# Pastry Cream



## oli (Aug 31, 2001)

What can I expect from my pastry cream if I've left out the cornstarch or cake flour? Do I need to start over and dump what I have or can it be rescued?
Thanks


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## thebighat (Feb 21, 2001)

Without the starch what you are doing is boiling a mixture of eggs, yolks, sugar and milk. The eggs will hard-boil, the sauce won't thicken, it will curdle. Chuck it and start over.


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## oli (Aug 31, 2001)

Well, I guess I must have hit that fine line before the eggs harden and the sauce failed to thicken because it came out just as pastry cream should be. The pastry cream didn't curdle. It looks like, if I let it cook 2 sec. longer it would have curdled. I didn't throw it all out, but I did start over again and just incorporated 3/4 of the old pastry cream in with the good and no one can tell the difference. I guess I was just real lucky - Thanks


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