Peach Tart and a happy start

So one day before my trip to celebrate New Year on a mountain, I got a bad headache and fever. A little bit depressed to always stick around the city for years and this year again. I went to sleep hoping I could wake up tomorrow at least, no more headache. 

As the new morning was much better than the night before, I thought I could have baked a fruit tart instead of buying one. Rushed to the supermarket to crab some simple ingredients for a peach tart for tonight. 

INGREDIENTS FOR PASTRY CREAM

1 1/4 cups half-and-half. For substitute, just combine milk and light cream following 50-50 to have 1 1/4 cups.

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

FOR THE PASTRY CREAM: Bring the half-and-half and vanilla to a boil in a small saucepan. Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl with a whisk. Add the flour to the yolks and mix it in well with the whisk. Pour the hot half-and-half into the yolk mixture and whisk it in. Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan and bring it to a boil, whisking until it thickens. Boil for 10 seconds longer, remove from the heat, cover with plastic wrap and let cool.

INGREDIENTS FOR TART DOUGH

1 1⁄4 cups flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon  baking powder

1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter,

 
   cut into 1⁄2" cubes and chilled

3 tablespoons vegetable shortening

2 tablespoons milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 can of peach in syrup

2 tablespoons apricot preserves or jam

FOR THE TART: 

Heat oven to 375F/190C. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add 3 tablespoons butter and the shortening and, using your fingers, rub into flour mixture to form coarse pea-size pieces. Add milk and egg and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Bring dough together with your hands. Transfer dough to a 9" tart tin, using lightly floured fingers, press dough into bottom and sides; refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Line the tart tin with parchment paper. Scatter over with baking beads (or dried beans or rice).  Blind bake the tart in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and bake for another 5 minutes or until the pastry is cooked and still pale. The surface of the tart should be just dry. 

Spread over the pasty cream and arrange peach wedges side by side on top of the tart like the spokes of a wheel, pushing gently into the cream as you go. Put two wedges of peach in the middle of the tart.

Bake until the crust is golden and peaches are soft, about 35 - 40 minutes. Using a pastry brush, brush apricot preserves over the tart and bake for 7 to 10 minutes more. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

 

Happy New Year to all of us.

Cheers

Choux Pastry and Creme Patissiere

The last time I've baked Choux a la creme vanille was using my grandmother's recipe for the pastry, and adopted creme recipe from Jacques Pepin.

This time, I'm using recipes from the book " A little taste of France", which is classic. Creme recipe does not call for neither light cream nor double cream, but just milk. Choux pastry was made with water, not milk...

CHOUX PASTRY
150g unsalted butter
220g plain flour (all purpose flour), sifted twice
a pinch of salt
7 eggs
1 tablespoons caster sugar (superfine sugar)

Makes 500g

METHOD
Melt the butter with 375 ml water in a saucepan, then bring it to a rolling boil. Remove from the heat and add the flour at once and a pinch of salt. Return to the heat and bat continuously with a strong wooden spoon to make a smooth, shiny paste that comes away from the side of the pan. Cool for a few minutes.

Beat in the eggs, once at a time, until smooth. The mixture should drop off the spoon but not to be too runny. (You can stop the eggs if your mixture reaches the drop off point before you finish all eggs. It always depends on how large your eggs are - My grandmother's note). Beat in the sugar. Store in a pasty bag and in the fridge for up to 2 days if not using all at a time.

To make big chouxs like I did here: lightly butter a baking tray, or line parchment paper on a baking tray. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the choux pastry one by one. Bake at 350F, equal 176C for 40 minutes, and don't forget to preheat the oven ;)

CREME PATISSIERE
6 egg yolks
125g caster sugar
30g cornflour
10g plain flour/all purpose flour
560ml milk
1 vanilla pod (halve and scrape out the seed)
15g butter

Makes 500g

METHOD
Whisk together the egg yolks and half the sugar until pale and creamy. Sift in the cornflour and plain flour. Mix together well.

Put the milk, remaining sugar and vanilla pod in a saucepan. Bring to just the boil, then strain over the egg yolk mixture, stirring continuously. Pour back into a clean saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. It will be lumpy at first but will become smooth as you stir. Boil for 2 minutes, then stir in the butter and leave to cool. Transfer to a clean bowl, lay plastic wrap on the surface to prevent a skin forming. Refrigerate for up to 2 days if not using all at once.

Cheers!

Cherry Clafoutis

Hi all,

As promised I am posting here recipes of some baking dishes I've made lately, starting with Cherry Clafoutis. Ingredients are very simple, either the techniques. But I can guarantee you that this dish never fails.

• INGREDIENTS
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• About 12 ounce of fresh cherries, cleaned.
• 1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 tablespoons butter, soften

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350F, equal 175C

Mix the sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. Add the vanilla and eggs, and mix well with a whisk for 30 to 40 seconds. Add the milk and mix until it is incorporated

Put the cherries evenly in a 6-cup gratin dish, sprinkle with a little bit of sugar and 1/2 tbsp of soften butter. Shake to cover each cherry with sugar and butter. Put the gratin dish on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 6 minutes. At this point, the cherries begin to soften. 

Take the gratin dish out of the oven and pour the egg mixture over the cherries. Bake the gratin in the oven for about 40 minutes, until just set. Cool to room temperature.

Sprinkle confectioner's sugar on top of the cool gratin and serve. 

I hope you enjoy cooking and serving this dish, as much as I do. 

Cheers!