The Art of French Pastry

I love pastry cream. It is a
fundamental recipe—a
custard with added starch
that can be used to fill
cakes, tarts, mille-feuilles
(Napoléons), Danish
pastries, éclairs, or cream
puffs. It can be varied with
any number of flavorings,
including chocolate, coffee,
kirsch, caramel, nut pastes,
or orange zest, but my
favorite is vanilla. A good