Pastry Cream

This is a great base recipe that you can use for many things. We often play with this recipe by making flavored pastry creams or steeping different things in the cream, such as a couple of cinnamon sticks, toasted nuts, citrus zest, or coffee grounds. It makes a slightly larger batch than some of the recipes require, so be sure to wrap any leftovers and use it within a few days in another recipe, or just have it for dessert with fresh ripe fruit.