Introduction to Pâtisserie - Slice 'o' Custard
Well we're breaking in a new teacher today - welcome Paul!
According to Aaron, the course's original tutor, Paul is the most experienced member of staff and you will love him.
So we expect great things. No pressure though 😂
According to Aaron, the course's original tutor, Paul is the most experienced member of staff and you will love him.
So we expect great things. No pressure though 😂
menu
Crème Pâtissière - New and Improved
sweet veg ingredient
Paul walked us through a slightly different technique for making crème pâtissière than Aaron's approach.
I have to say it's slightly better because making a cornflour slurry first rather than just mixing in the flour really helps in avoiding lumps.
Paul just added the butter to the milk first, rather than whisking it in gradually at the end, but I think the latter is more common, so it's up to you which you prefer.
Unfortunately since the ingredients were already measured out before we started the class, and Paul didn't provide a list, I don't actually know their quantities. So I've just copied the list from a random BBC custard slice recipe.
They happen to be identical to the Aaron's list, except that he had (almost) twice as much cornflour.
And we didn't have real vanilla - so we just added a teaspoon of ersatz vanilla essence after the crème was made up.
Paul recommended instead first adding finely grated orange zest to the milk, which sounded quite nice.
Plenty of other flavours coffee, strawberry, banana... are also available.
Paul just added the butter to the milk first, rather than whisking it in gradually at the end, but I think the latter is more common, so it's up to you which you prefer.
Unfortunately since the ingredients were already measured out before we started the class, and Paul didn't provide a list, I don't actually know their quantities. So I've just copied the list from a random BBC custard slice recipe.
They happen to be identical to the Aaron's list, except that he had (almost) twice as much cornflour.
And we didn't have real vanilla - so we just added a teaspoon of ersatz vanilla essence after the crème was made up.
Paul recommended instead first adding finely grated orange zest to the milk, which sounded quite nice.
Plenty of other flavours coffee, strawberry, banana... are also available.
Sufficient for 8 Custard Slices
Ingredients
- 500ml/18fl oz milk
- 1 vanilla pod, split down the middle and seeds scraped out, or 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 100g/3½oz caster sugar
- 4 free-range eggs, yolks only
- 40g/1½oz cornflour or up to 70g?
- 40g/1½oz butter
Mix about ⅓-¼ of the milk with the cornflour to make a slurry.
Whisk the sugar and egg yolks together until they go light and creamy.
Add the cornflour slurry and whisk together.
Temper the egg mixture by pouring in a little of the hot milk, whisking continuously.
Whisk in the rest of the hot milk until well-combined, then return to the pan.
Cook the mixture over a gentle heat, stirring continuously, until the mixture becomes thick. It will just come to the boil.
Whisk in flavourings if required. Cover with clingfilm, pressed over the whole surface to prevent the formation of a skin, and put in the fridge to cool.
This step will really help you to make a smooth sauce.
Pour the rest of the milk into a pan and add the split vanilla pod and its seeds.
If you're going to use vanilla essence, add it at the end.
Plus you'll have less need to strain the crème - assuming it doesn't go lumpy 🙂
If you're using grated orange or lemon zest, add it now.
Bring the milk mixture barely to a simmer, add the butter then remove from the heat.If you're using grated orange or lemon zest, add it now.
Whisk the sugar and egg yolks together until they go light and creamy.
Add the cornflour slurry and whisk together.
Temper the egg mixture by pouring in a little of the hot milk, whisking continuously.
Whisk in the rest of the hot milk until well-combined, then return to the pan.
Cook the mixture over a gentle heat, stirring continuously, until the mixture becomes thick. It will just come to the boil.
You should give it a taste - it's done when it no longer tastes floury or chalky.
To cook out the flour, you'll need to stir continuously for perhaps 10 minutes with a wooden spoon (not a whisk) as the crème thickens to prevent sticking or burning.
Remove from the heat and pass the mixture through a sieve into a clean bowl if it's lumpy or full of vanilla pod.To cook out the flour, you'll need to stir continuously for perhaps 10 minutes with a wooden spoon (not a whisk) as the crème thickens to prevent sticking or burning.
Whisk in flavourings if required. Cover with clingfilm, pressed over the whole surface to prevent the formation of a skin, and put in the fridge to cool.
According to Paul you can also scatter the surface with sugar before clingfilming to prevent skinning.
Scoop into a piping bag to use as required. Or you can keep the sealed bag in the fridge for a couple of days until needed.
Pretty smooth.
Custard Slice
sweet veg
Again the icing sugar proportions were lifted from the same random BBC recipe for Custard Slices
but you can hardly go wrong mixing icing sugar. Right?
Ingredients
- puff pastry
- jam
- crème pâtissière
- 200g/7oz icing sugar
- 5 tsp water
Using a wooden spoon grind together the icing sugar with just enough water to make a smooth, viscous coating paste. Not too stiff, and not too runny. Just right in fact.
Start with too little water and add more cautiously as necessary.
Cut oblongs (in pairs) from the pre-rolled puff pastry sheets that the catering school provided you bought from the shop.
Dock the rectangles by pricking them all over with a fork.
Slide them onto a rack to dry.
Smear one wafer with icing paste using a palette knife so it is neat and even. Pipe lines of jam from side to side across the slice, then drag 2 or 3 lines up and down the longer axis of the slice with a cocktail stick or a knife. This will create the characteristic iced pteridomanic pattern.
Pipe crème pâtissière onto the lower slice in a thick side-to-side wave, gently press the iced wafer on top, and refrigerate until served.
Start with too little water and add more cautiously as necessary.
Cut oblongs (in pairs) from the pre-rolled puff pastry sheets that the catering school provided you bought from the shop.
Dock the rectangles by pricking them all over with a fork.
This will help to stop them rising too much, and too unevenly which would make them unsuitable for use as custard slice wafers.
Bake them at 180°C for about 10 minutes until they just turn golden.Slide them onto a rack to dry.
Smear one wafer with icing paste using a palette knife so it is neat and even. Pipe lines of jam from side to side across the slice, then drag 2 or 3 lines up and down the longer axis of the slice with a cocktail stick or a knife. This will create the characteristic iced pteridomanic pattern.
Pipe crème pâtissière onto the lower slice in a thick side-to-side wave, gently press the iced wafer on top, and refrigerate until served.
Pretty yummy.