Italian Sauces Recipes - Egg Custard (Crema Pasticcera) Recipe

Ingredients  

• 450 ml/3/4 pt/2 cups milk

• 5 ml/1 tsp vanilla essence (extract)

• 100 g/4 oz/1/2 cup caster (superfine) sugar

• 5 egg yolks

• 15 ml/1 tbsp corn flour (cornstarch)

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Method:

1. Reserve 75 ml/5 tbsp of the cold milk. Slowly bring the remaining milk to the boil with the vanilla essence and sugar.

2. Pour the egg yolks into a bowl and whisk with the corn flour until pale yellow and thick.

3. Stir in the reserved cold milk. Pour the hot milk over the egg yolks, stirring continuously.

4. Strain the mixture back into the saucepan and bring back to the boil, stirring all the time.

5. Cook slowly until thickened. Use as required.