patisserie – My Whisk and I

Custard Slice / Mille-Feuille

March 17, 2023March 16, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Crème Pâtissière:
40g corn flour
500ml milk
4 egg yolks
100g sugar
5ml vanilla
1 x 400g Today Puff Pastry
250g icing sugar

For the crème pâtissière:
Add the corn flour to a mixing bowl. Pour a small amount of milk into the bowl and stir to dissolve.
Add the yolks and half the sugar. Whisk to gather by hand until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
Pour the rest of the milk and the rest of the sugar into a small saucepan.
Set over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Take the milk from the heat as soon as tiny bubbles start to appear around the edge of the saucepan.
Drizzle the warm mixture onto the egg mixture while whisking continuously.
Now pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place on a medium-low heat.
Stir continuously until the mixture is thick and smooth.
Allow to cook for 30 seconds before removing from the heat.
Add the vanilla and stir through.
Pour the mixture into a shallow bowl, place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface and allow to cool completely.

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
Unroll the pastry sheet and cut it into 4 equal rectangles (cut through lengthwise and then halve each strip).
Place the rectangles on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart.
Place another sheet of baking paper on top of the pastry and then place another baking sheet on top of that.
Bake for 12 minutes.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Assembly:
Whisk your room temperature crème pâtissière by hand until it is smooth.
Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a large (1,5/2cm) nozzle.
Lay a pastry sheet on a serving plate and pipe dollops over the entire sheet.
Repeat until you have one pastry sheet left.
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add a tablespoon of milk.
Stir the mixture, adding a few drops more until you have a very thick paste.
Spread the icing paste on the pastry sheet and set aside to dry.
Place the iced pastry on top of the custard slice.
Slice into portions once you have displayed your beautiful creation.

Chocolate Bread

November 2, 2022November 2, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

If you long for slightly warm pain au chocolat directly from a Paris pâtisserie, long no more! This chocolate bread offers real competition! If you battle to understand the finishing instructions, go to my instagram account (karen_claassen) or my YouTube channel, for a demonstration video.

300ml milk

30ml butter

10g instant yeast

80ml sugar

a pinch of salt

850ml cake flour

2 egg yolks

350g chocolate spread

2 egg whites

Put a small saucepan onto the heat and warm the milk in it.

Stir the butter into the milk so that it can melt.

Allow the milk to come to a temperature where you can comfortably keep your finger in it without feeling it is hot.

Sprinkle the yeast onto the milk and give it a good stir. Set aside for 5 minutes or so.

Add the sugar, salt and flour to a large mixing bowl.

Add the yeast mixture as well as the egg yolks and mix to form a rough dough.

Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave to stand until doubled in volume.

Preheat your oven to 180℃.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Transfer the dough to a work surface and divide it into four equal pieces.

Roll the first portion of dough into a circle – I like to measure my circle with the loose-bottom of a 22cm cake tin. This is a real help in getting all the circles/discs to the same size.

Transfer this dough circle onto your prepared baking sheet and spread a third of the chocolate spread as evenly as you can over the dough.

Repeat this process with the other three portions of dough.

Once the last dough circle has been placed onto the stack, you are ready to cut and shape your bread. If you have difficulty in following this process, go to my instagram account or my YouTube channel for demonstration video.

Finishing instructions:

Imagine a 5cm diameter circle as the centrepiece of your dough circles – DO NOT cut through this circle.

Now, if the dough circles were a clock, make an incision from the centre circle on 12 o’clock, 6 o’clock, 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock.

Half each of the four triangles you have so that you are left with 8 pieces.

Lastly, cut through each of the 8 pieces to end up with 16.

Now lift two pieces that are next to each other, one in each hand, and make two twists in opposite directions. Carefully place these pieces down. Keep going until all of the bread pieces have been twisted and your have a beautifully patterned bread.

Cover the bread with a clean tea towel and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.

Whisk the two egg whites with a fork and glaze the bread with it.

Bake for 20 minutes, until golden.

Serve slightly warm.

French Chocolate Tart (Tart au Chocolat)

October 30, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

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.

Cheat’s Milktart

August 5, 2022August 4, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Biscuit base:
250g dry biscuits
100g butter, melted
1 egg white

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Add the biscuits to the bowl of a food processor and process to crumbs.
Whisk the egg white just until frothy and add it to the crumbs with the melted butter.
Mix well until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Tip the crumb-mixture into a loose-bottom tart tin and level it out. Use a glass with a flat bottom to press the crumb down firmly all over and up the sides of the tin. Keep pressing until the base comes together.
Place the tart tin on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
Set aside to cool.

Filling:
60ml cornstarch
120ml water
2 egg yolks
500ml ready-made custard
ground cinnamon

Add the cornstarch to a large mixing bowl and pour the water over. Mix to a smooth slurry.
Add the egg yolks and whisk through.
Pour the custard into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Remove from the heat and slowly and in a very thin stream, add it to the slurry while whisking continuously.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place it on medium heat while whisking until it thickens.
Pour the filling into the cooled base and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.
Refrigerate the milk tart for 3-4 hours before serving.

