Almond molten cake

On a recent trip to France I acquired a new recipe for little almond molten cakes, they are truly delicious (sceal of approval by my "almost" 4 years old friend who has a sweet tooth).
Here is this super easy recipe, impress your guests with it:

Almond molten lava cakes
For 4 people
Ingredients
100 gr  Almond meal
100 gr  Powdered sugar
70 gr   Unsalted butter, melted
6 TBSP Heavy whipping cream
1          Egg
1          Yolk
A few drops of bitter almond extract

Method
Mix dry ingredients, add eggs, then butter, cream and extract
Pour in buttered individual molds (ramequins 3 cm / 1 1/4" high - 8 cm / 3 1/4" accross)
Place in refrigerator for at least 30 min, they can be prepared a day ahead.
These will be cooked at the last minute, so 20 min before serving place in pre-heated oven 180 C/356 F and bake for 10 to 15 min (each oven is different so you should check after 8 minutes), it is baked when the sides have a firm cake look but the center is still a little runny.
To unmold place a plate on top of your ramequin and invert, leave the ramequin for a couple of minutes to give a chance to the cake to fall on the plate.
Serve warm

Fruit crisp

Here is a simple, healthy and tasty dessert to make on cold winter nights that will get the thumbs up from everyone.

Fruit crisp

Ingredients for topping
1 1/4  cup rolled oats
1 cup packed Brown sugar
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter 
3/4 cup almonds toasted and roughly chopped
1/2 Lemon juice

Fruits of your choice
I like using apples & pears cut in small chunks, blueberries and raspberries picked in the summer time and frozen.

Method
Mix and spread the fruits evenly into an oven proof serving dish.
Mix all ingredients of the topping and spread evenly over the fruits.

Bake in pre-heated oven at 375 F for 45 mn

Serve hot

Rhubarb and strawberry tart

The rhubarb plants my friend gave me last year are thriving.
This acid plant is usually paired with strawberries to mellow it out, I like this combination and decided to make something out of it for a simple dessert between friends.

Rhubarb and strawberry tart
For a 23 or 26 cm tart pan (9 or 10 inches)

Pastry
Ingredients
125 gr unbleached white flour
62.5 gr butter (cold)
45 gr cold water
1 pinch of salt

Method
Mix all ingredients, either by hand in a bowl or in a mixer, don't over work the dough or it will be too hard once baked, when it forms a homogeneous mass, form a ball, roll it on a lightly floured work surface and fold it as if you are making puff pastry or croissants, wrap it in cling film and place in the refrigerator to cool down for at least 1h, when ready to use roll out the dough and line a tart pan. 

Tart

Ingredients
1 pint of strawberries
A few stalks of rhubarb, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch or so long sticks
3 Tbsp Almond meal (to absorb moisture from fruits)
Sugar to taste

Method
Sprinkle almond meal over pastry dough, place rhubarb and strawberries over in chosen pattern, sprinkle sugar to taste.
Bake in 390 F pre-heated oven for about 30mn to 40mn (depending on your oven).
Serve warm as is or with whipped cream for extra indulgence.

Coconut cake/cookies

My friend's 2 year old daughter has a higher sensitivity to gluten and dairy but also has a sweet tooth, knowing that I have modified a recipe I had to accommodate her restrictions and it was a hit. Now every time she visits she asks: "il y a du gâteau?" (is there cake?).

Gâteau noix de coco - Coconut cake
A 9" / 23 cm square silicon mould
Ingredients
3 eggs separated
9 Tbsp Sugar
4 Tbsp coconut flour
Vanilla bean paste (a little goes a long way)

Method
Whisk egg yolks, sugar and vanilla until mix becomes whiter
Add 2 Tbsp coconut flour
Whip egg whites into stiff peaks
Add half of egg whites to egg and sugar mix
Add remaining coconut flour
Add remaining egg whites

Butter mould (even though it is silicon, because this recipe has quite a bit of sugar it is better to butter the mould, alternately you can line the mould with parchment paper)
Pour and level batter
Bake in preheated oven at 355 F for 15 to 20mn
When baked remove from mould immediately and let cool.
I usually cut this big square into small 2" squares and serve this as cookies to my little friend or to bigger friends with a bowl of fresh fruits.
Because there is no gluten this cake will not rise and will be fairly dense but nonetheless tasty.

