Hojicha Pastry Cream Filling (Printable)

Aromatic roasted tea custard with nutty, smoky notes ideal for cream puffs and elegant layered desserts.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 2 cups whole milk
02 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Tea

03 - 3 tablespoons hojicha loose leaf tea or 3 hojicha tea bags

→ Eggs

04 - 4 large egg yolks

→ Sweeteners

05 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar

→ Starch & Flavorings

06 - 3 tablespoons cornstarch
07 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - Pinch of salt

# Directions:

01 - Heat 2 cups whole milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until steaming but not boiling. Add 3 tablespoons hojicha tea, remove from heat, cover, and steep for 10 minutes.
02 - Pour the hojicha-infused milk through a fine mesh sieve, pressing the tea leaves gently to extract maximum flavor. Discard the spent leaves.
03 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together 4 large egg yolks, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, and a pinch of salt until smooth and pale. Gradually pour the warm hojicha milk into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
04 - Return the tempered mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbling, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
05 - Remove from heat and whisk in 3 tablespoons unsalted butter and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract until fully incorporated. Transfer the pastry cream to a clean bowl.
06 - Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the warm pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming during cooling.
07 - Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until completely cool and set.
08 - Before using as a filling, whisk briefly to smooth out the cream and achieve the desired consistency.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours perfecting it, but the hojicha does most of the heavy lifting for you.
  • This cream plays beautifully with both delicate pastries and bold flavor pairings—it's genuinely versatile in a way that feels intentional.
02 -
  • If your cream breaks or looks grainy while cooking, it usually means the heat was too high—low and slow is genuinely the answer, even though it feels like it's taking forever.
  • The plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface is non-negotiable if you want silky cream; a skin forms otherwise, and no amount of whisking gets you back that texture.
03 -
  • The key to silky texture is patience with both the steeping and the cooking—rushing either one shows immediately.
  • Whisking the cream briefly before using it wakes it back up after chilling and erases any stiffness that developed in the fridge.
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