Pandoro
TIER 2
Pandoro
In Tier 2 we are really stepping things up with a Pandoro – the iconic 8 pointed star Italian bread. This is a challenging dough that requires a high protein flour to handle the high levels of fat and sugar in the dough. Similarly to the Kugelhopf , this dough is flavoured with lemon and orange zest, with a beautiful enriched yellow crumb once baked. There is a lot of fermentation and proofing in this recipe, so really set aside some time to tackle this!
2
750G LOAVES
Ingredients
1st Dough
615g Manitoba Flour (or Pannetone Flour)
0.8g Fresh Yeast/0.4g Instant Dry Yeast
340g Whole Eggs
125g Unsalted Butter, Cubed & Slightly Soft
Butter Mixture
150g Unsalted Butter, Soft
105g Caster Sugar
10g Honey
Zest Β½ Lemon
Zest 1 Orange
Beans from 1 Vanilla Pod
2nd Dough
170g Manitoba Flour (or Pannetone Flour)
125g Caster/White Sugar
45g Whole Milk
8.5g Fine Sea Salt
85g Egg Yolks
19g Fresh Yeast/9.5g Instant Dry Yeast
Butter Mixture (Above)
Special equipment
Stand mixer
Dough scraper
Pandoro tins
Digital thermometer
1st Dough
Note – this dough needs a long proof so it is best to do it at night so that it can proof overnight, then youβll be ready to make the 2nd dough the next day.
1. Into a stand mixer, add the eggs and yeast, and whisk to combine.
2. Add in the flour and attach the dough hook. Mix on a medium low speed, until the flour has completely absorbed the wet ingredients. Once it has absorbed them, continue to knead for a minute on a low speed.
3. While mixing on a medium low speed, add the cubed butter a few pieces at a time. Allow the butter to incorporate before adding the next few pieces.
4. As soon as the butter has all been incorporated, continue to knead for 1 minute. We are not looking to develop the dough too much so remove it from the mixer and gently work it on your work surface, shaping it into a rough ball.
5. Lift the dough into a large container or bowl, ideally with measurements on the side so that you can see how much the dough has risen.
6. Cover the bowl tightly and proof at room temperature for 12 hours or until the dough has tripled in volume.
Butter Mixture
1. The next day, add all the ingredients for the butter mixture into a stand mixer, and attach the paddle attachment. Beat on a medium speed until it is smooth and homogenous. Set this to one side at room temperature.
2nd Dough
1. Now that the 1st dough has tripled in size, it is ready to use.
2. Into a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and flour. Add the milk into a small jug too.
3. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add half of the 1st dough, along with the yeast.
4. Add ΒΌ of the sugar/flour mixture and mix on a low speed. Drizzle in ΒΌ of the milk. Knead on a low speed until all the dry ingredients are completely absorbed.
5. Repeat this process, adding the sugar/flour mixture in increments along with the milk. Ensure that all the dry ingredients are incorporated each time.
6. Once you have a homogenous dough, add the remaining half of the first dough and knead on a low speed for a minute.
7. Add in the salt and knead for a minute.
8. With the mixer still on low, alternate adding the egg yolks and butter mixture (above) in about 4 additions per ingredient. You need to ensure that the egg yolks are completely incorporated before adding the butter, and the butter is incorporated before adding the next part of egg yolks. Be patient here, waiting about 45 seconds in between each addition.
9. Once these have been incorporated and there are no streaks of egg yolks or butter, increase the speed to medium, and knead for around 10 minutes or until the dough is completely smooth and passes the windowpane test (where you stretch a small piece of dough between your fingers and it creates a windowpane without tearing).
10. Lift the dough out of the mixer, shape it into a tight ball, and lift it into a lightly oiled bowl. Allow it to proof at room temperature for 30 minutes.
11. After 30 minutes, using a dough scraper, split the dough into two equal 750g portions (you might have a little extra dough).
12. Use a dough scrape to shape each piece of dough into a tight ball.
13. Ensure your 750g Pandoro tins are lightly buttered and floured, and carefully lift the dough balls into the tins, smooth side down (so the smooth, top side of the dough should be against the bottom of the tin).
14. Loosely cover the top of the tins with clingfilm, and proof them for 4-6 hours at room temperature or until the dough has risen to just below the lip of the tin.
15. Before they are ready, pre-heat the oven to 170C/340F Non-Fan Assisted.
16. When the dough has proofed, place the tins into the oven, and bake for 50-60 minutes. The dough needs to register a temperature of at least 95C/203F on a digital thermometer. After about 25 minutes of baking, cover the top with a sheet of foil to stop it from darkening too much.
17. Once at temperature, remove the tins from the oven and allow the Pandoro to cool for 30 minutes in the tin, before flipping them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
18. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
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GΓ’teaux Basque
TIER 2
GΓ’teaux Basque
Using the same idea of working with a high fat, high butter dough, in Tier 2 we work with a pastry that is very similar to a SablΓ© Breton. The dough is rolled, almost like a deep dish cookie pie, and filled with cherry jam and pastry cream. Itβs traditionally finished by decorating it with the stripes of a fork and baked until golden. Most recipes say to cool it completely, but I really prefer it slightly warm as I think it has a much better texture!
1TART (SERVES 8-10)
Ingredients
For the Pastry
125g Egg Yolks
250g Caster/White Sugar
1g Salt
375g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
2.5g Baking Powder
20g Ground Almonds/Almond Flour
2g Lemon Zest
250g Unsalted Butter, Very Soft & Cubed
Egg Wash
1 Egg Yolk
For the Pastry Cream
500g Whole Milk
1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
70g Caster/White Sugar
120g Egg Yolks
40g Cornstarch/Cornflour
Pinch of Fine Sea Salt
45g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
Black Cherry Jam To Fill (or your favourite jam)
Special equipment
20 x 3.2 cm Tart Ring
Stand Mixer
Silicon Baking Mat
Rolling Pin
Pastry
1. Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set this to one side.
2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and salt. Whisk on a medium speed for 2 minutes until the mixture is thick and light in colour.
3. Add in the sifted dry ingredients, along with the soft butter (in small cubes). Mix with a paddle attachment just until it pulls together into a smooth dough. This wonβt take long.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it briefly until smooth, then shape it into 2 equal discs and wrap it in clingfilm. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
Vanilla Pastry Cream
1. In a medium saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, add the milk and the scraped vanilla pod just until it is steaming.