Mardi Gras - Part 2 - Crêpes / Crêpes Suzette

While the galettes are savoury the "crêpes" are typically sweet, served with a sweet filling.
Here is a recipe that I modified to make it lighter.

Crêpes
For about 20 crêpes 9” diameter
Ingredients
1 ¾ cup All Purpose Flour 250 gr
2 Egg 2
2 cups Milk 500 ml
1 Tbsp Sugar 1 Tbsp
1 pinch Salt
Flavour with 1 Tbsp Rum or Kirsch or Orange flower water or/& vanilla
Alternate recipe: substitute half of the milk with a light blonde beer, it will make for lighter crêpes

Method
In a bowl measure the flour, slowly add the milk and whisk until you obtain a smooth batter without lumps, then add the eggs and continue whipping.
Then add the sugar, salt and flavouring of choice.
Mix until all combined and no lumps.
Rest for at least 1 hour.
Pour a ladle full of batter into a preheated oiled crêpes pan (non stick if possible), swirling the pan to coat the bottom evenly with batter.
Cook over medium heat a minute or so, until the sides of the crêpe come loose from the bottom of the pan, turn over for half a mn or so and set aside on a plate placed over a pan of hot water and cover with plastic wrap to keep the crêpes warm, repeat until all the batter is gone.
Serve with various fillings. 

Filling suggestions
Sugar, lemon, jam, chocolate, cooked banana and orange…

Variation on crêpes Suzette
Ingredients for the sauce for 15 crêpes
1.5 oz Sugar 42 gr
6 oz Butter 170 gr
1 tsp Orange zest 1 tsp
6 fl oz /12 Tbsp Orange juice 180 ml
6 Tbsp Grand Marnier 90 ml

Method
Sprinkle sugar evenly on the bottom of a preheated pan over medium heat, do not stir.
When the sugar begins to caramelise add the butter, then the orange zest and juice and let the sauce thicken.
Then add the Grand Marnier (or Cointreau or Curaçao blue) and flame it.
Place a crêpe in the skillet and cover it on both sides with sauce, fold in a triangle and reserve in a hot dish, continue covering all the pancakes with sauce.
When all done pour the remainder of the sauce over the crêpes and serve hot. 

Mardi Gras - Part 1 - Buckwheat crêpes

In France and even more so in Brittany we have a tradition on Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), the day before Ash Wednesday (this year it was on Tuesday 16th Feb.), to make galettes and crêpes, the galettes are typically topped with a savory filling, while the crêpes are sweet, here is a recipe that works quite well for the galettes.

Galettes au sarrasin – Buckwheat crêpes (savory)

For about 15 galettes/crêpes 9” diameter

Ingredients

1.5 cup / 220 gr     Buckwheat flour

3 Tbsp / 22 gr       All purpose flour  (10% of the buckwheat)

1.5 tsp /  6 gr       Salt 

1 Egg

1.35 Tbsp / 20 ml  Sunflower oil 

½ cup / 120 ml     Whole milk 

1 cup + ¼ cup / 230 ml + 50 ml    Cold water  (or more if needed)

Method

In a bowl measure the buckwheat and all purpose flour.

In a separate bowl mix the salt, egg, oil and milk.

Pour the liquid mix over the flours and using a wooden spoon or your hand mix all into a ball, then slowly add the cold water while always mixing and beating the batter, when all the water has been added continue beating the batter for 15mn to air it well (traditionnaly in Brittany this is done by hand in a big bucket, but you can use a stand up mixer with the paddle attachment).

