Today I have a very simple and delicious recipe for a sweet cream. Often used to fill or garnish cakes, the so called "diplomatic cream" or the Italian version of the Chantilly cream is an essential recipe for pastry.
Why does it have a double name? Chantilly cream was first used in France and it is a mix of vanilla flavoured whipped cream and icing sugar.
The cream that Italian people call “Chantilly cream” is composed of “crema pasticcera” (pastry cream), whipped cream and its real name is “diplomatic cream”. Oops, I’ve already revealed the recipe. It is made of pastry cream and whipped cream.
The evening before, I leave the pod infusing in milk so that it absorbs its flavour. In a pan, whisk the egg yolks with sugar using an automatic whisk or a wooden spoon. While mixing, incorporate the flour with a sift to avoid clumps. When the mixture is well mixed, add warm milk while stirring. Put the pan on a low heat. When it reaches its boling point, turn the heat to the lowest and leave it cook until the cream doesn’t have the desired density (a maximum of 5 or 6 minutes).
Leave the cream to cool down but make sure the film you’re using to cover it enters into contact with it so that it doesn’t solidify on the top. The doses to make the “diplomatic cream” can be 1/3 of whipped cream and 2/3 of pastry cream (in this case you need to whisk 250g of cream) or half and half. I usually prefer the second solution
Whisk the cream (make sure it’s chilled)with an automatic whisk and when it is half way incorporate the icing sugar using a sift. Keep whisking until the cream has a good shape (don’t whisk it too much otherwise it will go liquid again).
When the cream has reached room temperature you can blend the two mixtures. Incorporate first a small quantity of whipped cream, so that it becomes softer and then mix from the bottom to the top so that the mixture stays soft and foamy.
Your “dipomatic cream” or Italian Chantilly cream is ready!
