Pastry cream instructions:

1. Place egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment.  Beat the mixture on high until light and fluffy.

2. Meanwhile, in a heavy saucier, mix the milk and cream together.  Place the saucier over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a rolling boil.

3. Decrease the mixer speed to medium and carefully pour the hot milk mixture down the side of the bowl.  Turn the mixer to low to prevent splashing.  The egg mixture must be in motion to prevent the hot liquid from scalding the eggs.  

4. Clean the saucier.  It needs to be perfectly clean to be reused again to cook the pastry cream.

5. Once all the milk mixture is incorporated, slowly increase the mixer speed and let it run for about 1 minute.  Stop the mixer scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that all the ingredients are completely incorporated.  Transfer mixture from the bowl into the clean saucier

6. Before cooking the then pastry cream mixture, have a clean bowl and a fine sieve ready.  You will be pouring the finished mixture through the sieve and into the bowl the moment the mixture is done.

7. Return the saucier to the stove.  Have a candy thermometer ready.  Over medium-high heat, vigorously whisk the mixture until it has thickened, 4-5 minutes.  Don't ever stop mixing and make sure your whisk is getting to the bottom and along the sides of the saucepan.  Pastry cream can burn easily.

8. Once the temperature reaches 160 degrees and has the consistency of mayonnaise, remove from heat and pour the pastry cream through the sieve into a clean bowl.  Use a rubber spatula to press the thick pastry cream through the sieve.

9. Take a piece of plastic wrap that is larger than in diameter than your bowl and place it directly on the surface of the pastry cream.  Make sure that every bit of pastry cream is touching the plastic to prevent a skin from forming.  Transfer bowl to the refrigerator to cool completely.