Joanne Chang’s Best Boston Cream Pie

Yield:

Instructions

First, make the pastry cream: In a medium saucepan, scald the milk over medium-high heat (bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan, but the milk is not boiling). Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until blended, then slowly whisk in the flour mixture. The mixture will be thick and pasty.

Remove the milk from the heat and slowly add it to the egg-flour mixture, a little at a time, whisking constantly. When all of the milk has been incorporated, return the contents of the bowl to the saucepan, and place over medium heat. Whisk continuously and vigorously until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil, about 3 minutes. Once it thickens, stop whisking every few seconds to see if the mixture has come to a boil. If it has not, keep whisking. As soon as you see it bubbling, immediately go back to whisking for just 10 seconds, and then remove the pan from the heat (any more time and the mixture can become grainy).

Pour/push/scrape the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small, heatproof bowl. Stir in the vanilla and cover with plastic wrap, placing it directly on the surface of the pastry cream. This will prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until cold, or for up to 3 days in an airtight container.