan cr\u00e8me p\u00e2tissi\u00e8re (or pastry cream, or custard) is the first of many recipes that will be part of the \u201cbasics\u201d category. It\u2019s a staple in baking and very versatile. Whether for filling a cake, a fruit tart or eating by the spoonful, it\u2019s a practical recipe to have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This post will be focused on how to make a vanilla pastry cream. Because once you\u2019ve mastered that, you can make just about any flavour by changing the extract, the milk (for coconut milk for example), adding chocolate, etc. This recipe yields the perfect base for that. It\u2019s creamy and luscious with enough sweetness to be delicious on its own as well as in a dessert or paired with other flavours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And if you\u2019re still not convinced, may I also add that some of my colleagues actually preferred this version to the non-vegan one? Since I originally made this recipe for a dessert at my workplace, I had almost everyone taste it side-by-side with the non-vegan one to make sure the flavour was as close as possible. And, thankfully, it passed the test!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The ingredients for vegan cr\u00e8me p\u00e2tissi\u00e8re<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The base<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The milk.<\/span><\/strong> I tested this recipe with soy milk, almond milk and cashew milk. The sweetened\/original versions of them (specifically Silk, if you\u2019re wondering). Soy milk and cashew milk yielded the best results both in creaminess and taste. Almond milk isn\u2019t creamy enough so it was somewhat more translucent. Basically, I would avoid any plant based milk that\u2019s too watery, like almond and rice milk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The vanilla.<\/span><\/strong> Since vanilla is the most prominent flavour in the recipe, you\u2019ll want to use a good quality one. Most chefs will say that a whole vanilla bean is best, but obviously not everyone has that. If you do, perfect. Use it. But if you don\u2019t, vanilla bean paste or a good vanilla extract (not imitation) will work perfectly too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The sugar.<\/span><\/strong> Plain ol\u2019 white sugar is what\u2019s used for this recipe. Although I haven\u2019t tested it with other kinds of sugar yet, I don\u2019t see why they wouldn\u2019t work. Just keep in mind that a non-white sugar will alter the colour of your cream. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The cornstarch.<\/span><\/strong> This is what will thicken the pastry cream and make it set (along with eggs or egg yolks in a traditional one). Some recipes use flour instead, but I like to stick to cornstarch as it thickens faster and there\u2019s less chance of it leaving a pasty finish in your mouth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I haven\u2019t tried using another type of starch as cornstarch sets the firmest and is the best option. Other starches like arrowroot and tapioca starch will result in a \u201cslimier\u201d finish, not to mention you also need more of them for the cream to thicken properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The butter.<\/span><\/strong> This recipe has a higher ratio of butter than a regular cr\u00e8me p\u00e2tissi\u00e8re to compensate for the fact that there\u2019s no fat coming from the eggs\/yolks that are usually used. It also helps to create a creamy and thick texture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I\u2019ve mentioned this before, but I like to use a homemade vegan butter<\/a> as much as possible (what with the whole palm oil situation and all), but use whatever is available to you! I would try to use a vegan butter that isn\u2019t too salty and has a milder flavour to avoid it overpowering the whole cream since there\u2019s more of it than usual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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the extras<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The nutritional yeast.<\/span><\/strong> This is optional, especially if you use a vegan butter that has quite a bit of flavour. But I find it adds a certain something you might get from eggs. You won\u2019t detect it at all<\/em> in the finished product, it\u2019s really just for a more \u201ccomplete\u201d flavour profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The turmeric.<\/strong><\/span> This is also optional, it\u2019s simply for colour. Just a pinch is enough to mimic the hue that egg yolks usually give the cream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How to make<\/strong> it<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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This isn\u2019t a difficult recipe to make, it\u2019s just a matter of having everything prepared so it all goes smoothly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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*Optional.<\/strong> If you\u2019re using a vanilla bean, you can scrape out the seeds, whisk them with the milk in a saucepan and also add the scraped bean in. Then just bring the milk to a simmer, turn off the heat, cover, and let sit 30 mintues to infuse before pulling out the vanilla bean and proceeding with the recipe. You don\u2019t have to do it, it just helps to amplify the vanilla flavour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To start, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, nutritional yeast and turmeric. The sugar will help to break up any clumps of cornstarch, which will result in a smoother cream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Have your butter cubed up and ready. It will incorporate more easily, as well as melt faster, if it\u2019s in cubes rather than one big piece. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bring the milk along with the vanilla of your choice up to a simmer over medium heat. If your milk is fully boiling, it will thicken very<\/em> fast once you add in the dry ingredients. So to give you a chance, it\u2019s best to add them before that happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Then you\u2019ll want to add about a quarter of the simmering milk to the dry ingredients while whisking. Usually this is done to temper the eggs and avoid them scrambling from the heat shock once they\u2019re poured in the hot milk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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But it\u2019s also good to heat up the cornstarch gently to avoid it from clumping or thickening immediately once added to the saucepan. Plus, it\u2019s easier for it to get evenly distributed since you\u2019re adding one liquid to another rather than whisking dry into wet. Make sure to whisk continuously while pouring the mixture back into the saucepan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After that, it\u2019s a matter of whisking constantly until it thickens. Make sure to get to the corners to avoid lumps. Once you feel it start to thicken, continue whisking vigorously<\/em> for 1 to 2 minutes. When you stop for a few seconds, you should see a few big bubbles forming and popping. Then turn off the heat and stir in the butter until it\u2019s completely melted and incorporated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pour the pastry cream onto a flat surface like a tray or plate with edges. The thinner it\u2019s spread, the faster it will cool. Cover it with cling wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and let cool completely in the fridge for at least one hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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if you still get a lumpy pastry cream<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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If even after \u201ctempering\u201d the dry ingredients, whisking vigorously and getting into the corners, your pastry cream comes out lumpy, an immersion blender should do the trick. Transfer the cream to a tall but slim container and blend it (after you\u2019ve stirred in the butter). This will smooth it out and make for a silky texture. Even without lumps, using an immersion blender improves the texture of this vegan cr\u00e8me p\u00e2tissi\u00e8re, if you want to go the extra mile. You can also strain it through a fine mesh strainer, but if it\u2019s very lumpy, there might still be some small ones left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How to use and store vegan cr\u00e8me p\u00e2tissi\u00e8re<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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When you\u2019re ready to use it, transfer it to a bowl and stir it vigorously with a stiff spatula or whisk until smooth. It will be quite jelly-like so pressing it into the side of the bowl helps to break it up initially. You can also do this with an electric mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This vegan cr\u00e8me p\u00e2tissi\u00e8re will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days (always with cling wrap directly on the surface). And it can\u2019t be frozen because it would cause it to weep and split. So I guess you\u2019ll just have to eat any leftovers. Ah, the sacrifice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I know this was an extra long post with a lot more mumbo jumbo than usual, but i hope it was helpful to those of you who read it! I always find this kind of stuff interesting so maybe some of you do too. Either way I\u2019m glad you\u2019re here! And whether you read it or not, I hope you like the recipe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you make this recipe please let me know in the comments! All feedback is very much appreciated and I would love to hear from you! You can also tag me on instagram @the.quaint.kitchen or use the hashtag #thequaintkitchen to share your creations!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vegan Cr\u00e8me P\u00e2tissi\u00e8re (Pastry Cream)<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\nTatyana<\/span>\n
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Smooth and silky vegan cr\u00e8me p\u00e2tissi\u00e8re (or pastry cream) perfect for piping and with a taste that\u2019s so good you could eat it by the spoonful!<\/span><\/div>\n
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