pastry cream (martha stewart)
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean (split and seeds scraped)
pinch of salt
4 large eggs
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 tbs unsalted butter, in small pieces
in a medium sauce pan, combine the milk, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, and salt. cook over medium heat until it comes to a simmer.
in a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, cornstarch, and 1/4 cup sugar. whisking constantly, slowly pour 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mix. continue adding, 1/2 cup at a time, until it has all been incorporated.
pour the mixture back into saucepan and cook over medium high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens (about 2 minutes). remove from heat and discard vanilla bean.
transfer to a bowl and quickly stir in the butter until it melts and the mixture cools slightly.
cover with plastic wrap, pressing onto the surface of the cream, and refrigerate for at least two hours (or up to two days). just before using, give it a good whisking.
thyme syrup
1/3 cup of thyme leaves
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tsp lemon juice
in a small sauce pan, combine sugar, water, thyme, and lemon juice. bring to a boil and turn off heat. cover and set aside to steep, about 20 minutes. strain syrup and set aside to cool.
