light chocolate pastry cream
light chocolate pastry cream is delicious as a dessert sauce or pastry filling
(or eaten by the spoonful)
If you ask me, there really isn’t a wrong way to enjoy pastry cream.
Vanilla or Chocolate
It is absolutely delicious in tarts and pies.
Goes perfectly in layer cakes.
Eclairs…enough said
Makes a lovely sauce for fresh or poached fruit, or in my case can be devoured one spoonful at a time.
Everyone should have a good pastry cream recipe in their collection. It really is so versatile.
Traditional pastry cream is made with whole milk and or heavy cream and egg yolks; this lightened up version uses low fat milk (1%) and fewer egg yolks, but trust me you won’t miss them.
It is thick and creamy the way a good pastry cream should be, but with only 70 calories per 1/4 cup.
I used some of the pastry cream to make flourless chocolate tortes for Ian and the kids; I prefer my desserts fruity, so I passed on the torte. I did however happen to take a taste of the leftover chocolate pastry cream, and it was really good. This coming from a vanilla enthusiast.
A few many spoonfuls later and I figured I may as well pour it in a bowl with some berries and be done with it.
However you decide to eat your pastry cream, this lighter version is sure to please.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup lowfat milk (1%)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 1 ounce of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chooped
Instructions
- in a small saucepan whisk together the cornstarch and the milk
- bring to a boil, over medium heat, make sure to stir frequently
- once the milk boils, reduce the heat to low, and continue to cook and stir for one minute
- remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla
- in a separate bowl whisk together the egg, yolk, and sugar'
- continue whisking as you pour a small bit of the hot milk into the eggs
- whisking constantly pour the eggs into the saucepan with the remaining milk
- heat over low until the pastry cream has thickened
- remove from the heat, and stir in the chopped chocolate
- strain (if needed) using a fine sieve set over a bowl
- sauce can be served warm or cold
- store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days
Notes
recipe from The French Culinary Institute - Healthy Cooking
If you are like me and prefer your deserts non-chocolate, simply skip the last step and you have vanilla pastry cream.
Enjoy!
healthier sweets from friends –
lightened up meyer lemon meringue pie – food done light
honey panna cotta with lemon curd – a finn in the kitchen
whole wheat oatmeal chocolate chip cookies – two peas and their pod
you may also like
wheat free chocolate chip cookies
This looks amazing! I love that you lightened up of course so I can have more!
my thoughts exactly julie 🙂 thanks
Oh my, if a vanilla-lover called this chocolate pastry cream good… Then I’d definitely adore it! You know how much I love chocolate! 😉 Pinned!
you are the queen of all things cocoa that’s for sure 🙂 but yes, ever I loved it