# pastry cream in the oven



## lamington (May 2, 2003)

Hi folks. I'm trying to find a recipe for a pastry cream/custard that will survive 15-20 mins in a fairly hot oven (435 F/ 225 C)without separating or drying out.

I have two recipes, neither of which are quite satisfactory.

1. the first recipe is a cream used in Scandinavian baking for pastries. Usually only a small amount (2-3tbsp) on each pastry. It doesn't separate, but can get a little dry, and is not quite as 'custardy' as I would like -- the consistency after baking is a little cornstarch-slimy.

3 egg yolks
300ml milk
75g sugar
8 tsp cornflour
15g butter 
vanilla

2. This is a custard to fill small Portuguese tarts, about 3-4 tbsp, which are then baked at fairly high heat. It's a traditional recipe, but it doesn't work for me -- separates awfully (which is what I expected, but I'd hoped there was some magic in the recipe;-)

500ml cream
9 egg yolks
135g sugar

Any advice gratefully received!


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

Lamington, you've come to the right place to find answers. Not that I'm the one to answer....! 

We're glad you found us, and hope you enjoy the forums at this great site.

I see you're a first-time poster. Please nip on over to the Welcome Forum and introduce yourself so we can know a bit more about you (culinarily speaking!  )and the context for your questions. 

Enjoy Chef Talk!
Mezzaluna


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## thebighat (Feb 21, 2001)

Look up confectioner's cream in Baking with Julia.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

is cornflour the same as corn starch?


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## w.debord (Mar 6, 2001)

Yes shroomgirl, the French always write it that way.

There's a couple of ways to go about fixing this.

With your traditional recipe the heat is too high and that's why your custard is breaking. It's a baked custard where the eggs bind it together vs. a pastry cream which uses a starch to bind together. You can prebake your crust and then add your custard later (which is hard in mini form to line shells). The reason the heat is suggested that high is to bake the crust so it won't be soft, but that temp. does over cook your custard. So you have to change something. I don't think using a pastry cream is at all what you want here.



Ideally from what you've written, I'd use a slightly bigger and deeper tart mold so you can get more filling in it. Then I would definately turn down heat, bake on a bottom shelf of the oven and don't double pan. I'd maybe start at 400 for just a couple minutes then turn down to 350.


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## lamington (May 2, 2003)

Thanks to W.deBord for your good suggestions...  Unfortunately the 'fixed dimension' in all this is the size of the pastries, so the depth and volume can't be altered. The cooking temperature is high because both recipes use a puff pastry, though perhaps the recipe writers also are attempting to get the pastry cooked before the custard curdles 

Alright, I've got a bit more experimentation to do with the Portuguese pastries! Thanks again.

What about the first ones though, with the pastry cream for Scandinavian pastries? Anybody got a suggestion about how to make it taste really good and custardy without it separating or turning to omelette?:lips:


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## w.debord (Mar 6, 2001)

Best I can offer over the computor: roll your puff pastry thinner then your already doing, line and prebake it (individual foil packets will work fine or setting another tart pan into the pastry to hold it down while baking). If I was filling it with pastry cream: I'd cook it seperately in a sauce pan, then bake in cooked shell for just a few minutes.

I'm not a recipe fixer with-out making it, to actually see it. Instead I'd switch out that pastry cream recipe and choose one I like already. basicly, if it's starchie-cut back the starch....

Are you sure what you want in 'changes' isn't changing the authentic-ness......like many Italian and Greek cookies can be unbelievable dry and plain, but ]that's how they should be[/I]?


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## lamington (May 2, 2003)

good suggestions... I'll work on them.

Yep, in this case I know exactly what th efinal flavour and mouthfeel should be, it's just recreating it that isn't working 

Thanks again!


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