Sweet Bougatsa/Custard Pie

July 29, 2022June 21, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

There are shops in Greece devoted entirely to serving Bougatsa, called Bougatsazidika. They open from 4 a.m. until lunchtime and you will often see people queueing outside in the very early hours, to get their slice of happiness…

150g + 150g sugar
8 egg yolks
60g semolina
60g cornflour
10ml vanilla
grated zest of 1 lemon
grated zest of 1 orange
1l milk
500g phyllo pastry
200g butter, melted
icing sugar to serve

Preheat your oven to 240℃.
Add the egg yolks and 150g sugar to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add the semolina and cornflour and whisk until smooth.
Add the vanilla, lemon and orange zest and whisk again. Set aside.
Pour the milk and 150g sugar into a saucepan and place it over medium-high heat.
Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Drizzle the milk onto the egg mixture in a very thin stream while whisking continuously.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place over medium heat.
Whisk the mixture until it is thick and starts to bubble.
Take the saucepan from the heat and set aside.
Brush a 27cm x 37cm x 5cm roasting tray with the melted butter.
Lay a sheet of phyllo pastry in the tray and brush the top of the pastry with butter.
Lay down two more sheets, brushing each with butter.
Pour in the custard mixture and spread it out evenly.
Cover the filling with another three phyllo sheets, again brushing each with melted butter.
Fold in the overhanging pastry around the edges of the roasting tin and make it look like a sealed parcel.
Brush the top with melted butter and bake for 12 minutes, until golden.
Remove the bougatsa from the oven and cut into portions.
Dust with plenty of icing sugar and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Dutch Crumb Pie/Kruimelvlaai

May 11, 2022April 12, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Although a kruimelvlaai is often made with a sweet pie crust the traditional version calls for a yeasted pastry and it is soooo worth it! This is a delicious tart – a creamy, smooth custard filling in a slightly chewy pastry with a crunchy streusel on top!!

Pie Crust:
150ml milk, tepid
50g butter
250g flour
10g dry yeast
35g sugar
a pinch of salt
5ml vanilla

Filling:
1l milk
80g cornstarch
150g sugar
3 eggs
10ml vanilla

Streusel:
100g butter
175g flour
75g sugar
5ml vanilla
a pinch of salt

For the filling:
Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring it to a boil.
Mix the cornstarch and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Add the eggs and whisk well.
Take the milk from the heat and pour a third of it on the egg mixture while whisking constantly.
Now pour this mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk while whisking away.
Turn the heat down to medium and keep whisking until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil.
Take the saucepan from the heat, add the vanilla and mix through.
Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl, place a layer of plastic wrap directly on to the surface and leave to cool completely.

For the pie crust:
Warm the milk until tepid and add the butter to melt.
Add the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and vanilla to a mixing bowl and make a well in the middle.
Pour the liquids into the well, mix with a fork to bring the pastry together and knead the dough by hand for 3 minutes, until smooth. You may add small amounts of flour to get the dough to the consistency where it can be kneaded.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for one hour.
Spray a 24cm tart tin with cooking spray.
Roll the dough into a circle of about 28cm in diameter and line the bottom and sides of the tart tin.
Place in a warm spot.

For the streusel:
Add the butter and flour to a mixing bowl and rub it together until it resembles course breadcrumbs.
Add the sugar, vanilla and salt and rub with your fingers to mix through.

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Pour the cold filling into the prepared crust and smooth the top.
Sprinkle the streusel over the filling in an even layer.
Bake the pie for 45 minutes.
Take the baked pie from the oven and allow it to cool.
Serve generous slices with a cup of coffee.

Custard Buns

July 26, 2021June 30, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Who can say no to an espresso and pain à la crème on a sidewalk in Paris? I assure you, you might be in your own home but your tastebuds will be fooled into believing you were there….

Buns:
325g bread flour
3,7ml salt
150ml milk
40g butter
10g instant yeast
35ml sugar
1 egg

Crème pâtissière:
40g corn flour
500ml milk
4 egg yolks
50g + 50g caster sugar
5ml vanilla

Egg wash: 1 egg and 15ml water whisked together

For the buns:
Line a large baking sheet with baking paper and put aside.
Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Warm the milk until tepid and pour it into a mixing bowl.
Add the butter, instant yeast and sugar to the milk and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Turn the mixer on to a low speed and add the liquids. Mix/knead for about 3 minutes. The dough will be very sticky!
Turn the mixer to medium speed and knead for another 6 minutes. You are aiming for a soft, smooth, elastic dough.
Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces – weigh them on a scale, they should be around 60g each.
Roll each portion into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Flatten the dough ball slightly with your hand.
Now make an indent with a small cup/glass, pushing down onto the dough.
Spray some plastic wrap with cooking spray and cover the buns lightly.
Set aside in a warm place for 90 minutes.