Pour some water on top of the batter to cover it and place the lid on then let it rest covered and refrigerated a few hours, overnight for better results (the galette will have a more appealing look, they will be brownish instead of greyish).

When ready to cook the galettes check that the batter is VERY liquid, if not enough add more cold water to it.

Pour a ladle full of batter to a preheated oiled crêpes pan (non stick if possible), swirling the pan to coat the bottom evenly with batter (if it is not liquid enough it will "ball up" and the galette will be "for the dog" as is the tradition for the first couple of missfits).

Cook over medium heat until the sides of the galette come loose from the bottom of the pan (1mn or so), turn over for a few seconds and set aside, repeat until all the batter is gone.

Serve with various fillings, place the cooked galette in your preheated pan and place filling on top.

Reserve all cooked galette in a plate covered over a pan of hot water so they won’t dry out.

Filling suggestions

Egg, cheese, ham, white sauce with mushrooms, spinach, blue cheese and walnuts, goat cheese and Espelette chilli powder, smoked salmon/Lox and crème fraîche… If you combine egg, cheese and ham it is called “une complète”.

Gluten free, dairy free, egg free bread

When looking for gluten free breads it seems there is always eggs and milk added, to me these ingredients mean making a cake not a bread, so I decided to try creating a new GF bread without eggs or dairy and the final product turned out really nice and tasty, like real gluten bread. The bread got eaten before I had time to take a picture!

Gluten free, dairy free, egg free bread

Ingredients

15 gr        Flax seed grounded to a fine flour (it is better than buying it already grounded)
30 gr        Brown rice flour
150 gr      White rice flour
20 gr        Millet flour
20 gr        Sorghum flour
20 gr        Quinoa flour
40 gr        Buckwheat flour (Sarasin)
35 gr        Potato starch
20 gr        Coconut flour
53 gr        Tapioca flour 

½ tsp /2gr Xanthan gum 

1.5 tsp     Salt

460 ml    Tepid water

3 tsp         Active dry yeast
1 tsp        Maple syrup (to activate yeast)

Method
Place all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl except yeast.

Mix water, yeast and maple syrup and let it rest for 5mn (it will start bubbling)

Pour liquid over dry ingredients and mix with paddle attachment for 5mn on speed 1, scraping the sides of the bowl at least once. You will obtain a batter like dough.

Pour in a silicone mould.
Let rise covered with a cotton/linen cloth for approx. 1h until it reaches the top of the mould
Bake in pre-heated oven at 350 for 45mn at least (check for hollow sound and lighter weight)

This bread is quite moist thus won't keep very long, it will freeze well already sliced for ease of use and toaster readiness.

Tip all flours can be substituted for other GF ones, however it is important to keep the Tapioca and Xanthan gum, they compensate for the lack of gluten.

Galette des rois

In France 6th January marks the celebration of Epiphany, the coming of the 3 kings or the Three Magi: Balthasar, Melchior and Gaspar bringing offerings to Jesus Christ, and as most traditions in France we celebrate with food, in this case it is the Galette des Rois. 

The bakeries go crazy over this and you can find galettes from December until February, the quality varies greatly, but if you are lucky to have tasted a good one you will remember it forever. I have this taste lodged in a corner of my memory and every year wait in anticipation to have a slice or more. 

Since moving to the US it is more difficult to find a galette des rois and this year I finaly decided to make it. 

It is basically an almond filling (Frangipane) encased between 2 sheets of puff pastry.

Galette des Rois

For a 10" galette 

Puff pastry (see recipe here)

Frangipane (see below)

Ingredients for Frangipane

3.5 oz / 100 gr Sugar
3.5 oz / 100 gr Almond powder / almond meal (you can make it yourself by finely grinding the almonds)
3.5 oz / 100 gr Butter at room temp.
2 tsp Corn startch (increase if you increase the rum)
A few drops of almond extract
2 Tbsp Rum
2 Eggs
100 gr Pastry cream (see recipe here - do not put whipped cream)

Method
Mix Sugar, almond, butter, corn startch, almond extract, rum then add the eggs.
When all blended add the pastry cream.