2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt until smooth and thickened.
3. Slowly pour the hot milk mixture over the sugar and eggs mixture, whisking constantly.
4. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Whisk constantly over medium heat until it begins to bubble, then cook for 1 minute.
5. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pass the mixture through a sieve placed over a large bowl.
6. Whisk in the butter until the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture onto a baking tray, spread it out and cover the surface directly with clingfilm. Spreading it thin will help it to chill faster.
Assembly
1. Line a baking tray with a silicon mat, and lightly butter the inside of your tart ring. Place this into the centre.
2. Once the pastry discs have chilled, remove one from the fridge. Briefly massage the dough in your hand to soften it slightly. Place it onto a lightly floured work surface.
3. Roll the dough out into a rough circle, until it is around 5mm/0.19β thick. Cut a disc around 23cm/9β and quickly but carefully lift the disc into your tart ring.
4. Lightly flour your fingers and gently press the dough into all edges of the tart ring. There should be a slight overhang of dough over the edge of the tart ring. Use a sharp knife to trim off the excess so that the dough is now flush with the edge of the ring. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
5. Once the dough is chilled, remove it from the fridge and spread 3-4 tbsp of your desired jam over the bottom of the pastry so that you have a thin, even layer.
6. Remove the pastry cream from the fridge and add it into a bowl. Whisk it by hand until it is smooth and homogenous
7. Pour the pastry cream directly into the tart shell and use the back of a spoon to spread this out evenly across the tart. Place this back in the fridge briefly.
8. Remove the second disc of pastry from the fridge and again use your hands to lightly massage it so that it softens slightly.
9. Place this onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a rough disc, until it is around 5mm/0.19β thick.
10. Remove the tart ring from the fridge and lift the circle of dough directly on top. Then use a rolling pin to roll over the top of the pastry, pressing it against the edges of the tin, to very neatly trim off the excess pastry. Refrigerate it for 1-2 hours.
11. Just before it is chilled. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F fan assisted, or 175C/345F non-fan assisted.
12. Whisk an egg yolk, then brush this evenly over the top of the pastry using a pastry brush.
13. Using a fork, trace 4 sets of parallel lines with a fork, then turn the mould 1/4 turn and trace 4 more sets of parallel lines perpendicular to the first sets of lines. This will result in a diamond-shaped crosshatch pattern. Prick a few small holes in the pastry too, to help any steam escape as it bakes.
14. Place the tart directly into the oven, and bake for 40 minutes, then lower the heat to 150C/300F Fan assisted (165/330F Non-fan assisted) and bake for a further 15-20 minutes or until a deep golden colour.
15. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. I prefer to eat it slightly warm, so I allow it to cool for around 75-90 minutes but it can also be eaten once it has completely cooled to room temperature too.
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Raspberry Jam Frangipane Tart
TIER 2
Raspberry Jam Frangipane Tart
In this recipe we take our homemade raspberry jam from tier 1 and spread it on a PΓ‘te BrisΓ©e pastry case. Then we fill it with an almond frangipane and delicately decorate it with a pattern of flaked almonds. I usually fill my desserts with almond cream instead of frangipane, but the addition of pastry cream really improves the texture and adds even more flavour to the dessert.
1
9-INCH TART
Ingredients
PΓ’te BrisΓ©e
200g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
50g Cold Water
3g Sea Salt
Pastry Cream
250g Whole Milk
Β½ Fresh Vanilla Bean Pod
35g Caster/White sugar
60g Egg Yolks
20g Cornstarch/Cornflour
2g Fine Sea Salt
20g Cold Unsalted Butter
Frangipane
165g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
165g Caster/White Sugar
Zest Β½ Lemon
130g Whole Egg, Lightly Whisked Together
165g Ground Almonds/Almond Flour
2g Sea Salt
85g Pastry Cream, Cooled
To Fill & Finish
Raspberry Jam (Tier 1)
Flaked Almonds
Fresh Raspberries
Icing/Powdered Sugar
Special equipment
Stand mixer
Silicon mats
9-inch fluted tart ring
Baking beans
Piping bag
PΓ’te BrisΓ©e
1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, flour and salt. Mix on a low speed until the butter has completely broken down into fine crumbs and there are no large chunks of butter.
2. Slowly drizzle in the cold water and mix for a few seconds until it pulls together into a dough.
3. Gently knead the dough into a disc on your work surface and wrap it in clingfilm, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. After 30 minutes, place it in between two silicon mats (or two sheets of parchment paper), and roll the dough into a rough disc that is around 3-5mm thick.
5. Refrigerate the pastry again for 1 hour and preheat the oven to 180C/355F Non-fan Assisted. This is a good point to prepare your pastry cream.
6. Peel the silicon mats/parchment paper off the pastry and ensure the dough is cold but flexible. If it is too cold it will break so just leave it for a few minutes to soften slightly if needed.
7. Lift the pastry into a 22.5cm fluted tart ring and use your hands to gently press it into the edges. Work quickly, being careful not to tear the pastry.
8. Use a knife to trim the excess pastry off and place the tart shell back into the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.
9. Scrunch up a piece of baking paper and press this into the chilled tart shell. Fill the tart shell with baking beans or rice and then place it on a tray and straight into the oven to bake.
10. Bake the tart for 30 minutes, then remove the baking beans, and continue to bake for a further 10-15 minutes, or until the pastry is an even golden brown colour.
11. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes.
Pastry Cream
1. In a medium saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, add the milk and the scraped vanilla pod just until it is steaming.
2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt until smooth and thickened.
3. Slowly pour the hot milk mixture over the sugar and eggs mixture, whisking constantly.
4. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Whisk constantly over medium heat until it begins to bubble, then cook for 1 minute.
5. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pass the mixture through a sieve placed over a large bowl.
6. Whisk in the butter until the mixture is smooth. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate it for an hour.
Frangipane
1. Into a stand mixer, add the soft butter, salt, lemon zest and sugar. Beat for 2-3 minutes on a medium-low speed until slightly thicker and paler in texture.
2. Slowly drizzle in the eggs and beat for a further minute.
3. Finally, add in the ground almonds/almond flour and scoop in the required amount of cooled pastry cream. Beat until smooth.
