Pie and Pastry Bible (154 page)

Add the vanilla and beat the mixture just until very soft peaks form when the beater is raised. It will continue to thicken after a few minutes at room temperature. The safest way not to overheat is to use an electric mixer until the ganache starts to thicken and then continue with a hand-held whisk. If the mixture gets overbeaten and grainy, the texture can be restored by remelting, chilling, and reheating the ganache.

VARIATION

QUICK LIGHT WHIPPED GANACHE
If you need the whipped ganache sooner and cannot wait for the mixture to chill, the following method will yield equal results but involves a little more work.

Refrigerate the mixer bowl and beaters.

In a double boiler or a microwave oven on high power (stirring every 10 seconds if using a microwave), melt the chocolate pieces with ½ cup of the cream.
Remove from the heat source before the chocolate is melted fully and finish melting by stirring it constantly. Set the mixture aside until no longer warm.

In the chilled bowl, beat the remaining 1 cup of cream until traces of the beater marks just begin to show distinctly. Add the chocolate mixture and beat just until soft peaks form when the beater is raised.

STORE

In a pastry: room temperature, up to 1 day; refrigerated, up to 1 week; frozen, up to 3 months. By itself: remelt, chill, and reheat.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

The temperature of the mixture is critical when beating. If not cold, it will not stiffen; if too cold, it will not aerate well.

Overheating causes curdling.

PASTRY CREAM

Cræme Pâtissiære

T
his classic custard laced with specks of vanilla bean is the traditional filling for Napoleons, éclairs, and a variety of fruit tarts. Combined with whipped cream and a touch of gelatin, both of which lighten it, it becomes the filling for the famous Gâteau St.-Honoré. Although it is sometimes prepared with all egg yolks and heavy cream, this lighter version uses whole eggs and half-and-half.

MAKES: 2½ CUPS/22¾ OUNCEs/650 GRAMS; 1 CUP = 9 OUNCES/260 GRAMS
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
*Or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.
2 large eggs	3 fluid ounces	3.5 ounces (weighed without the shells) 100 grams
cornstarch	3 tablespoons	1 ounce	28 grams
half-and-half	2 liquid cups	8.5 ounces	242 grams
sugar	cup	3.5 ounces	100 grams
vanilla bean, split lengthwise*	2-inch piece	•	•
salt	a pinch	•	•
unsalted butter	1 tablespoon	0.5 ounce	14 grams

EQUIPMENT

A piano wire whisk (one with 10 loops of wire)

Have a strainer set over a small bowl near the range.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and cornstarch. Gradually add ¼ cup of the half-and-half, whisking until the mixture is smooth and the cornstarch is dissolved.

In a medium heavy nonreactive saucepan, place the sugar and vanilla bean and, using your fingers, rub the seeds into the sugar. Stir in the remaining 1¾ cups of half-and-half and the salt. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a full boil, stirring occasionally. Whisk 2 tablespoons of this hot mixture into the egg mixture. Pass the egg mixture through a strainer into a small bowl.

Bring the half-and-half mixture back to a boil over medium heat. Remove the vanilla pod (rinse and dry it for future use). Quickly add all of the egg mixture, whisking rapidly. Continue whisking rapidly for about 20 to 30 seconds, being sure to go into the bottom edge of the pan. The mixture will become very thick. Remove the mixture from the heat and whisk in the butter. (If not using the vanilla bean, whisk in the vanilla extract at this point.) Immediately pour the mixture into a bowl and place a piece of greased plastic wrap directly on top of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Allow it to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour, then refrigerate until cold.

VARIATIONS

CHEF ARTHUR OBERHOLZER’s MERINGUE PASTRY CREAM
This produces a lighter texture without the addition of whipped cream, but it must be used right after preparing and consumed the same day, as it will water out slightly on sitting longer. Just before cooking the pastry cream, beat 4 large egg whites (½ cup) until foamy. Beat in ½ teaspoon of cream of tarter. Continue to beat until soft peaks form when the beater is raised slowly. Beat in 2 tablespoons of superfine sugar and beat until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised. Set it aside.

Use a large pan to prepare the pastry cream, as the addition of the egg whites will result in double the volume. As soon as the pastry cream has thickened, add the meringue and continue cooking over low heat, beating with the piano wire whisk as vigorously as possible, for about 30 seconds.