Assembling and baking the “galette des rois”
Split the dough in 2 equal parts, roll out 1 half while the other stays in the fridge, form a 10 ½ " circle (use a sharp knife to cut the dough, it will help it to rise nicely), lay it on a Silpat and chill while you roll out the second circle (slightly larger than the first one as you need to allow room for the filling).
Take first circle out, spread it with Frangipane (almond filling), leaving 2” without filling on the edges, brush water on the edges and place second circle on top of the filling and seal the edges by pressing them, it is really important to seal the edges properly or the filling will escape when baking.
Make a small hole in the center for the steam to escape and decorate the top of the dough with a sharp knife (beware not to cut through the dough completely).
Regrigerate for 30mn.
Brush with egg wash and bake in preheated oven for 30 to 45 mn at 370 F / 187 C depending on your oven (it's better to over bake than under bake). To know when it is baked lift the bottom and it should be golden and dry, it soggy return to the oven.
Serve slightly warm. 

Puff pastry - Pâte feuilletée

I have always loved making desserts and baking but was shying away from making real puff pastry with a pre-conceived idea that it would be too hard to make and would take too much time. Nonetheless I kept researching about it and finaly decided to go for it. Here is a fairly straightforward method that will give you really amazing results. Slightly different than a previous version already posted.

Puff pastry - Pâte feuilletée

For 2 10 ½" circles

Ingredients

1 ¾ cup + 1 Tbsp / 250 gr All purpose flour       
3 ¾ fl oz / 125 gr (115 ml) Water (cold)           
1 tsp / 6 gr Pinch of salt           
2 Tbsp / 25 gr Butter (room temp.)       

1.5 stick /162 gr Butter unsalted (cold)   

Method
In the bowl of food processor with dough blade mix all ingredients except cold butter, give a few pulse until the dough gathers together, take out on a clean dry work surface and form a ball without working the dough too much, make a cross on the dough (to help it relax).
Place the dough ball in a plastic wrap in the fridge for 20mn.
Take the cold butter and work it into a flat square 6”x6”.
Take the dough out of the fridge and spread the cross and roll out the dough into a square 9”x 9” approx.
Place the butter square on top of the dough square. Sideways and close the dough over the butter in the shape of an envelope, seal well so the butter won’t escape (very important).
Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 12” long (9" wide) and make a double turn.
Repeat and chill dough for 30mn.
Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 12” long and make 2 double turns.
Chill for 30mn.At this point you can either use the dough or freeze it.

Happy New Year

As yet another year ends I want to wish you all out there in the net space a wonderfull New Year 2010, I hope it will be filled with happiness, good health, good friends, good food and good drinks.

My latest endeavour

A lot of time has gone by (again) since my last post, that is not to say I haven't been busy, in fact a lot of cooking happened since.
A couple of cooking classes, a big catering gig and here I am again.
A few samples to water your mouths and the menu.

* Piquillo peppers dip served with home made whole wheat crackers
* Hot artichoke dip served with home made crostini
* Mini tourtes à la viande (spicy sausage meat pies)
* Bite size chicken cordon bleu
* Seafood mousse in an endive "spoon"
* Cucumber canapés topped with seafood mousse
* Wispy tartlets assortment = Puff pastry squares topped with various fillings (spinach, bacon, cream cheese; pepper), (mushroom mix), (tomato & anchovies), (tomato & mozzarella), (roasted peppers & feta)
* Mini onion & cheese "popovers"
* Cheese platter served with walnut & pumpkin seed bread & grapes
* Puffed cranberry & mandarin tartlets
* Mini chocolate “fondants”
* Mini financiers

Interested in any of the recipes? Leave me a comment and I'll get back to you.

