Creams and mousses are the bases for many fillings for pastries, tortes and tarts. Pastry cream itself is the starting point for many of these preparations.

Pastry Cream

Ambrose Bierce once defined custard as a "conspiracy between the hen, the cow, and the cook." In our shop, pastry cream is a cooked cream thickened by starch and eggs and is a widely used basic ingredient in many pastries.

Equipment:

  1. bakers's scale
  2. 1 and 2 lb weights
  3. scaling scoop and tare weight
  4. 1 quart measure
  5. sifter and plastic scraper
  6. stainless steel saucepan
  7. stainless steel bowl
  8. whip
  9. 4 oz ladle
  10. sheet pan covered with parchment
  11. plastic wrap

Ingredients: Yield: 3 lb, 4 1/2 oz

  1. milk 1 quart
  2. granulated sugar 8 oz
  3. salt pinch
  4. cornstarch 2 1/2 oz
  5. cake flour 1/2 oz
  6. egg yolks 4 oz
  7. whole eggs 2 oz
  8. vanilla 1/4 oz
  9. unsalted butter 2 oz

Method of Preparation:

  1. Gather equipment and ingredients.
  2. Put 3/4 of the milk and 1/2 the sugar into the saucepan and bring to a boil.
  3. Sift the flour and the cornstarch into the bowl, add remaining milk while blending with the whip, till smooth.
  4. Add the yolks, whole eggs, remaining sugar and salt and blend till smooth.
  5. Whisking constantly, add two or three ladle fulls of hot milk.
  6. Pour tempered egg mixture into hot milk in saucepan and return to the boil.
  7. Cook for three minutes, using the three stroke method as demonstrated.
  8. After three minutes, add vanilla and butter and blend till smooth.
  9. Pour onto parchment covered sheet pan and cover with plastic wrap to prevent skin formation.
  10. Refrigerate right away. Keep no longer than 48 hours.

Time Management:

gather equipment and ingredients 5 min

scale out ingredients 5 min

prepare cream 10 min

pan-up and refrigerate 5 min

clean-up 5 min

total: 30 min

Special Considerations: Pastry cream should be treated as a potentially hazardous food and afforded all the special handling necessary to keep it out of the time/temperature danger zone. Strict cleanliness must be maintained during preparation and storage.

Diplomat Cream

Diplomat Cream is pastry cream brought to its inevitable point of perfection. En-hanced with vanilla and Grand Marnier, stabilized with gelatin and enriched with whipped cream, Diplomat Cream is much in use in our shop in Napoleons, fruit tarts, and other items requiring an ethereal, luscious filling.

Equipment:

  1. baker's scale
  2. parchment paper
  3. plastic scraper
  4. stainless steel bowls, 3
  5. whip
  6. rubber spatula
  7. 4 oz ladle
  8. small saucepan

Ingredients: Yield: 3 lb Diplomat Cream

  1. pastry cream 1 lb 8 oz
  2. heavy cream 1 lb 8 oz
  3. gelatin solution 3 oz
  4. powdered sugar to taste
  5. vanilla to taste
  6. Grand Marnier to taste

Method of Preparation:

  1. Gather equipment and ingredients
  2. Whip the heavy cream till soupy
  3. Soften the pastry cream in a stainless steel bowl with the whip
  4. Add some 6x powdered sugar and/or vanilla and Grand Marnier to taste
  5. Melt the gelatin solution over hot water in the last stainless bowl
  6. Lighten the pastry cream by quickly folding/mixing with the whip 1/4 of the soupy whipped cream. If still lumpy or heavy, lighten by further additions of whipped cream. At the last, all the whipped cream should be folded/mixed into the pastry cream with the whip.
  7. Working quickly, fold 1/4 of the pastry cream into the warm gelatin and then fold this back into the pastry cream

Time Management:

gather equipment and ingredients 5 min

soften pastry cream 2 min

soften gelatin 5 min ( may be done while occupied elsewhere)

whip cream 1 min

folding of ingredients 45 sec

clean-up 5 min

total approx 15 min

Special Considerations: If the pastry cream base is coming out too thick, the cornstarch may be cut down. The consistency of the Diplomat Cream may be changed by adding more or less pastry cream, and the product may be flavored as desired, not necessarily with vanilla and Grand Marnier.

Chocolate Diplomat Cream

Chocolate Diplomat Cream is Diplomat Cream enhanced with melted chocolate and perhaps vanilla, rum and rum extract.