4. Add the mixture into a piping bag.
Assembly & Baking
1. Lower the oven temperature to 175C/345F Non-Fan Assisted.
2. Take the raspberry jam and spread a few tablespoons across the bottom of the cooled pastry. Make sure it is nice and even.
3. Next, pipe the frangipane evenly into the tart shell. Use a palette knife if needed to smooth it out.
4. Slice your fresh raspberries in half and press them gently into the frangipane.
5. Next, take your time, and evenly place the flaked almonds around the entire tart in a nice circular pattern. This is optional, you can simply sprinkle them on!
6. Place it into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until it is an even golden colour all over.
7. Remove it from the oven, and at this point this filling will still be slightly soft, so let it cool for an hour at room temperature before serving.
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Latticed Pistachio Mille-Feuille
TIER 2
Latticed Pistachio Mille-Feuille
You guys know I love a Mille Feuille, and this filling combination has to be my favourite yet. It’s the same rough puff pastry recipe as Tier 1 (I don’t cover this again in the video for Tier 2), but we walk through how to bake it into the perfect Mille Feuille shape. Then we make aΒ raspberry cremeux and a pistachio cremeuxΒ to fill it with, alongside a tangy raspberry coulis. The lattice top is optional, but creates a real show stopping design!
1
LARGE MILLE FEUILLE
Ingredients
Rough Puff Pastry
250g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
5g Fine Sea Salt
120g Ice Cold Water
5g White Vinegar
200g Unsalted Butter, Very Cold & Cubed
Basic Cremeux
400g Double Cream
115g Egg Yolks
60g Caster Sugar
5g Powdered Gelatin (200-250 Bloom) + 30g Cold Water
Pistachio Cremeux
240g Basic Cremeux
40g Pistachio Paste
Raspberry Cremeux
240g Basic Cremeux
100g Raspberry Puree
Raspberry Coulis
2g Powdered Gelatin (200-250 Bloom)
12g Cold Water
105g Raspberry Puree
105g Frozen Raspberries
5g Pectin NH
20g Caster Sugar
Icing Sugar To Decorate
Special equipment
Stand mixer
Rolling pin
Digital thermometer
Hand blender
Digital calipers (optional)
Lattice pie cutter
Silicon mats
Baking trays
Piping bags
Rough Puff Pastry
1. Pour the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer along with the salt.Β
2. Pour in the cold water and vinegar.Β
3. Tip the cubed butter into the centre, then with the paddle attachment, mix on a low speed, just until the dry bits of flour have been absorbed. This should only take 15-20 seconds. The lumps of butter will still be there!Β
4. Scoop the mixture out of the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a long rectangle. You need to work quickly here especially if it is a warm day as the butter will start to soften too much.
5. Once youβve rolled it out, you might need to use a lightly floured bench scraper to loosen it from the work surface.Β
6. Perform a single turn, by folding one-third of the dough up on itself, and then folding the remaining third of dough over the top as seen in the PDF.Β
7. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill it. If it is a warm day, I prefer to do 10 minutes in the freezer then 15 minutes in the fridge. But on a βnormal dayβ, 20 minutes in the fridge will be enough.
8. Unwrap the dough and with the open seam facing you, turn the dough 90 degrees so it is now adjacent to you. Roll the dough slightly to give it a little bit of width, then rotate it 90 degrees again so the open seam is facing you again. Roll the dough into a long rectangle again, flouring as needed to ensure it doesnβt stick.
9. Use a bench scraper to get underneath the dough if it feels like it is sticking, then perform a double turn, by folding ΒΌ of the dough up on itself, then the remaining ΒΎ of the dough to meet. Fold the dough in half, then wrap in cling film to chill again.
10. Repeat steps 9&10, 2 more times (performing two more double turns) and chill the dough.
11. Unwrap the dough again, and roll it out, performing one final single turn (as seen in step 7). In total you will have done 1x single turn, 3x double turn, 1 x single turn. Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours (or overnight).
Basic Cremeux/Pistachio Cremeux/Raspberry Cremeux
1. Add the pistachio paste and raspberry puree into two separate bowls and set these to one side.
Β *Note –Β Pistachio Paste is quite expensive so you can make it yourself. Just toast shelled pistachios in the oven for about 15 minutes at 170C/340F and then process them in Π° food processor. You will need to do this with about 300g of Pistachios or it wonβt be enough for the blades of your food processor to pick up. It will take some time to blend them and you need a high powered food processor!Β
2. Add the powdered gelatin into a small dish and pour over the cold water. Allow this to bloom for 10 minutes. Once bloomed, scoop this into a large bowl with a sieve placed over the top.Β
3. Into a medium bowl, add the egg yolks and sugar. Whisk briefly to combine.
4. Add a splash of the cream just to prevent any lumps and whisk to combine.
5. Pour the entire mixture into a medium saucepan along with the cream. Place the pan on a medium heat and whisk constantly, The mixture needs to reach 80-82C. As you continue to cook it, you will see it thicken in the pan, just be really careful not to scramble the eggs.
6. Once at temperature, immediately remove it from the heat and pour it through the sieve over the gelatin. Some of the egg might have caught on the bottom of the pan but donβt panic!
7. Use a hand blender to blend the mixture to ensure the gelatin has completely incorporated.Β
8. The mixture should weigh around 480-500g so weβre going to split this equally between the two bowls.Β
9. Pour around 240g of the mixture over the pistachio paste and blend it with a hand blender to completely emulsify it. Cover the surface with cling film and refrigerate overnight (minimum of 6 hours)
10. For the raspberry, let the basic cremeux cool to around 40C/104F before pouring it over the puree. Blend with a hand blender to completely emulsify it. Cover the surface with cling film and refrigerate overnight (minimum of 6 hours)
Raspberry Coulis
1. Add the powdered gelatin into a small dish and pour over the cold water. Allow this to bloom for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together the sugar and pectin and set this to one side.
3. Add the frozen raspberries (they can be fresh too) and raspberry puree to a small saucepan.Β
4. Cook them down until they reach around 40C/104F on a digital thermometer, then add in the sugar/pectin mixture. Continue to cook the mixture until it reaches a boil.Β
5. Remove the pan from the heat, scoop in the bloomed gelatin and stir it to dissolve it into the raspberry mixture.
6. Pour this into a bowl and cover the surface with clingfilm. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1-2 hours.Β
Assembly
1. Remove the chilled puff pastry from the fridge and place it onto a floured work surface.Β
2. With the open seam facing you, turn the dough 90 degrees so it is now adjacent to you. Roll the dough slightly to give it a little bit of width, then rotate it 90 degrees again so the open seam is facing you again. Roll the dough into a rectangle, flouring as needed to ensure it doesnβt stick.