An autumn meal - Beef Bourguignon

Where have I been might you wonder, well, France, Ireland, US road trip, all this has kept me very busy and not afforded me a lot of time for blogging. So while autumn is upon us, here is a very easy and delicious recipe to make and share in these cooler days.
You start the marinade on day one, cook on day 2 and serve on day 3.

Boeuf Bourguignon
For 6 people
Ingredients
3 lbs Beef stew (preferably chuck) (5 to 7 oz of meat per person)
1 Carrot (peeled and cut in small sticks)
2 Shallots (chopped) 
2 Bay leaves (French laurel rather than California)
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 or 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
1 bottle of red wine (preferably pinot noir)

5 Slices of bacon thinly diced 
1 clove of garlic chopped
2 Tbsp Brandy
2 to 3 Tbsp All purpose flour
1 to 2 tsp Coarse sea salt

Method
Day 1
Place meat in container, pour wine over the meat to cover, add 1 carrot in stick, 1 chopped shallot, bay leaf, rosemary, thyme and pepper, cover and place in refrigerator overnight (best if marinated up to 24h).
Day 2
Brown the sliced bacon with remaining shallot and garlic, reserve in cast iron pot on very low heat.
Pan fry the meat (preferably in non stick pan), do not crowd the pan, place only a few pieces at a time, otherwise they will sweat and release all their juice.
Place the fried pieces in the cast iron pot as they get browned.
When all pieces have been fried deglaze the pan with a little water, reserve.
Pour the brandy over the hot meat pieces and flambé.
Sprinkle the flour and turn the meat over, then pour the liquid in the frying pan over the meat, add the marinade.
Sprinkle some salt, salt may be adjusted after cooking.
Bring all to a gentle simmer and let cook for 3 hours stirring occasionally. 
The next day warm up on low heat a couple of hours before serving, all the flavours will have developped.
 
For reference: this dish is from the Burgundy region famous for its fine pinot noir wines thus making it a perfect choice of wine to drink with.
This dish may be served with pasta or steamed potatoes, or for a distinctive experience puréed Jerusalem artichoke.

The perfect burger bun - Brioche burger bun

A few weeks ago we had our neigborhood progressive picnic and the main course of the picnic was held at our house, we had to provide the burger buns and I had wanted to make them for quite some time so I launched myself into this new project, after some investigation and calculation (who said you didn't need to know your maths for baking? it's all about percentages!) I developped this recipe that turned out quite nicely.


Light Brioche Burger Buns
For approx. 30 buns of 4" diameter

Ingredients
1 kg / Unbleached bread flour
250 ml / 1 cup Milk (warm)
250 ml / 1 cup Water (warm)
4 tsp Active dry yeast
5 Tbsp Sugar
6 Eggs
3 tsp Salt
113 gr / 1 stick Butter

Method
Combine the water, milk, yeast and sugar and let stand until foamy (5 or so minutes).
In the bowl of a standup mixer combine the flour and salt, then add the liquid mix and knead using the hook of the mixer and add 1 egg at a time while kneading continuously until the egg is absorbed.
Then knead on speed 2 for 10mn at which point you add the butter cut in small pieces and continue kneading for another 5 or 10mn until all the butter has been absorbed.
You will have a fairly sticky dough.
Shape dough into a ball in the mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours (until at least doubled in volume).
Line a cookie sheet with Silpat or parchment paper and divide the dough into balls of equal weight, place each ball 2 inches apart on the Silpat and flatten them into a bun shape. Cover loosely with a cotton or linen towel and let the buns rise in a draft free place for 1 or 2 hours until double in volume.
Pre-heat the oven to 400 F and set a pan of hot water on the sole of the oven.
When the buns have doubled up place in hot oven and bake for about 15mn, watch them after 10mn to prevent burning.
Transfer to a rack to cool completely, use immediately or store in air tight container for a couple of days or freeze.

