Dear Gramps,

Your site says you can answer any question on any subject. Here is one to try and challenge you, it has to do with BAKING! When making pastry cream, most if not all recipes ask to put cold or raw butter into the bowl, then pour the hot cooked pastry cream over it and mix it in, why would it matter if you first melted it in with the milk? Hope this challenges you. LOL thanks.
Rick, from St. Paul, Minnesota

Dear Rick,

First, perhaps you should look a little more carefully at the heading to which you refer on the Ask Gramps site. Gramps very specifically did not state that he could answer any question on any subject. The word used was entertain, not answer. One of the definitions for the word entertain, given in the Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, is to give consideration to. So what is intended by the statement to which you refer is that Gramps will give consideration to any question on any subject from any source.

Now, with that clarification, let’s entertain your question about baking pastry creams. In my recipe book I have exactly 50 recipes for pastry creams, and not one of them requires adding the cooked pastry cream to cold butter.

As a case in point, here is a typical recipe for a Sweet Cream Pastry–

1 box Filo dough

1 sm. carton whipping cream

1 sm. carton half and half

6 tbsp. cornstarch

1 c. butter, melted

Pastry Filling: In saucepan, blend whipping cream, half and half, and cornstarch together. Heat on medium low, stirring constantly until the mixture turns into a paste. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate for 10-15 minutes (or until you’re ready for the next step).

Note: Each sheet of Filo makes 1 pastry serving. Take one sheet of Filo dough, cover remaining Filo with plastic sl it does not dry. With pastry brush, lightly brush 1/3 of Filo sheet (lengthwise) with melted butter. Fold buttered portion over and butter again. Fold over remaining third. Place some of cream mixture at one end of Filo strip at a diagonal. Begin folding the dough in triangles, folding a straight edges. (Like folding a flag). Final pastry is in a triangle form, with the cream folded in, butter top. Repeat with the reaming Filo sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. When cooled, dunk each pastry into syrup and serve.

Please note that in this recipe one starts with melted butter.

Here is a Cream Puff Pastry–

1 c. water

3 oz. butter, cut in pieces

1 c. flour, sifted

4 eggs, lg. size

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. bring water and butter to a boil, turn down heat, add flour and spice all at once, and beat vigorously for 2 or 3 minutes. The dough will form into a mass. Add eggs one at a time and blend until smooth. Spoon onto baking sheet 2 inches apart, using small amounts to make hors d’oeuvre shells and large amounts for dessert shells. Bake 20 minutes for larger pastries, and less for smaller ones. They will double in size. When baked remove and pierce side to let out steam. When cold, fill shell with a French cream for dessert.

Please note that in this recipe that the first step is to bring the water and butter to a boil.

I’m sure that there are recipes such as the ones that you refer to, but certainly neither most nor certainly not all pastry cream recipes ask you to put cold or raw butter into the bowl, then pour the hot cooked pastry cream over it and mix it in.

However one reason for folding the cold butter into the hot pastry would be to control the flakiness of the pastry. The more the pastry is beaten the less flaky it becomes.

Gramps