3. We are going to bake this on a baking tray, so we just need to ensure the rectangle we roll isn’t bigger than the tray. We are more concerned about the thickness. It needs to be around 7.5β tall and 0.2β/5mm thick.Β
4. Once you are at that thickness, you can use a pastry wheel or a knife, to trim the rectangle of pastry down so it fits perfectly on your tray.
5. Lift the dough onto a silicon mat and refrigerate it for 20 minutes.Β
6. Once chilled, cutting vertically, cut off β of the rectangle, leaving the remaining β intact.
Β 7. Work quickly here so the dough stays cold (if not, chill it again. This part will be a disaster if the dough is too warm!), use a lattice pastry wheel cutter or a lattice cutter and cut the β of dough to create the lattice design.Β
8. Get both the latticed strip of dough, and the other strip of dough into the fridge for another 20 minutes while you pre-heat the oven to 175C/345F non-fan assisted.
9. Once it has chilled. Remove it from the fridge and place a second silicon mat on top, along with another tray and some extra weight! We need to weigh the top tray down as much as possible to stop the pastry from puffing up. I like to use more baking trays!
10. Place the tray of pastry into the oven on the middle shelf and bake it for 60 minutes.
11. After 60 minutes remove all the trays on top, and the pastry should be a light golden colour (if not place the trays back on and bake it for a little longer)
12. Place it back into the oven, uncovered, and bake until it is golden brown.
13. Remove it from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 220C/430F.
14. Dust the puff pastry liberally with icing/powdered sugar and then place it back in the oven, closer to the top shelf this time.
15. Keep a very close eye on it and bake it until the sugar has caramelised and the pastry is a deep, shiny golden colour. Be really careful not to burn it. It can take anywhere from 2-5 minutes.Β
16. You will find the lattice probably caramelises quicker than the other piece of pastry so you can remove this early.
17. Get both onto a wire cooling rack to cool for 15 minutes.
18. Using a serrated knife trim down the latticed piece of pastry into a neat rectangle. Then cut the other piece of pastry into two, and then trim each of those pieces down so they match the exact size of the lattice pastry.
Final AssemblyΒ
1. Add the chilled raspberry coulis into a tall jug, and with a hand blender, blend it to a smooth mixture. Add this into a piping bag and set it to one side.
2. Whisk both the raspberry and pistachio cremeux using a stand mixer until they are thick and hold a stiff peak. The pistachio cremeux will whisk up thicker than the raspberry cremeux, so donβt worry if the raspberry is slightly softer.
3. Add these into separate piping bags fitted with large round tip piping nozzles.Β
4. Pipe three lines of the pistachio cremeux onto the base of the plain, non latticed pieces of puff pastry. There should be one line on each outer edge and one in the centre. Itβs important the pistachio is on the outside to provide support, as the raspberry cremeux would be too soft to support the weight of the layers.
5. Pipe the raspberry cremeux into the gaps and then pipe 2 lines of raspberry coulis on top.
6. Dust icing sugar diagonally across the top of the latticed pastry, using a flat object to cover one side of the pastry.Β
7. Carefully stack and assemble the mille-feuille, finishing the latticed piece on top. It is now ready to serve. If you need to serve it later, ensure you keep it refrigerated so the cremeux doesnβt soften too much at room temperature.Β
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Raspberry SoufflΓ© Tartlets
TIER 2
Raspberry SoufflΓ© Tartlets
In Tier 2 we make a Bake It Better first – raspberry pastry! I tested this a few times and am really happy with the result. We fill this with a raspberryΒ soufflΓ© and garnish with fresh raspberries. It’s actually the pastry element of this recipe that makes this the Tier 2 recipe – the beauty of addingΒ soufflΓ© to a tart is there’s no pressure on the rise! So once you’ve mastered the pastry, it’s plain sailing!
4
INDIVIDUAL TARTS
Ingredients
Raspberry Pastry
75g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed (small cubes)
50g Icing Sugar
4g Powdered Raspberry Powder
38g Egg Yolks
150g Plain/AP Flour
Red Food Colouring Powder/Gel
Egg Wash
20g Egg Yolk
5g Double/Heavy Cream
Red Food Colouring Powder/Gel
Raspberry SoufflΓ©
Β – Raspberry Base
120g Raspberry Puree
10g Cornstarch
Pinch of Sugar
Β – Meringue Base
75g Raspberry Base
80g Egg Whites
50g Caster Sugar
Fresh Raspberries To Fill + Garnish
Special equipment
Stand mixer
Silicone mats
4x 7.5cm x 2cm perforated tart rings
Multi-wheel pastry cutter OR a ruler
Digital thermometer
Piping bags
Raspberry Pastry
1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cold cubed butter and then sift over the raspberry powder, icing sugar and red food powder. With the paddle attachment, beat on a medium low speed for 2 minutes or until the butter is smooth. As the butter is cold you will need to scrape down the bowl a few times to ensure it is completely incorporated.Β
2. Add in the egg yolks and beat again for around 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl again to ensure itβs all incorporated.
3. Finally, sift in the flour, scrape the bottom of the bowl just to loosen the butter stuck on the bottom, and then mix again on a low speed until it pulls together to form a dough, about 20-30 seconds.
4. Scoop the dough out and place it onto a large silicone mat and place a second silicone mat on top. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin until it is around 3-5mm thick, donβt worry too much about the shape.
5. Place the entire sheet of pastry into the freezer for 30 minutes.
6. While the dough is chilling, take the perforated tart ring and very lightly grease the inside with soft butter. This helps to prevent the dough from sticking to the ring.
7. Remove the chilled dough from the freezer and, working quickly, peel the top silicone mat off of the dough. Press the 4 tart rings firmly into the dough, lift them up, and transfer them to a perforated tray lined with a perforated baking mat. The dough should be cold enough that it attaches to the ring as you lift it up. Place the tray in the fridge while you cut the walls.