Tips
When baking do not use a black or dark tray as it tends to burn the bottoms while the tops have not yet acquired their golden colour.
This recipe can easily be devided to make fewer buns.

Mini brunch brioches

Here is a lighter brioche that can be enjoyed with sweet or savory food in-lieu of bread.
It is best to make this over 2 days, day one prepping the dough, day 2 shaping and rising.
Alternately you can prepare the dough in the morning and shape, rise and bake in the evening.




Mini brioches
For 43 brioches
Ingredients
3 Tbsp water
30 gr fresh yeast / 15 gr / 4 tsp active dry yeast
75 gr / 1/3 cup heap sugar
525 gr / 3 & 1/3 cup bread flour
1.5 tsp salt
6 eggs
255 gr / 2 sticks & 2 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
43 mini tartlet molds

Method
Day 1
Measure the water and mix the yeast + 1/2 tsp sugar, set aside.
Mix flour, remaining sugar and salt then add eggs one at a time mixing well between each.
Add the yeast mixture to the dough and continue kneading for 10mn to allow flour to absorb liquids and the gluten to develop.
Let the dough rest for 15mn in the bowl.
Cut the butter in small pieces and add them little by little while kneading for another 10mn or so until all the butter has been incorporated (it might take a little longer, that's OK)
Place the bowl in the fridge overnight (minimum 8 hours) to allow the flavours to develop.

Day 2
Roll out the dough and make 1 turn (as if you were folding a letter), do this twice.
As the dough is sticky using plastic wrap to roll it in between will help greatly.
Then roll it out one more time about 1 inch thick and cut the dough in small pieces weighing approx 30 gr each.
Shape each piece in a ball tucking the corners under and placing them in little tartlet molds.
Let them rise covered with a cotton towel for 4 hours at room temperature away from drafts.
Place them in cold oven and bake for 25mn or so at 350 F/175 C.

Tip
You can make them a day ahead of serving and warm them up for 5mn at 350 F.

A summer fare...

What better excuse than a birthday to organise a little get together and share some home made food?
Top it up with fantastic summer weather and you got it all!







On the menu of this simple brunch:






Vegetarian quiche









Crab quiche









Home smoked Alaska salmon - Poached Alaska salmon












Grilled vegetable terrine









Garden baby greens salad









Mini brioche (a lighter version than this one) - Check back for a future post with this recipe









Cheese board
And to conclude a raspberry bavarois/bavarois aux framboises - Check back for a future post with this recipe

Raspberried out!

With this hot weather we have been experiencing for the past 2 months the raspberry bushes are full of fruits, so I made my liquor again (pictured) and tried a new by product of the wonderful raspberries:







Raspberry vinegar
Ingredients
600 gr fruits
600 ml white wine vinegar
600 ml cider vinegar
6 Tbsp sugar
A couple of big clean jars

Method
Crush the berries in a food mill or with a fork, pour the vinegars and sugar over, mix all and fill the jars.
Let the jars rest in a dark place shaking them occasionally for minimum a week or until you decide the taste is good enough.
Filter the mixture through a fine mesh sieve and fill a few bottles.
Enjoy with a nice summer salad or all year round to remind you of the summer flavours.

Lucky shot of a tree frog

What's for dinner?...

For the past couple of month with the good weather I have spent so much time outside that my inspiration for cooking has taken a back seat, yesterday we finally had substantial rain fall (which is great for my garden and for my creativity in the kitchen) so we spent a few hours at the Seattle center for the Bastille day celebration and when we returned home I wanted to have a nice but easy dinner and after looking in the fridge inspiration finally struck me and I created this very nice and super quick meal.

