With this pistachio cream recipe, be ready to take the traditional pastry cream to a whole new level. Bursting with a nutty flavor, this recipe is an excellent addition to pistachio dessert preparation.
Whether you’re looking for a filling for your cakes and tarts or simply want to indulge in a creamy dessert, this pistachio cream is sure to delight your taste buds.
And if you want to vary the flavor, give a try to the classic vanilla pastry cream, chocolate pastry cream, and coffee pastry cream recipes. Otherwise, let’s get started and whip up a batch of this delightful pistachio cream today!
Ingredients
Milk: 2% fat or whole milk. Both work well.
Pistachio butter/pistachio paste: make your own pistachio butter or use a store-bought version with 100% pistachios and no added sugar.
Egg yolks: Keep the egg whites for another recipe: macarons, financiers, floating islands, pavlova, and meringues. Otherwise, they freeze very well.
Fine sugar: caster sugar or granulated sugar
Flour and cornstarch: to thicken.
Unsalted butter: to give a richer texture.
How to Make the Pistachio Cream Recipe?
Combine the milk and pistachio butter in a saucepan and heat the mixture until it simmers, almost reaching a boiling point.
As the milk heats up, in a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until they are well combined, smooth, and have turned into a lighter color.
Incorporate the cornstarch and flour into the egg mixture and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
Once the milk begins to simmer and small bubbles appear, remove the saucepan from the heat. At this stage, you may need to strain your milk through a fine mesh, depending on the smoothness of your pistachio butter.
Gradually pour the hot milk over the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it starts to thicken.
Allow the cream to come to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, still stirring constantly. Once cooled, the cream will be thicker.
Take the cream off the heat and transfer it to a glass or ceramic bowl. Add the butter and let it melt for 2 to 3 minutes.
Whisk the butter until it is completely melted and mixed in. Initially, the pistachio pastry cream may seem curdled, but continue whisking until it becomes smooth.
Cover it with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the cream to prevent skin from forming on the surface of the pastry cream while it chills.
As soon as possible, place the pastry cream in the fridge and allow it to cool completely for at least 2 hours or overnight.
When ready to use the pistachio cream, use a spatula to stir and loosen it.
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions at the end of this post.
Tips
The pistachio pastry cream recipe is easy to make, and here are some tips for making it perfectly.
- If your pistachio butter is not smooth enough, once the milk combined with the pistachio butter is hot, strain it through a fine mesh to remove any grains.
- To avoid lumps, start by combining the egg yolks and sugar. Only add the flour and cornstarch right before pouring in the hot milk.
- Temper the eggs, go slowly and gradually when pouring the hot milk into the egg mixture while continuously whisking.
- Place a tea towel under the bowl containing the egg-sugar mixture while pouring the hot milk; it will prevent the bowl from slipping.
- Cook over medium heat and avoid rushing the process with a higher temperature, which may result in lumpy cream.
- Continuous whisking is key to achieving a smooth pastry cream and prevents lumps.
- If you still have a grainy texture from the pistachio butter after whisking with the melted butter, give it a quick stir with an immersion blender.
- Don’t forget to cover the pistachio cream with plastic wrap, touching the surface to avoid the formation of skin.
- To ensure the pastry cream thickens properly, refrigerate it for at least 2 hours (or overnight) after making it.
- When ready to use the pastry cream, use a spatula to stir and loosen it.
Troubleshooting
Your pastry cream is too thin: it hasn’t cooked long enough. Return it to the heat and cook it a little longer,
My pastry cream is too thick: It may have been overcooked. Add a little milk and stir with a flexible spatula. Add ½ tablespoon at a time until the cream has reached the right consistency.
Or, it’s possible that you have added too much flour/cornstarch. Use a kitchen scale to ensure accuracy.
My pastry cream is lumpy/grainy: Follow the tips given previously:
- Only add the flour and cornstarch right before pouring in the hot milk.
- Temper the eggs.
- Cook over medium heat, and don’t rush the process by cooking on a high temperature.
- Whisk continuously.
- If you still have a grainy texture from the pistachio butter after whisking with the melted butter, give it a quick stir with an immersion blender.
FAQs
How to store the pistachio cream?
Keep your pistachio cream in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, covered with plastic wrap on the entire surface.
Can we freeze the pastry cream?
This cream doesn’t freeze very well; it splits and ruins the texture.
How to use the pistachio cream?
Any recipe calls for a pistachio cream filling, like cakes, tarts, éclairs, cream puffs, donuts, and cupcakes. The possibilities to use this pistachio crème patissiere are endless. You can even flavor a diplomat cream or just for a cream dessert.
Try these recipes next:
- Chocolate pistachio cake
- Pistachio tart
- Pistachio Chocolate Cookies
If you tried this Pistachio Cream or any recipe on the blog, let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment below.
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