Basic pastry cream
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
heat milk until just simmering. Add vanilla. Beat egg yolks, add sugar and cornstarch and stir till smooth. Whisk into milk. Strain into a bowl. Return to pot and heat gently for about 2 minutes stirring constantly until thickened and glossy looking. Strain again. stir in butter. Cool in bowl to room temperature then chill. Stores for up to 4 days. Place plastic wrap directly on top of cream to prevent a skin forming on top. Good in puff shells, tarts, cake filling or pastry for Mille Feuille.
