Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream

Make this up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate until 1 hour prior to use.

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk, half-and-half and vanilla bean (both the pod and the seeds) to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 10 to 15 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cornstarch and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Temper the eggs by whisking in 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture until incorporated. Whisk in the remaining hot milk, making sure you drizzle it in slowly.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Let it cool slightly.

Press mixture into a glass bowl through a fine mesh strainer to remove any curdled bits and remove husk of vanilla bean. Cover the strained pastry cream with plastic wrap, and press the plastic wrap on top of the pastry cream to make sure it doesn’t form a skin. Chill at least 2 hours or until ready to serve.