For the crème pâtissière:
Add the corn flour to a small bowl and pour a small amount of milk in to the bowl while stirring. You want to make a slurry, which is basically a runny, pourable paste. Put aside.
Add the egg yolks and 50g caster sugar to a mixing bowl.
Stir the corn flour slurry into the egg mixture. Set aside.
Pour the milk into a small saucepan and add the other 50g caster sugar.
Place the saucepan on medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Take the saucepan from the heat as soon as tiny bubbles start to appear around the edges of the pan.
Drizzle the warm milk mixture into the egg mixture while whisking vigorously. Pour slowly, whisk quickly!
Now pour the mixture from the mixing bowl, back into the saucepan and place it on a medium-low heat.
Stir continuously until the mixture has thickened.
Allow to cook for 30 seconds before removing it from the heat.
Add the vanilla and stir to mix.
Pour the crème pâtissière into a shallow bowl and place some plastic wrap directly on the surface. This will prevent a skin from forming while the custard cools down. Place in the refrigerator and allow to cool completely.

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Take the same cup/glass that you used to make the indents in the buns, and press down onto the exact same area again.
Brush the buns with egg wash.
Whisk the cold créme pâtissière to soften it.
Spoon about 20ml or more if you can, of crème pâtissière into each round indent you have made.
Bake the custard buns for 20 minutes. The custard filling will rise up as it bakes but do not panic, it will fall back on itself once it cools.
Cool the buns to room temperature.
Sieve with icing sugar and serve with coffee.

Quince and Cape Gooseberry Clafoutis

April 20, 2021April 20, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

3 large quinces
1 lemon
250ml sugar

250ml cape gooseberries
125ml flour
125ml sugar
3 eggs
5ml vanilla
30ml butter, melted
250ml milk

Poaching the quince:
Pour 750ml water into a saucepan and add 250ml sugar and the juice of one lemon.
Turn the heat onto low and stir the mixture until the sugar has dissolved. Keep the saucepan on a low heat.
Cut the quince in quarters, peel the quarters with a vegetable peeler, core the quarters and then cut each into half again.
Add the quince pieces to the poaching liquid.
Cut a circle from baking paper and place the paper directly onto the poaching liquid.
Turn the heat up so that the liquid comes to a simmer.
Poach for an hour to an hour and a half or until a sharp knife easily pierces the quince.
Remove from the heat and allow the quince to cool in the poaching liquid.

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Butter an ovenproof pie dish.
Arrange the cooled quince pieces and gooseberries on the bottom of the pie dish.
Add the flour and sugar to a mixing bowl and stir through.
Add the eggs, vanilla, melted butter and milk to a wide-mouthed jug and whisk together to combine.
Pour the wet mixture onto the dry mixture in a thin stream, whisking constantly.
Pour the batter into the dish with the fruit and bake for 40 minutes.
Take the clafoutis from the oven and cool it on a cooling rack. The clafoutis will be puffed up high but will fall back onto itself as it cools.
Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Chocolate Aperol Cake

April 9, 2021April 8, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

The best write-up for this cake is to have a slice of it…. It is a cake that rises up high and then falls back on itself, thereby creating a dense looking texture that is actually quite airy in one’s mouth. It is a cake that is pure chocolate indulgence, but without the sticky sweetness normally associated with chocolate. It is a cake that is delicately cracked and delightfully imperfect. It is a cake you will never forget once you have tasted it…

340g dark chocolate, chopped
140g butter, cubed
45ml Aperol
15ml vanilla
1.2ml salt
6 eggs, separated
83ml + 83ml + 15ml caster sugar
icing sugar for dusting

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Butter a 25cm loose-bottom cake tin and dust the bottom and sides with caster sugar. Put aside.
Add the chopped chocolate and cubed butter to a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has melted completely and the mixture is smooth.
Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the Aperol, vanilla and salt.
Cool the mixture for at least 5 minutes.
Add the 6 egg yolks and 83ml caster sugar to a small mixing bowl and whisk it by hand for about a minute.
Now whisk this mixture into the chocolate mixture.
Allow the chocolate mixture to cool to room temperature.

Add the 6 egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer and add a pinch of salt. Attach the whisk attachment and whip the whites on medium speed, until they reach soft peak stage.
Keep the machine running at medium speed and gradually (a teaspoon at a time) add the 83ml and 15ml caster sugar. Do not become impatient when adding the sugar!! Once all the sugar has been added you will be left with a glossy mixture that holds stiff peaks.
Spoon a third of the egg white mixture into the room temperature chocolate mixture and stir it through to lighten the chocolate mixture.
Add the rest of the egg white mixture and gently fold into the mixture with a spatula until the mixtures are evenly combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for about 30 minutes.
The top of the cake should feel dry and it should start to crack. A toothpick that is inserted should come out sticky but not wet. If the cake is too wet, let it bake for another 5 minutes and check it again.
Cool the cake in the cake tin. The cake will fall in on itself as it cools – don’t be alarmed!
Remove the ring from the baking tin once the cake has reached room temperature (about an hour).
Dust generously with icing sugar and serve.