This pastry cream spreads and sets up best if used while still hot or warm. Spread it on baked pastry (see Classic Napoleon, page 453). Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours.

LIQUEUR PASTRY CREAM
Whisk up to 2 tablespoons of liqueur, such as kirsch, cognac, or Grand Marnier, into the hot or cooled pastry cream.

BUTTERSCOTCH PASTRY CREAM
Replace the sugar with light brown sugar, preferably unrefined (see page 646).

CARAMEL PASTRY CREAM
More sugar is needed because caramelization decreases sweetness; more liquid is needed because it gets reduced with the caramelized sugar. Because of this concentration, it is preferable to use milk instead of half-and-half. Increase the sugar to
cup (4.6 ounces/132 grams). Stir ¼ cup of milk into the cornstarch and egg mixture and heat 2
cups of milk with the vanilla bean.

In a medium heavy saucepan, preferably nonstick, stir together the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water until the sugar is completely moistened. Bring it to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook without stirring until deep amber (380°F). Remove it from the heat and slowly pour in the hot milk, reserving the vanilla bean. It will bubble up furiously for about a minute. Return it to low heat and cook, stirring, until the caramel is totally dissolved and the mixture is reduced to 1¾ cups. Proceed as above.

CHOCOLATE PASTRY CREAM
Add from 1½ ounces to 4 ounces of finequality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, to the hot pastry cream. Stir until melted. If adding more than 3 ounces, decrease the cornstarch to 2 tablespoons, as on chilling the chocolate will harden and cause the pastry cream to firm.

COFFEE PASTRY CREAM
Add 4 teaspoons of instant espresso powder (Medaglia d’Oro) or powdered instant coffee to the half-and-half/sugar mixture and, if desired, up to 2 tablespoons of Kahlúa to the hot pastry cream.

PRALINE CRUNCH PASTRY CREAM
Decrease the sugar by 2 tablespoons and gently stir ½ cup of Praline Powder (page 564) into the chilled plain or chocolate or coffee pastry cream.

PRALINE PASTE PASTRY CREAM
Decrease the sugar to ¼ cup. Beat ½ cup (5.5 ounces/154 grams) of praline paste (see page 643) into the yolk mixture after the hot half-and-half has been added. (There is no need to strain the yolk mixture.) If desired, add up to 2 tablespoons of Frangelico or cognac.

PEANUT BUTTER PASTRY CREAM
Whisk ½ cup plus 1tablespoon (5.3 ounces/150 grams) of smooth peanut butter (preferably Jif) into the hot pastry cream.

ORANGE PASTRY CREAM
Add 1 tablespoon (about 0.25 ounce/6 grams) of finely grated orange zest (the orange portion only of the orange peel) to the half-and-half/sugar mixture. If desired, add up to 2 tablespoons of Cointreau or Grand Marnier to the hot pastry cream, or ¼ teaspoon of orange oil (see page 638).

WHIPPED CREAM PASTRY CREAM
Fold whipped cream into the plain pastry cream or any of the above variations; use from ½ cup to 1¼ cups heavy cream, whipped. To prevent thinning, it is preferable to use gelatin-stabilized whipped cream (page 557). The gelatin also provides a lighter, airy texture.

WHITE CHOCOLATE PASTRY CREAM
Adding white chocolate will sweeten the pastry cream, which is already perfectly balanced, but in an emergency, if the pastry cream requires speedy thickening, a half ounce to an ounce of white chocolate, melted, will do the trick.

STORE

Refrigerated, up to 3 days; frozen, up to 1 month.]

NOTE

Frozen pastry cream will thin on defrosting, so it is not suitable for holding its shape for a large tart unless gelatin is added. For every cup of pastry cream (9 ounces/260 grams), use 1 teaspoon of gelatin. Place it in a small heatproof cup and add 1 tablespoon of water. Allow it to sit for at least 3 minutes. Then heat it in a microwave for a few seconds, or in a pan set in simmering water, until the mixture is transparent. Whisking constantly, pour the hot liquid into the cooled room temperature pastry cream. (If the pastry cream is cold, the gelatin may lump.) Refrigerate it for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the pastry cream is firm. Then whisk briefly for a few seconds until it is smooth.