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french vanilla or chocolate custard cream

wmnofoz avatar
Recipe by
Pam Ellingson
@wmnofoz
Wichita, KS

My hubby is a Chocolate cream pie fanatic, so for our "wedding dinner" I made the Chocolate version of this pie instead of a cake. He swore it was the best chocolate cream he had ever eaten. Of course, I promptly lost track of my recipe and happened to find it last week in a pile of old recipes that my sister had thrown out. I was ecstatic to have just glimpsed down when tossing those recipes and seen my handwritten card. Now I will not lose it again. Perhaps it will be our anniversary dessert tonight. :)

yield 6 to 8
prep time 10 Min
cook time 30 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For french vanilla or chocolate custard cream

  • VANILLA FILLING (ENOUGH FOR A LARGE PIE)
  • 2/3 c
    sugar
  • 2 Tbsp
    ap flour
  • 2 Tbsp
    cornstarch
  • 1/4 tsp
    salt
  • 3 c
    whole milk or half and half
  • 2
    egg yolks, slightly beaten
  • RESERVE THE EGG WHITES FOR MERINGUE IF DESIRED
  • 2 tsp
    good quality pure vanilla extract (i use neilsen and massey, madagascar bourbon vanilla)
  • CHOCOLATE FILLING (ENOUGH FOR A LARGE PIE)
  • 1/2 c
    sugar (instead of the 2/3 c for vanilla filling)
  • 2 Tbsp
    ap flour
  • 2 Tbsp
    cornstarch
  • 2 oz
    baker's chocolate (2 squares of solid chocolate, chopped or grated))
  • 1/4 tsp
    salt
  • 3 c
    whole milk or half and half
  • 2
    egg yolks, slightly beaten
  • RESERVE THE EGG WHITES FOR MERINGUE IF DESIRED
  • 1 tsp
    good quality pure vanilla extract (only half of what it takes for vanilla filling)

How To Make french vanilla or chocolate custard cream

  • 1
    Here are TWO methods of preparing either of these pastry creams. First will be stove top and second microwave.
  • 2
    Mix Sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Stir in the milk until well mixed and sugar is mostly dissolved. Cook and stir over medium heat, at a low boil for 2-4 minutes or until partially thickened .
  • 3
    While heating the milk, whisk egg yolks in a heatproof bowl, and when liquid is hot and thickened, temper the egg yolks by pouring about half a cup (up to a cup) of hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking well.
  • 4
    Return tempered egg/milk mixture to the saucepan, bring back to a low boil until thickened. (You may strain the hot custard through a fine sieve to eliminate any small lumps) Add vanilla when cooled to lukewarm. Whisk with a wire whisk until smooth.
  • 5
    Pour cooled pudding into blind baked pie crust, or into serving bowl, covered with a piece of plastic wrap, and refrigerate until serving.
  • 6
    You can use the reserved egg whites to make a meringue, cover cooled pie with it and bake quickly to brown it, OR top with whipped cream OR serve as is.
  • 7
    FOR MICROWAVE cooking: Mix sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt in a large microwave safe bowl (Like an 8 cup pyrex mixing cup) Stir in milk and heat on high in microwave for 4 minutes.
  • 8
    Remove the bowl from micro, add in the 2 squares of bakers chocolate (Chop them up for better results melting), stir well until chocolate is melted and incorporated. Return to microwave, Cook on high for 2 minutes, Stir. Cook again on high for 2 minutes and stir.
  • 9
    While heating the milk, whisk egg yolks in a heatproof bowl, and when liquid is hot and thickened, temper the egg yolks by pouring about half a cup (up to a cup) of hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking well.
  • 10
    Return tempered egg/milk mixture to the bowl, mix and return the bowl to the microwave to cook on high for 2 minutes, Stir well, and microwave 1 to 2 more minutes on high. If the mixture is not thickened enough, continue to cook on high and stir for 1 minute intervals until thickened.
  • 11
    (You may strain the hot custard through a fine sieve to eliminate any small lumps) Add vanilla when cooled to lukewarm. Whisk with a wire whisk until smooth.
  • 12
    Finish by following steps 5 and/or 6 above as when finishing Vanilla filling.
  • 13
    NOTES: You can use fat free half and half and liquid egg products (check label to assure non fat) to make this fat free, and you may use sugar substitutes for sugar free. I have tried the non fat version, but not the non sugar one.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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