Equipment:

  1. baker's scale
  2. double boiler setup
  3. slicer knife
  4. sheet pan with parchment
  5. whip
  6. plastic scraper

Ingredients: Yield: 1 lb 14 oz

  1. Diplomat Cream 1 lb 8 oz
  2. chocolate melted 6 oz
  3. rum to taste
  4. rum extract to taste
  5. vanilla to taste

Method of Preparation:

  1. Gather equipment and ingredients.
  2. Melt the chocolate over low heat in double boiler.
  3. Add 1/4 of the Diplomat Cream to the chocolate to lighten it, mixing/folding with the whip. Add more Cream as necessary.
  4. Add the chocolate/Cream mixture back into the main portion of the Cream, mixing/folding as quickly as possible. Add the flavorings while folding.

Time Management:

gather equipment and ingredients 5 min

melting chocolate 10 min

folding of ingredients 45 sec

clean-up 5 min

total approx 20 min

Special Considerations: This Chocolate Diplomat Cream has 25% by weight of the Cream of chocolate. This may be adjusted to suit individual tastes. This cream may also be stabilized with gelatin as need dictates.

Bavarian Cream

Bavarian Cream was originally a thick drink which evolved into a filling. It is another staple in our pastry shop and is used as a filling for timbales, cakes and tartlets. It is freezer stable, a feature which makes it a very versatile preparation. It is made from six basic ingredients, milk, sugar, egg yolks, gelatin, cream, and flavorings and is used for it's delicate and ineffable flavor.There are two ways of making it- the creme anglaise method, where a vanilla sauce is poured over bloomed gelatin and then allowed to cool and then whipped cream is folded in, and the pate a bombe method, where hot sugar syrup is poured over egg yolks, which are allowed to cool and then the whipped cream is folded in. In our shop we employ the creme anglaise method.

Equipment:

  1. baker's scale and weights
  2. 2 qt measure
  3. stainless saucepan
  4. 3 stainless bowls
  5. whip
  6. stainless steel spoon
  7. chinoise

Ingredients: Yield: 10 lb 7 oz

  1. milk 2 quarts
  2. gelatin 2 1/2 oz
  3. sugar 1 lb
  4. egg yolks 20 oz
  5. vanilla extract 1/2 oz
  6. heavy cream 2 quarts
  7. other flavoring to taste

Method of Preparation:

  1. Whip the cream to soupy consistency, or stiffer if you like, in one bowl and refrigerate.
  2. Put 3/4 of the milk and all the sugar in the saucepan and bring to a boil
  3. Slightly blend the egg yolks in a bowl.
  4. Bloom the gelatin in the remaining milk.
  5. Temper the yolks with the hot milk and return to the stove to cook till the custard coats a spoon.
  6. Remove from the heat and strain through the chinoise right onto the gelatin.
  7. Cool right on the table, or in the reefer, on in an ice bath, till just lightly thickened.
  8. Fold in the whipped cream, adding the flavorings at this point.
  9. Use immediately.

Time Management:

gather equipment and ingredients 7 min

scale ingredients 5 min

boil milk and prepare vanilla sauce 8 min

finish cream (not including cooling) 2 min

cleanup 8 min

total: 33 min

Special Considerations: Technically, the Bavarian Cream is a little tricky because the vanilla sauce cannot be boiled without curdling, thus one is compelled to stay right at the stove to cook the custard. The time-honored test of a creme anglaise, that it coats a spoon when cooked, is demonstrated during it's preparation. Speed and careful planning are important here. All molds should be prepared and ready to fill and all necessary equipment should be in place. Once the custard is put back on the stove, the cooking process cannot be stopped and must be carried to completion. The only time the Bavarian Cream can be fixed is just before the cream is folded in. If the cooling process has gone too far the cream can be gently and briefly reheated to soften it.

Fruit Bavarian Creams- The Bavarian Cream can be made using fruit purees by substituting the puree for some of the milk. The gelatin should be bloomed in the puree and the remaining milk boiled Temper the yolks and finish the cream in the usual way.

It will be noted that pouring the hot milk over the gelatin/puree will degrade the color of the fruit a little and appropriate fruit compounds and flavorings may be used to jack up the flavor. A two-tone mold may be made by using fruit Bavarian Cream and White Chocolate Cream.

White Chocolate Cream

While technically not a mousse, this ethereal white chocolate cream is close enough for private sector work. It has a delicate chocolate taste.