8. With the remaining dough, use a ruler and a sharp knife to cut 4 strips of dough each measuring 9.6 x 0.9 inches (24.4 x 2.3cm). These measurements seem quite precise, but this will ensure the dough fits perfectly into the tart rings with no excess overlapping. If they feel too warm to lift up, place them back in the freezer for 5 minutes just so they can cool back down slightly.Β
9. Remove the baking tray with the tart bases from the fridge and remove one strip of dough for the walls.
10. Working quickly, take the strip of dough and place it inside the tart ring. Use your fingers to gently press together this strip of dough, against the base of the tart. The idea is to slightly push down the wall of dough so that it meets the dough on the base of the tart shell and there are no gaps. If at any point you feel the dough is too warm or is tearing, place everything back in the freezer for 10 minutes then carry on.
11. Repeat this with the remaining tarts, again, chilling the dough if needed. At this point, squeeze together the remaining scraps of dough, and repeat the process, rolling the dough and chilling it, so that you can create the final 2 tart shells.Β
12. Once you have lined all the tart shells, avoid trying to move them in case the dough tears. Chill the entire tray in the freezer for 15 minutes and pre-heat your oven to 175C/350F.
13. Remove the shells from the freezer and holding a knife perpendicular to the tart shell, trim off the excess pastry hanging over the tart ring so that the pastry is flush.Β
14. Place the tart shells in the oven, and bake for 15 minutes. While they bake, add the egg wash ingredients to a small ramekin and blend it to combine – I prefer to use a hand blender as it fully emulsifies the colouring into the egg mixture.Β
15. Remove the tarts from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes. At this point, the pastry should have retracted slightly from the ring mould, and you should be able to lift it off easily.Β
16. Lift the shells up and using a pastry brush, apply an even egg wash all over the tart. Lower the oven temperature to 140C/285F and place them back on the tray and into the oven for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the oven to cool.Β
Raspberry SoufflΓ©
Β – Raspberry Base
1. Into a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch.
2. Add the puree into a medium saucepan and heat it until it reaches around 40C. Once hot, sift in the cornstarch mixture and whisk together. Continue to cook until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble. Once bubbling, cook for a further minute.
3. Immediately pass the mixture through a sieve into a bowl and cover the surface with cling film. Chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.
Β – Meringue Base
1. Fill a pan with a shallow amount of water and place it over a medium heat. Meanwhile, add the egg whites and sugar into a medium bowl and place this over the water once it is simmering.
2. Whisk constantly until it reaches 60-65C (140-150F) on a digital thermometer.
3. Immediately remove it from the heat and place it on a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
4. Whisk on a medium speedΒ for 6-7 minutes until you have a stiff meringue.
5. While it is whisking, remove the raspberry base from the fridge, whisk it, then weigh 75g and add this into a medium bowl.
6. When the meringue is done, fold it in thirds into the raspberry base until you have a homogenous mixture.Β
Assembly
1. Add the raspberry soufflΓ© mixture into a piping bag and snip the end off.
2. Take the cooled tart shells, and place a few torn up raspberries into the base.
3. Pipe the soufflΓ© mixture into the tart shells, filling them right to the top, and then use a palette knife to level them so they are completely flush with the top of the tart.
4. Place the tarts back onto your baking tray, and place the perforated tart rings around the pastry again. This will just help to provide a little structure and prevent the pastry from cracking as the soufflΓ© expands.
5. Place the tarts into the oven and bake them for 7 minutes. They should rise just slightly.
6. Once they are baked, these can be served warm or alternatively served chilled (place the tarts into the fridge for 1 hour)
7. To garnish, add some freshly sliced raspberries.
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Lemon Meringue 'Longboys'
TIER 2
Lemon Meringue ‘Longboys’
In TIer 2 we make the same dough as Tier 1, we just add a touch of lemon zest to give them a bit of extra flavour. Then, inspired by Longboys Doughnuts in the UK, we use an oblong mould to create a different shape, coat them in lemon sugar, then top them with a lemon crΓ¨me pΓ’tissiΓ¨re, Italian meringue and candied lemon peel. Don’t fancy lemon? Try the chocolate crΓ¨me pΓ’tissiΓ¨re and crumble from my eclair recipe!
8
'LONGBOYS'
Ingredients
Donut Dough
550g Strong White Bread Flour
125g Whole Milk
7g Instant Yeast
200g Whole Eggs
12g Fine Sea Salt
125g Unsalted Butter, Cold + Small Cubes
75g Caster/Granulated Sugar
20g Powdered Milk (Full Fat)
10g Vanilla Extract
Zest 1 Lemon
Lemon Crème PÒtissière
300g Double/Heavy Cream
200g Whole Milk
1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
85g Caster sugar
100g Egg Yolks
40g Cornstarch/Cornflour
Zest of 2 Lemons
Candied Lemon Peel
Zest of 1 Unwaxed Lemon
50g Caster Sugar
50g Water
Lemon Sugar
150g Caster/Granulated Sugar
Zest 1 Lemon
Italian Meringue
110g Egg Whites
70g Water
300g Caster Sugar
3 Litres of Vegetable Oil For Frying
Special equipment
Stand mixer
Oil spray (optional)
Oblong cookie cutter (I used a 14.5cm x 3.5cm cutter)
Deep fat fryer
Digital thermometer
Piping bags
St Honore nozzle
Donut Dough
1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the wet ingredients, followed by the dry. Attach the dough hook and mix it on a medium speed for 10 minutes, scraping down the bowl every 3-4 minutes.
2. After 10 minutes, turn the mixer off and let the dough rest for 5 minutes. This will relax the gluten and make the next part of the mixing easier!
3. Turn the mixer back on, and knead for a further 10-12 minutes. The dough should start to come away from the sides of the bowl but there will still be a few bits stuck to the side.Β
4. Remove it from the mixer and lift the dough onto your work surface. Give it a quick knead and shape it into a nice tight ball. The dough should feel smooth and pass the windowpane test when you stretch a small piece of the dough.
5. Lift it into a lightly oiled bowl, then lightly spray the top of the dough with an oil spray and cover the surface directly with cling film. Cover the bowl with a sheet of cling film too and refrigerate the dough overnight (12-18 hours). This will make it much easier to work with.
