pastries – My Whisk and I

Almond cream:
215ml almond flour (125ml + 60ml + 30ml)
125ml sugar
2,5ml vanilla
2,5ml almond extract
15ml flour
1 egg
30ml milk

2 x rolls puff pastry
egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 15ml water/milk
100ml slivered almonds
45ml icing sugar

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Add the almond flour, sugar, vanilla, almond extract, flour, egg and milk to a mixing bowl and mix together. Set aside.
Lightly flour a working surface and lay out one sheet of puff pastry.
Spread the almond cream onto the pastry in an even layer.
Lay the second sheet of pastry on top and lightly press down onto it.
Slice into 2cm wide strips.
Twist the strips and then twist it again and bring the ends together to form a circular shape.
Press the ends together and lay each pastry circle on the prepared baking sheet.
Brush the pastries with the egg wash and sprinkle over the almond slivers.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Dust the hot pastries by sieving over the icing sugar.
Set aside to cool slightly.

French Chocolate Tart (Tart au Chocolat)

Pastry:
250g cake flour
100g butter, cubed
100g icing sugar, sifted
a pinch of salt
1-2 eggs

Crème au chocolat:
170g dark chocolate, chopped
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
25g sugar
170ml + 170ml cream
5ml vanilla

For the pastry:
Add the flour, butter and icing sugar to a food processor and process until the mixture is the size of peas.
Whisk the eggs together and with the engine running, add a few drops of the egg at a time until the mixture JUST comes together.
Fold and push the pastry together with the heel of your hand until it is smooth.
Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 22cm flan tin/loose bottom tart tin with cooking spray.
Roll the pastry out to a 3mm thickness and line the bottom and sides of the baking tin.
Prick the bottom with the tines of a fork and bake blind – lined with baking paper and baking beans – for 20 minutes.
Remove the paper and beans and bake the shell for another 15 minutes.
Remove the tart shell from the oven and allow to cool.

For the filling:
Turn your oven down to 160℃.
Add the chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with simmering water and allow to melt completely.
Remove from the heat and set aside.
Add the whole egg, the egg yolk, sugar and 170ml cream to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Pour the other 170ml cream into a small saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat.
Remove the cream as soon as it boils and wait one minute.
Pour half the cream in a very, very thin stream onto the egg mixture while whisking continuously. Pour slowly, whisk quickly!!
Now pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and place over a very low heat.
Whisk the mixture until it thickens and has the consistency of custard.
Pour the mixture over the melted chocolate, add the vanilla and stir with a spatula until combined.
Scrape into the tart shell and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool for at least 2 hours before serving.

Tag: pastries

Almond Pastries

French Chocolate Tart (Tart au Chocolat)