Delicious Pistachio Pastry Cream Recipe

This recipe for pistachio pastry cream uses pistachio extract to get a subtle flavor that isn’t overpowering. Other recipes might call for pistachio paste. However, I found that the pastry cream wasn’t as light and the texture wasn’t as smooth. While the extract might be seen as a shortcut, I say, who cares? It tastes delicious. Also, using extract allows this pastry cream recipe to be easily modified for any flavor you desire. So with that, let’s get into the details on how to make it!

Pistachio Pastry Cream Instructions

This recipe requires a bit of prep on the front end. While I was a bit hesitant to embrace mise en place, taking the extra few minutes to get everything prepped ahead of time is well worth the effort. Separating the eggs, getting the sugar and cornstarch measured out, and the butter out of the fridge and cut up will make the recipe go smoothly. I also understand that almost nobody is reading this and I’m basically talking to myself here. But hopefully I’ll get through to one person and it’ll be worth it.

Add the milk, pistachio extract, vanilla extract, and salt to a saucepan and heat to a simmer.

Continue to heat for 3 minutes. While the milk is heating, combine the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch in a large bowl. Whisk vigorously until the mixture turns a pale yellow, around 2 minutes.

Using a ladle, spoon the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. The idea is to temper the egg yolks so that when you add the mixture to the hot milk, the yolks don’t cook.

Add roughly half of the milk to the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Next, stream the egg yolk mixture back into the hot milk, whisking constantly. Continue cooking for 3 minutes whisking constantly until the mixture begins to thicken. The mixture should hold the marks of the whisk when it’s getting close. If you stop whisking, the mixture should begin to bubble after a few seconds.

Final Preparation Notes

Remove the mixture from the heat and place the mixture in a fine mesh sieve. Using the whisk, press the mixture through the sieve. Next, stir the butter into the mixture, one piece at a time. Continue whisking until all of the butter has been incorporated.

Next, transfer the mixture to a storage container and place a piece of cling film over the top of the mixture to prevent a film from forming. Chill in the fridge for at least four hours. Once the mixture has chilled, mix it with the sour cream and add to a pastry bag with a 1/4″ rough pastry tip. Shake the bag to get any air bubbles out and place it in the fridge until ready to use.

Recipes using Pastry Cream

While pastry cream is delicious on its own, its even better in other desserts. Here are a few recipes you can use this pastry cream recipe in if you’re so inclined:

Pastry Cream Variations

If pistachio pastry cream isn’t your thing, simply leave out the pistachio extract and put in other flavorings you would prefer. For chocolate, add 2/3 cup of finely chopped chocolate after adding in the butter for chocolate pastry cream. For vanilla, add 1 tsp of vanilla extract to the milk when heating. A vanilla pod or vanilla paste can also be used. There are countless variations, the only limit is your imagination/budget.