NEEDFUL THINGS

PIES & PASTRIES

 

Source:Bavette- Gastronomia @ ettorecioccia


Makes 6 servings.


Preparation time: 2 hours


Tips: Prepare ahead and refrigerate ready to bake.

Gateau Basque

with vanilla cream

Ingredients

Preparation

For the Dough:

215 grams (1 1/2 cup) All-purpose flour

3 grams (3/4 teaspoon ) baking powder

95 grams (3/4 cup)  ground almonds

120 grams (1/2 cup) + 1 Tablespoon) sugar

175 grams (12 Tablespoons = 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 egg yolk

1 whole egg

  1. 1.Sift flour and baking powder into the mixer bowl. Add ground almonds, butter, cut into cubes, and sugar. Mix well, until mixture is sandy. Incorporate egg yolk and whole egg. Mixing whell until a soft dough.

  2. 2.Divide dough into two portions, one slightly larger than the other. Roll each portion with a rolling pin and dough between parchment paper to about 4-5 mm thick. Refrigerate for about 2 hours.

  3. 3.To prepare the Vanilla Cream, in a bowl, wisk egg yolks and sugar until when incorporated and sugar dissolved. Add flour and corn starch and a little bit of the milk and mix well with a wisk. In a  saucepan, warm the remaining milk. Slowly blend egg mixture into the warm milk  wisking to incorporate, make sure no lumps form. At low-medium heat, cook the cream until it thickens. It should be stiff enough to hold on to the wisk. Place custard in a shallow container, press plastic tightly  into the surface to prevent the custard from forming a crust. Refrigerate to cool.

  4. 4.Take dough from refrigerator. Baking pan may vary in shape, size and form as you wish. Most common, 8” round. Cut a circle for the bottom of the pan, a strip to wrap inside the pan as tall as pan or cake height desired, and a second round for the top of the cake.

  5. 5. Line cake pan bottom with wax paper greased. Place round of dough inside pan, cut strips of dough to line inside the pan sealing all around. Spread cooled Vanilla cream evenly on the dough bottom, top with round of dough pressing carefully to  seal the top dough to inner dough edge.

  6. 6.Mix egg yolk and a bit of milk as egg wash. Make a small cut or prick at the top of the cake to ventilate while baking. Brush cake with egg wash twice. Using a fork, make a diagonal criss cross pattern on the cake.

  7. 7.Bake at 350F degrees for 35 minutes for a small individual pay tray, 45 minutes for 8” round cake. Cool completely refrigerated before cutting. Keep refrigereted.

  8. 8.Individual pieces of fully baked cake can be frozen with good results for later treats. Defrost at room temeprature or over night in the refrigerator.

NOTE: 1) Vanilla cream can be replaced with Pastry cream. See recipe under Fillings and Frostings.

2)Vanilla cream recipe  because it contains flour, when used in creams, it can retain a peculiar flavor when not completely cooked. The aomunt of flour can be substituted with corn starch which results in a silkier lighter texture I have try this cake with both creams and found them different and with unique characteristics. To me, both have their place. I can not tell which resembles best the authentic cake, I never try any other but my own baking.

3) Recipe will make one 8” round, and at least one individual pay size cake.

       Pies & Pastries    
     
 

For the Vanilla cream:

6 egg yolks

3/8 cup + 1 Tablespoon (90 grams) sugar

2 Tablespoons  (20 grams) flour

2 Tablespoons (20 grams) corn starch

2 cups of milk

1-2 teaspoons of vanilla to your taste.

1 Tablespoon of rum (Optional)


Egg yolk and a bit of milk to brush pastry