Crème Saint-Honoré

Crème Saint-Honoré

Course – Dessert
Cuisine – French
Keyword – Crème St Honoré
Prep Time – 5 minutes
Cook Time – 35 minutes
Serving – 2.5 Cups
Skill level – Easy
Author – Julia Child – Mastering The Art of French Cooking, 1961 Let’s Make Crème Saint-Honoré!

It’s no secret that I absolutely love custards. So, naturally, I am one to have a collection of various custard-classics in my pocket to work with, and though many fulfill the satisfying scratch to my itch, Crème St Honoré is the most special of the bunch.

I mean, it’s named after the French Patron saint of Baking, Saint Honoré! Questions About Crème St Honoré

What is the difference between this and Creme Pâtissière?

• They are essentially the same recipe, but Crème St Honoré is fortified with the light and delicate addition of whipped French Meringue!

What would Creme St Honoré be good with?

• Crème St Honoré would be a perfect partner to fill your tarts or various Choux baked goods, but would also lend itself to enjoying as a standalone dessert!

Which flavors can I add to Crème St Honoré?

• Traditionally, you might find most recipes calling for a simple Vanilla base, but the filling lends itself nicely to all forms of flavor! Try orange zest or chocolate, or make a praline to blitz and fold into this magical stuffing. Almost anything will taste amazing with it.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup Granulated Sugar
• 5 Egg Yolks
• .5 cup All Purpose Flour
• 2 cups Hot Milk
• .5 Cups Whole Milk
• 1 T butter, cold
• 1.5 T Vanilla extract (or other flavor)
• 8 Egg Whites
  
• 2 T Granulated Sugar
• Pinch of salt

METHOD

Begin by separating your eggs, reserving the yolks for this recipe.

Whisk together your egg yolks with the sugar by hand or using an electric mixer until you’ve reached the Ribbon Stage (about 3-4 minutes). The batter will be a silky pale yellow color.

Beat in your flour until fully incorporated and then, gradually, add the hot milk a little a time, so you don’t cook the egg yolks.

Fully blend together with a whisk and then transfer to a pot or pan over medium heat.

Continuously whisk until the custard base begins to thicken and wait until you see bubbles forming, indicating a boil. Then reduce the temperature to low and whisk for an additional 2-3 minutes to cook the raw flour taste out of the custard.

Remove from the heat and then add in your cold butter and flavoring, whisking until fully incorporated. If you are not using immediately, dot the surface with softened butter, which will melt and protect your custard from drying out.

While your Crème Pâtissière is complete, now whip together your egg whites by hand or most easily with a machine. When the egg whites have reached a soft peak stage, add your salt and your sugar and continue to whip together until stiff peaks have formed.

You can now fold in about 1/4 of the egg whites into the warm custard, folding to incorporate, and then gently fold in the rest.

This will give your rich and thick Crème Pâtissière a lightness to it, but will still allow it to hold its shape, making it perfect for tarts or various fillings for Choux pastry goods.

You can also feel free to introduce various flavors into your final Crème St Honoré, like chocolate or a praline to make things more interesting!

NOTES:

• You can prepare your Crème St Honoré and it will hold for at least 7 days in a refrigerator.
• This is can be frozen.
• Add various flavors like crushed nuts or warming spices for an exciting Crème St Honoré.