6. Before you are ready to work with the dough, prep a baking tray by cutting 8 rectangles of parchment paper and lightly oiling them before placing them on the tray. This will make it easier to transfer the donuts to the fryer.Β
7. The next day remove the chilled dough from the fridge. Very lightly flour your work surface and lift the dough on. Lightly flour the top of the dough and a rolling pin, and roll the dough out, the shape doesnβt matter, but you want it to be around 12-15mm thick (0.5β). Ensure there is a little flour underneath the dough once youβve finished rolling otherwise when you go to remove the cut donuts they will stick to the table.Β
8. Take the oblong cookie cutter and dip it in a bowl of flour to make sure it doesnβt stick to the dough. Press the cookie cutter into the dough to cut the shapes, and lift them onto the sheets of parchment you cut earlier.
9. Very lightly oil the top of the donuts with an oil spray, and then cover the entire tray with a sheet of cling film and allow the donuts to rise for 2-3 hours at room temperature. In warmer weather, 2 hours should be fine, but when it is colder it will be closer to 3 hours. The donuts should look puffier and will have increased in volume when they are done.Β
Lemon Crème PÒtissière
1. It is best to make this ahead of rolling out your donuts so that it has enough time to chill.Β
2. Add the sugar into a bowl along with the lemon zest and briefly rub them together to release some of those citrus oils.
3. Add the egg yolks and cornflour and whisk the mixture together until it is thick, then set it to one side.
4. In the meantime, scrape the beans from the fresh vanilla pod and add these into a medium saucepan along with the milk & cream.
5. Place the pan over a medium heat and stir occasionally until the mixture is steaming.
6. Once hot, slowly pour the mixture over the egg yolks, and whisk until they are combined. It is important to do this slowly to avoid scrambling the eggs.
7. Add the entire mixture back into the pan and place it on a medium heat.Β
8. Whisk continuously until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Once it bubbles, cook for a further minute, then remove it from the heat and pass it through a sieve into another bowl. At this point itβs likely your mixture will have split a little, so just add a splash of water (2 tsp) and blend with a hand blender and it will pull it back together.
9. Place a sheet of cling film directly on the surface and refrigerate until ready to use (3-4 hours).
Candied Lemon Peel
1. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the lemon into strips.
2. With a sharp knife, cut the peel lengthways to create thin strips.Β
3. Into a small saucepan, add the lemon strips, sugar and water. Place it over a medium low heat and gently simmer for around 10 minutes. The strips of lemon should appear slightly translucent and the liquid should thicken.Β
4. Use some tongs to remove them from the pan and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment and allow to dry completely. About half an hour.
Lemon Sugar
1. Add the sugar into a bowl along with the lemon zest and briefly rub them together to release some of those citrus oils.
2. Set the bowl to one side.
Frying
1. When the donuts are close to being proofed, add the oil to your deep fat fryer (or a large pan) and heat it to 170C/340F. A deep-fat fryer is ideal here as it is able to regulate the temperature at a much more consistent level vs frying in a pan.
2. When the donuts are ready, drop 1 into the oil, and slowly peel off the sheet of parchment paper.
3. Fry for 90 seconds, flip, fry for 60 seconds, flip, fry for 15 seconds, flip, fry for 15 seconds. Nb. Due to the shape of these donuts theyβre likely to flip over by themselves in the oil, so Iβd recommend holding them in place lightly with some tongs so you can ensure an even bake on each side. Iβve also increased the fry time just slightly from the video as I found slightly longer was better!Β
4. Remove your donut and place it on a wire rack, allowing any excess oil to drip off. After a minute, and while the donuts are still warm, toss the donut in the bowl of lemon sugar then place back on your wire rack.
5. Repeat with the remaining donuts.Β
Italian Meringue
1. Into a small saucepan, add the water, then pour the sugar on top. Place it over a medium heat
2. Meanwhile, add the egg whites into a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk it on a medium low speed.
3. Once the water and sugar mixture has started to boil, cook it until it reaches a temperature of 118C/244F on a digital thermometer. By this point, the egg whites should be bubbly and frothy.
4. Immediately remove the sugar syrup from the heat, increase the stand mixer speed to medium high, and slowly drizzle the sugar syrup in, aiming to pour it in between the whisk and the bowl. Just make sure not to pour it on the whisk or it will splatter everywhere.
5. Continue to whisk for 6-7 minutes, or until the bowl is cool to the touch and stiff peaks form on the meringue.
6. Add the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a St. Honore nozzle.
Assembly
1. Remove your lemon crème pÒtissière from the fridge and whisk it for 15-20 seconds to loosen it a little. Add it to a piping bag.
2. Take a donut and cut it lengthways down the middle. Pipe in some lemon creme patissiere until it reaches the top of the donut, then smooth it with a palette knife. Repeat with the rest of the donuts.
3. Next, take your meringue and in a zig zag motion, pipe it down the middle of your donut. Then, using a blow torch, lightly torch the top of your meringue until itβs slightly brown. Repeat with the rest of the donuts.Β
4. Garnish with your candied lemon peel.
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Advanced Raspberry Sorbet
TIER 2
Advanced Raspberry Sorbet
In Tier 2 we get our maths head on! WeΒ walkΒ through the formula I learnt to make anyΒ fruitΒ sorbet, and we put it into practice in this stunning raspberry sorbet. It’s the perfect balance of flavours (thanks to the formula!), and the addition of the stabiliser makes it super smooth.Β I’ve includedΒ a detailed Google Sheets document for youΒ to use to create any fruit sorbet in future, so be sure to check itΒ out.
1
TUB (APPROX. 300G)
Ingredients
202g Caster Sugar
36g Dextrose
3g Stabiliser
299g Water
10g Fresh Lemon Juice
450g Fresh Raspberries
Special equipment
Digital thermometer
Hand blender
Ice-cream machine
For the βscienceβ behind this recipe and the option to create your own flavoured sorbet, follow the guidelines in this document.
1. Pour the cold water into a saucepan and heat over a medium heat to 40C. In a bowl, stir together the sugar, dextrose and stabiliser and then pour into the water once itβs reached temperature. Whisk together until the mixture reaches 85C, then take off the heat and leave to cool to approximately 40C.
2. Once cooled, add the mixture to a bowl and pour in the lemon juice and raspberries. Blend briefly with a hand blender to combine (donβt blend for too long as you will start to blend the raspberry seeds, which will dull the colour of your sorbet). Pass the mixture through a sieve into a bowl, then cover the surface with cling film and put it in the fridge for 12 hours/overnight.
