A question about a recipe: Boston Cream Pie with Kahlua ganache

Oh thank you. I love it also my favorite cate.

Thank you again, Sdebrango, this recipe has just surpassed our house favorite, the Tiramisu. This dessert is stunningly good.

So glad, I hope you enjoy!!

I just re-did this step, I think I got it. I think my mistake was, when I poured the milk/sugar/egg back into the pan on the stove, I wasn't stirring constantly and the flame was too high. This time I turned down the flame to a medium level, stirred constantly for about 70-80 seconds, thereabouts, and the custard just appeared.
Thanks again.

I am leaning so much thank you. After making pastry cream for so many years and winging it hoping it would turn out, looking at the tell tale signs that its ready now I know the secret so that it will turn out every time.

Well, you know, a *rolling boil* may be one person's obvious and another's relative. And this is such a dense composition that it boils at significantly below the boiling point of water. But the thermometer won't lie to you. (As long as it's calibrated!) This is far too lovely a cake to have the pc not work.

I didn't know that, next time I will use the thermometer and will add to the recipe. I am so glad to know that. Thank you.

I teach students to use a thermometer when making pastry cream. Its thickening point can be kind of relative otherwise. Stirring continuously with a heat-resistant spatula, I tell them to cook it to 165, then off immediately. Once you get it right, you've got the touch forever, as sdebrango says.

I began doubting myself so went in the kitchen whipped up a batch it turned out fine. I think its possible you over cooked it. It came together within one minute on the stove after tempering with the egg yolk mixture. I am sorry it didn't turn out for you. I purposely made this thick as it has to hold up as a filling a pudding doesn't have the ability to stand up necessarily so I added an axtra tablespoon of cornstarch because as I explained earlier you can always beat a little milk or cream into it after it cools to thin it out.

OK, I think I got it. Thanks for the helpful comments. Kbeam

I had so many mishaps when I first started making pastry cream. It took me a while. You can have the opposite problem when you use cornstarch it you over cook it it can actually turn to soup, not thicken at all very termperamental.

If your pastry cream turned out too thick when you take it out of the fridge after cooling its an easy fix, simply add some milk or cream and whip it for a few minutes. Its possible you cooked it too long. You have to watch pastry cream very carefully the minute you see it thicken you take if off the flame. Contine beating while you add the vanilla. From time to time I have had pastry cream come out thick like that but its possible that you cooked too long and since it has eggs in it the eggs may have scrambled. When you temper the egg mixture with the hot milk and add it back to the pan to cook make sure the flame is on medium to medium high and stir it constantly you can't leave it for a minute because it tends to cook very quickly. I hope this helps.