Pastry cream is a breeze to make, but most people shrug their shoulders and pick up a box of instant vanilla pudding instead. Not in this kitchen! Ditch the box and learn how to make your own pastry cream from scratch.

WHAT IS PASTRY CREAM?
I realize that not everyone goes around calling it pastry cream.
The French call it crème pâtissière and the popular North American term is pudding, but in my circle, it’s called pastry cream, so that’s what I’m going with.
It’s a simple concoction of milk, eggs, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla.
Some recipes call for butter to give it an added richness, but it’s completely optional.
…