Pastry cream - pastry chefs best kept secret

Having spent many years working as a professional pastry chef there are some recipes that we use time and time again, that you will always find in our fridge, ready to get us out of a sticky situation and be used in some amazing, creative and tasty way. This is one of those recipes, it is perfect filling for a strawberry tart, or to add a shot of espresso and fill up a profiterole, it’s uses go on and on. Make the base up and keep it in your fridge, when you are ready to use it whip up some cream and fold it in and you are ready to go.

500ml of whole milk

6 egg yolks

100g caster sugar

3 tblsp cornflour

1 tblsp of vanilla paste

300ml double cream

Heat up the milk in a pan with the vanilla paste in. In a bowl whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour. When the milk is hot pour a ladle full over the egg mixture and whisk it in, then pour the egg mixture into the pan with the rest of the milk and whisk it in. Return the pan to the heat and whisk until it thickens. Remove from the heat and place in the fridge to cool completely. When the base is cold whisk the double cream into soft peaks and fold it in. Then use it in the most amazing way you can.