Roasted chicken with mango sauce
For 2
Ingredients
2 skinless chicken breasts
1 ripe mango
1/2 lemon (zest and juice)
2 Tbsp honey
1 rosemary twig
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
Pre-heat the oven to 390 F / 200 C
Place the chicken breast in an oven proof dish.
Peel the mango, reserve a few strips for serving and using a knife scrape all the "flesh" and juice surrounding the pit, cover the chicken with it.
Zest and juice the lemon over the chicken & mango.
Pour 1/2 Tbsp honey over each chicken breast and the remaining 1 Tbsp in the dish, add a little water (approx. 1/2 to 1 cup - 125 to 250 ml), sprinkle salt and pepper to taste, keep in mind that pepper gets stronger as it cooks/bakes. Cut rosemary twig in half and place each piece on the chicken.
Place dish in pre-heated oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes untill juices run transparent.
You want the top of the chicken to be a little browned and the mango/honey/lemon to be slightly caramelised. By that time the water should have partially evaporated and form a sauce.

Tip
I served this with quinoa, it is a very versatile gluten free grain that I have been using recently. A nice alternative to rice, cooks in 15mns.

Strawberry fields...forever...

It is the season again, the lovely fruity strawberries are back in full force.
I recently made this simple and tasty version of strawberry tart.
Have fun making it and sharing it.



Strawberry tart –Tarte aux fraises
For 1 x 10 ½ inch tart pan

Ingredients
Half the recipe of short dough/pâte sablée (see separate post)
½ pound Fresh clean strawberries
Bavarian cream (see separate post – Pastry cream + whipped cream)
Confectioners sugar for dusting

Method
Roll out the dough thinly enough (1/8 inch) and line the tart pan, blind bake in pre-heated oven 375 F for 20 to 25 mn depending on your oven, it will be baked when the colour is golden brown, beware not to over bake it.
When baked and cooled down cover the bottom of the tart with Bavarian Cream and arrange the sliced strawberries around the tart.

Tip
Assemble the tart as close as possible to the serving time. Sprinkle a dusting of confectioners sugar before serving. Tart shell and cream can be made a day ahead, store shell in an air tight container.

Bavarian cream

Bavarian cream

Pastry cream/crème pâtissière
Ingredients
½ pint / 240 ml Whole milk
½ oz / 1 ½ Tbsp / 15 gr Cornstarch
2 oz / 4 ½ Tbsp / 57 gr Sugar
1 pinch of Salt
1 Egg
¼ tsp Vanilla extract
2 oz / 2 Tbsp / 27 gr Butter (can be omitted for a lighter cream)

Method
Bring milk to a boil.
In a separate bowl hand whisk the cornstarch, sugar, salt and egg until you obtain a smooth texture. Pour 1/3 of the hot milk over the mixture while whisking rapidly, then pour this mix back into the pan of hot milk over medium heat and whisk constantly until it thickens and looses it’s starchy taste. Add the vanilla extract.
At this point you can add the butter and stir until it has completely dissolved.
Pour the pastry cream in a bowl and let cool before refrigerating.

Whipped cream
Ingredient
3 fl oz / 6 Tbsp / 90 ml Heavy whipping cream
1/8 tsp Vanilla extract

Method
Whip the cream and vanilla to stiff peaks.

To obtain the Bavarian cream simply fold the whipped cream into the chilled pastry cream.

Pâte sablée - Short dough

Short dough – Pâte sablée
For 2 x 10 ½ inch tart pan

Ingredients
1 ¾ cup / 250 gr All Purpose Flour
1 stick + 1 Tbsp / 125 gr Butter
1 Egg
½ cup + 1 Tbsp / 125 gr Sugar
½ tsp Vanilla extract

Method
Combine flour and butter in a mixing bowl and pulse until you obtain a crumble.
Add egg, sugar and vanilla and pulse until well mixed, but do not overwork the dough, otherwise it will be very difficult to handle.
Form into a ball in a plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

For reference
Baking time is 25 to 30mn at 375 F / 190 C depending on your oven. The baked colour is golden brown.