This recipe is part of the Epicurious Online Cooking School, in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America. To watch it being made, and to learn how to make other dessert classics, check out the videos.
Variations:
Chocolate Pudding: Stir 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks into the prepared hot pastry cream (end of Step 3). Banana Pudding: Stir 2 medium chopped bananas into the prepared cooled pastry cream (end of Step 4).