In short:
For a real vanilla pastry cream serving 6: heat 500ml of milk with a split and scraped Gourmet vanilla pod, whisk 4 egg yolks with 100g of sugar and 40g of cornstarch, pour the hot milk over it, then cook over medium heat until thickened, whisking constantly. The secret to a truly fragrant cream: let the pod infuse off the heat for 20 minutes before preparing the egg mixture.
Why does vanilla change everything in a pastry cream?
Pastry cream is one of the preparations where vanilla quality really shows: few ingredients, gentle cooking, and an infusion time that lets the pod fully reveal its aromatic profile. A Gourmet vanilla, oily and moist, is ideal here because it infuses quickly while leaving generous caviar visible in the finished cream.
The full recipe
Ingredients (serves 6)
- 500ml whole milk
- 1 Bourbon Gourmet vanilla pod
- 4 egg yolks
- 100g sugar
- 40g cornstarch
Steps
- Split the vanilla pod in two and scrape out the caviar. Bring the milk to a boil with the split pod and the caviar.
- Turn off the heat and let it infuse, covered, for 20 minutes.
- In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale, then stir in the cornstarch.
- Remove the pod from the milk, gently reheat it, then gradually pour it over the egg-sugar mixture while whisking.
- Pour everything back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened (about 3 to 5 minutes after it starts bubbling).
- Pour immediately into a dish, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface, and let cool before use.
The pastry chef's tip
Don't throw away the pod once infused: rinse it, dry it, then blend it with granulated sugar to make homemade vanilla sugar, far more fragrant than the store-bought kind.
Want to nail this recipe with a real Gourmet pod?
Our plump, oily pods are ideal for creams and infusions.
Discover Gourmet Vanilla