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Freezing pastry cream based on cornstarch
In a Antonio Bachour’s second viennoiserie collection there is a recipe for pistachio flan, where he make the pastry cream with cornstarch and then freezes it.
From my past experience and knowledge, freezing a pastry cream made with cornstarch can cause water to ooze out of the cream (to avoid that Antonia, in his first collection, used Gelcrem Hot for making a pastry cream for pain au raisin).
Why was it okay to freeze a cornstarch based pastry cream here?
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2 Replies
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Level:
Scoolinary Team
Hi Dor Mesica
In this pistachio flan recipe, the pastry cream made with cornstarch can be frozen without separating due to several specific factors related to the recipe and its ingredients:
High fat content: The presence of pistachio paste and butter in the pastry cream increases the fat content, which helps stabilize the mixture during freezing. Fat acts as a natural emulsifier and can prevent water from separating.
Cornstarch ratio: The amount of cornstarch used (45 g in 550 g of milk) is carefully calibrated to thicken the cream without overdoing it. Overly thick pastry cream tends to separate more during freezing, but in this recipe, the texture is well-balanced.
Quick freezing: If the pastry cream is frozen quickly, the formation of large ice crystals is minimized, reducing the risk of breaking the cream’s structure.
Subsequent use of the frozen flan: The pastry cream is used as a filling inside a croissant dough that undergoes fermentation and baking. This process helps reincorporate any minor water separation that may occur during freezing.
Processing with acetate sheet (guitar paper): Smoothing the surface with guitar paper before freezing ensures a uniform texture, which can also help maintain the cream’s stability during freezing.
In summary, the combination of high fat content, a controlled amount of cornstarch, and proper handling of the mixture allows this cornstarch-based pastry cream to withstand freezing without separating. Additionally, its final use inside the baked croissant can “correct” any minimal separation that might have occurred.
I hope this information is helpful.
Best regards.
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Level:
Scoolinary Team
Hey there Dor!👋
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