Comments on: Vanilla Pastry Cream

By: zoe

zoe — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 22:52:09 +0000

Hey Bret,

pistachios are very fatty and will make your pastry cream break down if you use the whole nut. Did you try steeping them in the milk and then strain them through a chinois? This will give you a subtler flavor, but perhaps it is enough to get the idea across?

Thanks, Zoë

By: Bret Bannon

Bret Bannon — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 15:42:59 +0000

Hi Zoë – First attempt at Pistachio Pastry cream failed miserably. Trying it again using your recipe. We’ll see how it turns out this time. You’ve always come through for me before, I’m hoping your base recipe will work this time as well. Wish me luck.

By: Stacey

Stacey — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:16:56 +0000

Hey Zoe! I’m having a hard time finding fresh passion fruit or puree for my pastry cream. I did find passion fruit juice. How and when would I incorporate the juice?

By: zoe

zoe — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:33:03 +0000

Hi Ashley,

You want a rather stiff pastry cream to make Napoleans so I would just melt about 4-6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate over a double boiler. While it is melting make the pastry cream and add them together before straining and cooling. it will make the pastry cream much more still, but this is actually ok for what you are using it for, it will be easier to cut without it falling apart!

Enjoy, Zoë

By: ashley

ashley — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:38:07 +0000

I’m making napoleons and I was wondering how to change the cream so its chocolate. Thanks

By: smeredith

smeredith — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 04:33:37 +0000

I made this twice so far, and it’s fabulous. Once for danish, and once for cream puffs. Thanks.

By: zoe

zoe — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:31:24 +0000

Hi Shea,

It will be wonderful! Have fun.

Zoë

By: Shea

Shea — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:10:58 +0000

Thank you Zoe! I can’t wait to try this. Wish me luck

By: zoe

zoe — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:42:05 +0000

Hi Shea,

Sounds like a fantastic idea. I used the pulp of about 2 or 3 passion fruits and folded that into the whipped cream and then into the pastry cream. You can also use passion fruit puree and do the same thing. Just don’t use so much that it will make your pastry cream too loose. My recipe for pastry cream is pretty stiff once it is chilled so it lends itself well to adding things to it. Be sure to stir it until it is smooth before trying to fold the whipped cream in.

Let me know how it comes out. Thanks, Zoë

By: Shea

Shea — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:42:50 +0000

Hi Zoe,
you mentioned passion fruit pastry cream. Can you tell me how to incorporate passion fruit into this recipe? I’m making a Tres Leches layer cake and wanted to do a passion fruit pastry cream (with whipped cream folded in to make it lighter)for the layers. I also found another site that recommended just using passion fruit curd with whipped cream folded in instead of making pastry cream. Any thoughts? Many thanks!