Peach & Pastry Cream Verrines

📝 Ingredients

• 400 ml semi-skimmed milk
• 2 eggs
• 30 g cornflour
• 40 g caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 peaches (about 150 g each)
• ½ lemon (for the juice)
• 6 butter biscuits (about 50 g)

🍴 Utensils

• Large microwave-safe bowl
• Whisk
• Wide shallow dish
• Cling film
• Knife
• 4 serving glasses

📖 Steps

1. In the large microwave-safe bowl (the cream puffs up as it heats), whisk the eggs, sugar and cornflour until smooth, lump-free and slightly frothy.
2. Gradually pour in the cold milk while whisking, then add the vanilla. Cook for 1 min 30 s at 800 W, take out the bowl and whisk briskly, scraping the bottom and sides well where the cream starts to set.
3. Continue in 30-second bursts, whisking vigorously in between, for 4 to 5 min of cooking in total. When the cream is thick, coats the whisk and is bubbling slightly, cook for another 30 seconds to get rid of the starchy taste.
4. Whisk one last time until smooth, pour the cream into the wide dish and cover with cling film pressed onto the surface to stop a skin forming. Leave to cool for 15 min in the freezer or 30 min in the fridge.
5. Meanwhile, wash the peaches, halve them, remove the stones and cut into 1 cm dice (peel them if you don't like the skin). Drizzle with the lemon juice and toss gently so they don't brown.
6. Roughly crumble the butter biscuits with your fingers, leaving a few pea-sized pieces for crunch. Whisk the cooled cream for 20 seconds so it becomes smooth and glossy again.
7. In the 4 glasses, layer biscuits, cream and peaches, then repeat once, keeping back a few pieces of peach and some biscuit crumbs to decorate the top.
8. Serve straight away to keep the biscuits crunchy, or chill for up to 4 h: the biscuits then soak up the cream and turn soft, as in a tiramisu.