3. The next day, pour the mixture into your ice cream machine and churn for 20-30 minutes until itβs a thick, sorbet-like consistency.Β
4. Transfer the sorbet into a container and freeze for 1-2 hours before serving.
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Tropical Pavlova
TIER 2
Tropical Pavlova
In Tier 2 we really elevate the design of the pavlova and use a funky mold to create this more professional looking plated dessert. We use the same meringue recipe and chantilly cream as Tier 1, and pair it with a frozen passion fruit cremeux, a mango and passion fruit salsa. If you don’t fancy giving the design a go, it would taste equally as good all mashed together as an Eton Mess!
8
INDIVIDUAL PAVLOVAS
Ingredients
French-Swiss Meringue
100g Egg Whites
100g Caster Sugar
75g Icing Sugar
Desiccated coconut for decoration (optional)
Passionfruit Cremeux
50g Egg Yolks
35g Whole Eggs
25g Sugar
75g Passion Fruit PurΓ©e
60g Unsalted Butter, Soft
1g Powdered Gelatin (200 Bloom) + 6g Water
Whipped Vanilla Chantilly Cream
600g Double/Heavy Cream
125g White Chocolate
5.5g Powdered Gelatin (200 Bloom) + 33g Water
1.5 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste / 1 Vanilla Pod
Tropical Fruit Salad
Whole Mango, chopped into small cubes
Seeds of 4 Passion Fruits
ΒΌ Lime, Zested
3 Tsp Passion Fruit PurΓ©e
Assembly
100g White Chocolate, Melted
Lime, Zested
Special equipment
Stand mixer
Hand blender
Digital thermometer
3.8cm x 1.9cm half-sphere mould (15 hole)
Piping bags
Large round tip nozzle OR small cookie cutter
Passion fruit CrΓ©meux
1. In a small bowl, add the water to the powdered gelatin and let it sit for 5 minutes
2. In a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, add the sugar, eggs, egg yolks and passion fruit purΓ©e. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and reaches 83C.
3. Once the mixture reaches temperature, pass it through a sieve into a bowl. Then, add the bloomed gelatin and butter on top and blend with a hand blender until smooth.
4. Add the passion fruit crΓ©meux to your half sphere mould and use a palette knife to smooth the top of the mould to make sure theyβre even. Freeze overnight/6 hours.
Whipped Vanilla Chantilly Cream
1. In a small bowl, add the water to the powdered gelatin and let it sit for 5 minutes
2. Add the white chocolate to a tall jug and add the bloomed gelatin on top
3. To a saucepan over a medium heat add 185g of the cream and the vanilla bean paste/vanilla beans and heat until itβs steaming.Β
4. Once steaming, pour it over your chocolate and gelatin mixture and leave for 2 minutes. You want to make sure the cream covers the top of the chocolate. After two minutes, blend the mixture together with a hand blender.Β
5. Once blended, add the remaining cream (415g) and blend again.
6. Pour the cream mixture into a bowl and cover the surface with cling film. Leave to chill in the fridge overnight/12 hours.
French-Swiss Meringue
1. Preheat the oven to 80C/175F Non-Fan Assisted
2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites and sugar.
3. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water, and whisk constantly until it reaches a temperature of 55C/130F on a digital thermometer.
4. Once at temperature, remove it from the heat and place it onto a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk for 6-7 minutes on a medium speed, until the bowl feels cool to the touch and the meringue is thick.Β
5. Remove it from the stand mixer and place a sieve over the top. Sieve in the icing/powdered sugar, and use a whisk to gently fold this in. We use a whisk because we want the icing sugar to incorporate easily, but we also want to knock some of the stiffness out of the meringue, just slightly, so that we get a softer texture for the design of the pavlova.
6. Add your meringue mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip nozzle. Flatten the mixture gently to remove any air bubbles.
7. Lightly grease the back of a half sphere mould (the same one you used for the passion fruit cremeux). I like to use an oil spray, but you can lightly brush a neutral oil over the mould.
8. Holding the piping bag vertically over one of the moulds, push down until the meringue covers the half sphere, then quickly do a βwhipβ motion at the top to release the piping bag. Repeat with the other half spheres, spacing them out so the meringues donβt touch (they will expand slightly as they bake).
9. Lastly, sprinkly desiccated coconut over the meringue, making sure to hit the sides of the meringue. Then put the meringue in the oven for 3 hours.Β
Tropical Fruit Salad
1. Add all the ingredients to a bowl and stir together
Assembly
1. Once the meringues are baked, leave them to cool for an hour then gently release them from the mould.Β
2. Once cooled, gently grate the bottom of the meringues to create a flat surface for them to sit.
3. Melt the white chocolate over a pan of simmering water. Once melted, add a spoonful of white chocolate into a meringue cup. Tip the meringue to the sides to coat the inside of the cup, then tip out the excess chocolate. Put them in the fridge for 5 minutes until the chocolate has set.
4. Fill the meringue cups with tropical fruit salad so that itβs flush with the top of the cup. Then remove the frozen passion fruit cremeux half spheres from the freezer and add them on top.
5. Add the chilled whipped vanilla chantilly to a stand mixer and whisk until it forms a medium peak – about 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to over whisk it. Add it to a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle. Then, holding it vertically over the top one of your meringues, push down so the cream covers all of the sphere.
6. Zest a light dusting of lime over the top of the meringues. Serve roughly 30 minutes after removing the passion fruit cremeux from the freezer (to allow it time to defrost, but not to melt).
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Vienna Bread
TIER 2
Vienna Bread
This is more of an enriched dough, which makes the bread really soft. It’s like a hybrid between a Japanese milk bread and a French brioche. The shaping technique is what makes this recipe a little more tricky, so make sure to watch the video so you can follow my step-by-step instructions. Slashing the dough gives these loaves their classic Viennese style, and I’d recommend adding some sesame seeds to the top to finish them off.
8
MINI LOAVES
Ingredients
500g Strong White Bread Flour
10g Fine Sea Salt
40g Caster Sugar
20g Fresh Yeast or 10g Instant Dry Yeast
75g Whole Eggs
225g Whole Milk, Cold
125g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
Toppings of choice to finish (optional)
Special equipment
Stand mixer
Razor blades
Perforated baguette mould (optional)
1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add all of the ingredients, except the butter.
