The chocolate additions, while they sound very nice and useful, are not what I am looking for. Might try them some day though. Re-read the posts. (Thank you all again) Looked at a dozen more recipes for pastry cream, creme patissiere, mousseline...and of course got more and more confused.
So, in the end, I more or less solved the problem in my usual bumbling way. Took Martha Stewart's Creme Patissiere recipe, changed the 1 cup milk to half milk (whole) and half half & half. Added a 4th tablespoon of sugar, subbed 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, added 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter and away I went. DH loved it. It was rich enough and thick enough and he thought it was divine. I thought it was lacking. Stirred in a smidge of salt. And presto. It picked up. Sliced some banana on it. Good. Stirred in some sweetened coconut. Very good.
So I may not have made anything which would pass any test, but as long as DH loved it, nothing else mattered.
Thanks for the help and more importantly, for the support. 
ps. Sorry, I should have added Martha Stewart's recipe.
