How To Make Caramelized White Chocolate Pastry Cream

This is a deliciously awesome trick to have up your sleeve. This is, How to make Caramelized White chocolate, and then how to make custard and Caramelized White Chocolate Cream Patisserie from it! (This glorious beauty was stuffed inside a Glazed Coffee Doughnut for which you can get the recipe here too!)

If you want to take that white chocolate flavour and kick it up a notch, then you have to caramelize it. It turns regular, creamy, sweet white chocolate into a glorious, caramel coloured sauce with an incredible caramel-fudge flavour! As someone who doesn’t really like white chocolate (I find it simply too sweet), this completely transforms my opinion of it every time, without fail!

I learnt how to do this from David Lebovitz. I haven’t changed anything about the way he does it, but I’ll outline it here for you!

How to make caramelized white chocolate.

⇒You need to find good quality white chocolate made with cocoa butter (not the other kind). Chop the white chocolate into smaller pieces.

⇒Spread this on a tray that’s lined with a silpat (or non stick silicone baking mat).
Place the chocolate in an oven on its lowest setting (the lowest setting on my oven is “keep warm”, which is less than 200°F / 90°C.

⇒Check every 10 minutes, and using an offset spatula, mix and re-spread the chocolate as it melts and starts to change colour.

⇒Keep checking every 10 minutes, until the white chocolate has turned (light) golden in colour and is smooth. The chocolate may change texture and become a little chalky, which is why its important to mix and spread while it heats, and after it comes out of the oven too.

The smallest amount of chocolate I have used is 4 oz (113g) (about 30 minutes) and the largest amount I have used is 12 oz/ 340g (45 – 60 min). The more chocolate you use, it obviously takes longer to caramelize. The yield is 1:1 too.

To make a sauce you can thin it out with some cream. OR you can use it as a base for custard and/or cream patisserie (pastry cream).

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5 from 5 votes

Caramelized White Chocolate Pastry Cream

Print Rate

Ingredients:

• ▢ 4 oz / 113g caramelized white chocolate or substitute with regular melted white chocolate
• ▢ 2 1/2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
• ▢ 1 whole egg
• ▢ 3 egg yolks
• ▢ 2 tbsp of sugar optional, if making pastry cream with whipped cream
• ▢ 1/2 tsp salt OR 2 tsp salt if you want a salty-sweet combination
• ▢ 2 tsp vanilla extract/ vanilla bean paste
• ▢ 2 tbsp bourbon optional
• ▢ 1 ½ cups full-fat milk or half and half
• ▢ ⅓ cup whipping cream whipped to stiff peaks, optional

Instructions:

• Place the caramelized white chocolate, milk, vanilla bean paste, bourbon and salt, and heat on medium heat. Stir to ensure that the chocolate and white sugar melt properly.
• In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, cornstarch and sugar (if using) with a whisk until smooth and the eggs are pale in colour.
• When the milk starts to steam, drizzle the hot milk into the eggs slowly, while whisking the egg mix (tempering the eggs to prevent them from curdling). After drizzling in about 3/4 cup of the milk and the eggs are warm, pour it back into the milk saucepan and stir to combine.
• If using vanilla extract - add this at this stage. Keep stirring or whisking consistently to prevent the custard from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan, or curdling. Heat the custard (lower the heat if needed) until it thickens to a pudding-like consistency (when the first bubbles break the surface of the custard).
• Pour the custard into a bowl and place a sheet of plastic wrap over the custard (touching the surface of the custard) to prevent a skin from forming on top. Let it cool down to room temperature and chill for a few hours.
• When the custard is chilled, use as is, OR, fold the whipped cream through the custard until just mixed. Cover and leave it in the fridge until ready to use.

Tips & Tricks

Note 1 -  I like this custard without the addition of extra sugar. The custard is sweetened just with the white chocolate, which I find to be sweet enough. However, when I use whipped cream, I prefer some extra sweetness, which is why I would add an extra 2 tbsp of sugar IF I was adding whipped cream. 

Note 2 - Some recipes call for the milk or cream to be scalded. I did not scald the milk for this particular custard (because I melted the white chocolate in the milk). I didn't find a noticeable difference between scalding and not scalding the milk. If you prefer to scald the milk, please feel free to do so!

Note 3 - As noted, the custard should have a pudding-like consistency. You will know it's reaching this consistency when you see the first bubbles breaking the surface of the custard. 

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This is so, so versatile! I just cannot tell you enough about how much we love this. We have actually piped this straight into glasses, let it set and then just had it as a pudding!

We have filled mini chocolate tarts with this delicious pastry cream (non-salty version) in these Mini Chocolate tarts with Caramelized White Chocolate pastry cream with a boozy raspberry center.

And used the salty-sweet pastry cream to fill these delicious Coffee glazed Coffee Doughnuts!

The choices are truly endless. And you’re welcome! 🙂

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