Vanilla Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière)

This recipe is very basic, very easy and useful in making many French desserts. Use it to fill eclairs or profiteroles, to make fruit and berry tarts or in various pastries like Sunny-Side-Up Apricot Pastries. The recipe below is enough to fill 24 profiteroles or 12 eclairs, you will want to double the recipe for a 9-inch tart.

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
2 large egg yolks
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 vanilla bean (split and seeded) or 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pot and slowly bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Let the cream boil for one minute, continually whisking, it will suddenly thicken very quickly, keep your eye on it. Once the cream thickens remove it from the heat and immediately transfer to a bowl. Lay plastic wrap directly on top of the cream (to prevent a skin from forming) and chill completely before using.

Voila! C'est magnifique!