23 pastry cream recipes

Rich and creamy custard style pastry cream perfect for eclairs or any other dessert use. Part of the sugar is carmalized and it infuses a rich caramel flavor throughout the cream.

Open face apple tart with overlapping Golden Delicious slices, apricot glaze, and a buttery pastry shell. The classic French tarte aux pommes done simply at home.

Savory filo cheese cups, crisp phyllo shells brushed with hazelnut oil and filled with a herbed goat cheese and fromage blanc custard, then baked until golden and puffed. An elegant vegetarian party bite.

Pineapple stuffed empanadas. A delicate pastry style dough with a filling of pineapple and apricot jam. Perfect for afternoon tea or healthy snacks for the kids or guests.

Using whole wheat flour and canola oil, let these tasty desserts become more healthy.

Crisp deep-fried curry puffs filled with cooked lamb, curry powder, and mango chutney syrup. A classic Anglo-Indian party appetizer that can be made ahead.

Puff-top shrimp bisque: individual soup cups crowned with golden puff pastry lids, hiding a creamy shrimp and zucchini bisque. Impressive starter for two.

Kipper pate slices layer creamy smoked fish on golden puff pastry, finished with a cool cucumber-mint dressing. A British appetizer that handles a dinner party with quiet confidence.

Crispy golden phyllo cups filled with a creamy smoked trout, horseradish and scallion mixture, topped with cool shredded cucumber. An elegant make-ahead appetizer that yields 48 bite-sized pieces.

Carrot raisin cake sweetened with honey and pineapple juice instead of sugar. Whole wheat pastry flour and egg whites only keep it fat-free and wholesome.

Lemon meringue pie from cooking school is the textbook version with a hand-rolled crust, cornstarch-and-flour curd, and a stable French meringue sealed to the crust. Detailed technique guarantees no weeping.

Deep dish cranapple pie with sliced apples and whole berry cranberry sauce under decorative pastry cutouts. Spiced with apple pie spice and orange zest for a festive holiday dessert.

These citrus honey cookies are so buttery and citrus taste, they are so delicious. Make them every year before Thanksgiving and Christmas, always a big hit, everyone loves these cookies.

This super moist carrot cake was absolutely delicious and much much lower-fat than a regular carrot cake, thanks to applesauce and yogurt instead of butter and cream cheese. I used whole wheat pastry flour to make it even more nutrition dense. I will be making this low-fat carrot cake again for sure.

Deep-dish rhubarb strawberry pie with a flaky shortening crust, fresh fruit filling spiced with cinnamon and cloves, and a sugared lattice top. The classic spring-into-summer pie baked in a square dish.

Elegant French pastry with puff pastry, vanilla pastry cream, and glazed apricot halves resembling sunny-side eggs. A playful Michel Richard classic.