(Pastry cream - Traditional recipe)

Time: preparation: 20 minutes ........ cooking: 30 minutes 6 egg yolks 85 g (3 oz) white flour 500 ml (16 fl oz - 2 C) milk 170 g (6 oz) sugar 1 vanilla-pod A piece of lemon peel difficult recipe

  Spoon measures are American spoons, that is standard cook's measuring spoons used in USA.
  The best plan is to regard 2 American teaspoons or tablespoons as 1 English teaspoon or tablespoon (eating spoons)

Warm up milk; when it begins boiling, switch off the gas and add vanilla-pod and lemon peel.
Meanwhile beat egg yolks with sugar; you should use a little saucepan to be put in a bain-marie finally. Beat yolks and sugar for a long time until you have a frothy mixture. Add white flour, with a strainer, very gently in order to avoid your mixture collapse and stir with a whisk continuously. Put saucepan in a bain-marie. Take away vanilla-pod and lemon peel from milk. Begin adding hot milk very slowly, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon. Your cream has to thicken but you have to avoid it boils. So you have to take away from the flame as soon as you see it begins boiling.
Let it cool, stirring now and then.

Note
- The dose we suggest can be used for filling a sponge cake or profiteroles or other cakes.
- If you use half the flour, you can prepare an excellent dessert to be served with some
  assorted biscuits.
- You can substitute half the flour with potato starch.
- If you prefer a sweeter cream, you can increase the quantity of sugar until 250 g (1/2 oz).

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