Everyone remembers the popular kid from high school that was friends with everyone and fit in with all different groups of people. Well in the pastry world, that popular kid is pastry cream. Known for its versatility and ability to be used in a variety of pastry applications, pastry cream is a staple in the kitchen that will never lose its status.

Pastry cream is a dense custard that is most commonly used as a filling for cakes, tarts, cannolis, croissants, cream puffs, éclairs, verrines – and can even be served on its own, topped with fruit. It is also essential to starting a variety of creams including Frangipane, Chiboust and Diplomat Cream.

Continue reading for tips on how to make the most of your pastry cream.

A staple for pastry chefs, 5-Star Chef Pastry Select™ Pastry Cream Superior (Hot Process) and 5-Star Chef Pastry Select™ Pastry Cream Superior (Cold Process) are powdered products that are known for ease of use and consistency of texture and flavor. These products boast a basic vanilla cream flavor, however, one the most beneficial features is that both pastry creams can easily take on different flavors using PreGel Compounds, Traditional Pastes or Fortefruttos^®. See below for tips on flavoring your pastry cream.

5-Star Chef Pastry Select™ Pastry Cream Superior (Cold Process)

• Always add the powdered product to liquid, not vice versa. If liquid is poured on top of the powder, the mixture will not be mixed properly due to powder sticking to the bowl.
• Mix well with a whisk and allow to set in the refrigerator. Initially, it will appear lumpy and not smooth – don’t panic because this is normal. Before use, re-whisk it by hand for a few minutes to obtain a smooth texture.

5-Star Chef Pastry Select™ Pastry Cream Superior (Hot Process)

• The hot process powder, along with all general starches, dissolves best in cold liquid, not hot liquid. Using cold liquid eliminates the formation of large clumps and is better at hydrating the starch. However, hot process powder does need to be heated in order for the starches to fully activate and thicken the pastry cream.
• Always combine this product with some sugar before adding liquid to it. Starch by itself tends to clump together, so the grains of sugar help separate the starch granules, reducing the amount of clumping.
• Always cover prepared pastry cream with plastic wrap where the plastic wrap is touching the pastry cream; this prevents a skin from forming which happens when it is left uncovered and exposed to air.

5-Star Chef Pastry Select™ Pastry Cream Superior, both Hot and Cold Process, can easily be flavored using PreGel Compounds, Traditional Pastes or Fortefruttos^®.

• Soft pastes such as PreGel Pistachio Sicilia Traditional Paste (Pure Pistachio) and PreGel Hazelnut Regina Traditional Paste (Premium Light Toasted Hazelnut) are ideal for flavoring pastry cream
• Be advised that firm pastes such as PreGel Cacaopat Traditional Paste (Chocolate – Unsweet) are much harder to use for flavoring due to its consistency