Equipment:

  1. baker's scale and weights
  2. qt measure
  3. slicer knife
  4. 4 stainless steel bowls
  5. saucepan
  6. whip

Ingredients: Yield: 3 lb 12 oz

  1. egg yolks 9 oz
  2. sugar 5 oz
  3. milk 10 oz
  4. white chocolate 9 oz
  5. gelatin 1/2 oz
  6. whipped cream 1 lb 11 oz

Method of Preparation:

  1. Gather equipment and ingredients
  2. Chop finely the white chocolate with the slicer and sweep into one of the bowls.
  3. Whip the cream till soupy in another bowl and refrigerate.
  4. In the third bowl bloom the gelatin in some of the milk, using 5 parts milk to 1 part gelatin.
  5. Boil the remaining milk and pour it over the chocolate.
  6. Cook over a double boiler in the fourth bowl the yolks and sugar whisking constantly till 140 degrees.
  7. Pour the hot milk/chocolate mixture over the gelatin or melt the gelatin over hot water.
  8. Combine the egg yolk/sugar mixture, the milk/chocolate mixture and the gelatin and let cool. If needed quickly, it may be cooled over ice water.. If too thick, it can be softened over hot water.
  9. Fold in the soupy whipped cream, flavoring as desired with vanilla, triple sec, kahlua, etc.. Let the mixture set a little and then pipe.

Time Management:

gather equipment and ingredients 10 min

chop chocolate, boil milk, whip cream 10 min

cook yolks and sugar 5 min

finish cream (not including cooling) 5 min

cleanup and store 10 min

total 40 min

Chocolate Mousse

Another staple of the pastry shop, this mousse is made with the added safety of cooked egg whites and yolks. It may be stabilized with a gelatin for unmolding, and flavored in various ways, and for ease of preparation may be thought of as the "4-bowl mousse."

Equipment:

  1. 4 stainless steel bowls
  2. saucepan
  3. slicer knife
  4. whip
  5. mixer with whip
  6. thermometer
  7. pastry bag
  8. plastic scraper

Ingredients: Yield: 3 lb 2 oz

  1. heavy cream 1lb
  2. semi-sweet chocolate 12 oz
  3. Flavor, rum, brandy, vanilla 2 oz
  4. egg yolks 9 each
  5. granulated sugar 9 oz
  6. egg whites 5 oz

Method of Preparation:

  1. Whip the cream to soupy consistency and refrigerate in bowl 1.
  2. Melt the chocolate carefully over hot water in bowl 2.
  3. Cook the yolks over hot water in bowl 3 till the temp reaches 140.
  4. Beat the whites with 1/3 of the sugar in bowl 4 till the temp reaches 140.
  5. Set the whites to beat on a mixer, drizzling in the remaining sugar.
  6. Mix/fold the chocolate and yolks together.
  7. Temper with some of the cream and then fold back into the cream.
  8. Mix the beaten whites into the top of the mousse, and then mix/fold till blended.
  9. Use immediately.

Time Management:

gather equipment and ingredients 5min

whip cream 3 min

melt chocolate 5 min

cook yolks 4 min

whip whites 4 min

complete by folding 3 min

store and cleanup 7 min

total 31 min

Whipped Cream

There are several grades of heavy cream available. Cream for whipping should be at least 30-35% butterfat, which may be indicated on the container. Cream will expand up to 2 1/2 times in volume when whipped. It is best to weigh the cream before whipping and always make sure to taste it before using it.

There are 4 uses for whipped cream-

  1. As a garnish- rosettes, for example
  2. As an ingredient
  3. As a filling
  4. As a topping

Here are 4 suggestions on handling cream-

  1. Always taste prior to using.
  2. Always use a cold bowl for whipping.
  3. Don't dump in all the cream at once. Put a little in the bowl and whip it, then add a little more and whip it. This will help avoid overwhipping the entire amount of cream.
  4. Overwhipped cream- take it off the mixer and try to fold some liquid cream into it. Try to spread it's use out over the day in several different desserts if possible, so it's grainy look will be diluted.

Know what the whipped cream is going to be used for- that is, don't flavor it ahead of time. Set standards for sugar and vanilla so every worker in the shop will produce a standard item. When whipped cream is used in a rosette to hold ornaments, it is all right not to sweeten it, so it won't interfere with the sweetness of the dessert.

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