2. Knead the dough on a medium-low speed for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides occasionally to ensure nothing is sticking to the edges.
3. After 5 minutes, add the cold cubed butter a few pieces at a time, waiting about 10 seconds in between each addition.Β
4. Once you have added all the butter, knead for 5 minutes and then turn your stand mixer off for 5 minutes. This will help with the development of the gluten and make it easier to knead. After 5 minutes, knead for a further 7 minutes, or until the dough appears smooth, and a small piece of dough passes the windowpane test. This is where you take a small piece of dough and stretch it out between your fingers. The dough shouldnβt tear, and you should be able to see through the dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
5. Scoop the dough onto your work surface and give it a brief knead and smooth it into a round ball.
6. Very lightly oil a large bowl and lift the dough into it. Cover the bowl with a sheet of cling film and refrigerate the dough overnight/12 hours.
7. Once chilled, remove the dough from the fridge and cut it into 80g pieces. This will give you βdemi baguetteβ size loaves. If you want large loaves, almost like a large baguette, you can do 160g pieces.
8. Shape the dough into rough balls, and cover them with a tea towel and allow to rest for 5 minutes on the work surface.
9. Once rested, flip the dough over so the seam is facing up, and use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a rough oval shape. You will need a little bit of flour to stop it sticking as you roll but avoid using too much otherwise it will be difficult to seal them.
10. Take the oval and with the long edge in line with your body, fold one third of the dough towards the centre, and firmly seal it to the dough with the heel of your hand.
11. Rotate the dough 180 degrees, and fold the top β of the dough into the centre and seal it with the heel of your hand.Β
12. Then fold the top edge of the dough all the way over to meet the bottom edge. Seal it again firmly with the heel of your hand.
13. Then just lightly roll the sealed dough back and forth under both hands.
14. The buns can be left plain or covered in seeds. If you want to cover them in a topping, simply brush some water over the bun, then coat it liberally with your topping.
15. The vienna bread has an iconic slashed design, so using a very sharp razor blade, make slashes at a slight angle across the entire loaf. Slash deeper than you may think.
16. These are traditionally baked in perforated baguette moulds – they create a perfect shape for the vienna bread and allow for even air flow. Alternatively you can simply place them on a tray lined with a baking sheet.
17. Lift them onto the tray, evenly spaced and proof at room temperature, covered with a tea towel, for 2 hours. They should have doubled in size.
18. Just before they have proofed, pre-heat the oven to 200C/390F Non-Fan Assisted.
19. Once proofed, splash a small amount of water into the bottom of the oven, and then place them into the centre, baking for around 18-20 minutes or until golden in colour.
20. Remove them from the oven, and allow to cool slightly before serving. These are best stored in an airtight container and eaten within 48 hours.
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Red Velvet Cake
TIER 2
Red Velvet Cake
This is such a light and fluffy red velvet cake recipe, a new favourite for me. Filled with cream cheese swiss meringue buttercream, and decorated with vanilla swiss meringue buttercream, tempered white chocolate ‘leaves’ and a velvet spray. We get technical here, but stay with me! Tempering chocolate is such a great skill to have in your baking toolkit, and if you’re already a pro at tempering, I think you’ll love the technique to this design.
1 LARGE
7-INCH CAKE
Ingredients
Red Velvet Cake
160g Unsalted Butter
8g Red Fat Soluble Powder (or a good squeeze of Red Gel Colour)
300g Whole Eggs
170g Egg Yolks
170g Egg Whites
390g Caster Sugar, Divided
8g Baking Powder
8g Baking Soda
40g Cornflour/Cornstarch
40g Cocoa Powder
200g Cake Flour (or Plain/All-Purpose Flour)
2g Salt
140g Plain Greek Yoghurt
8g Vanilla Paste
8g White Vinegar
Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
400g Egg Whites
700g Caster Sugar
7g Fine Sea Salt
1kg Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature, Cubed
2 Tsp Vanilla Bean PasteΒ
Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream
400g Swiss Meringue Buttercream
120g Cream Cheese, Full Fat, Room Temperature
White Chocolate Decoration
600g White Chocolate (to make 2x batches of 300g tempered white chocolate)
Velvet spray
150g White Chocolate
150g Cocoa Butter
10g White Cocoa Butter (more if needed to create a white colour)
Special equipment
4 7-inch cake tins
Stand mixer
Digital thermometer
2 7.3-inch acrylic cake discs (3mm thick)
Revolving cake stand
Straight edged scraper
Heat gun/hair dryer
Adjustable raplette (optional)
2 A3 sheets of acetate
Rolling pin
Spray gun OR canned velvet spray
Red Velvet Cake
1. Preheat the oven to 175C/350F Non-Fan Assisted. Lightly grease 4×7β tins with soft butter, and place a circle of parchment in the bottom. Tip in a tablespoon of flour and shake this around to coat the tin and then tip out any excess.
2. In a bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients and leave to one side.
3. In a saucepan over a medium heat, mix together the butter and red colouring until melted. Leave to one side.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the sugar (250g), whole eggs and egg yolks and whisk on a medium speed for 6-7 minutes until the mixture holds a slight ribbon.
5. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites and whisk on a medium speed until theyβre frothy with small bubbles (about 2-3 minutes), then increase the speed to medium-high and slowly add the sugar (140g) one tablespoon at a time, leaving 10-15 seconds between each addition. Once youβve added all the sugar, keep whisking until you have a stiff meringue (2-3 more minutes).
6. Next, add the meringue to the egg mixture in three parts and whisk each part by hand until you have a smooth batter.
7. In a separate bowl, stir the vinegar, yoghurt and vanilla paste together. Then whisk this mixture into the cake batter.
8. Next, sift your dry ingredients into the cake batter and gently whisk them through by hand until combined.
9. Finally, add your melted butter to the batter and gently whisk it through until combined.
10. Weigh 380g of batter into each tin.Β
11. Bake the cakes for 28 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
12. While still warm, gently loosen the edges of the cake from the cake tin with a palette knife, and then flip them out onto a wire rack. Let them cool for a few minutes before wrapping them tightly in clingfilm and refrigerating. Ideally you would chill them overnight but 4 hours is enough time too.
Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
1. In a stand mixer bowl over a pan of simmering water, whisk together the egg whites, caster sugar and sea salt until the mixture reaches 65C on a digital thermometer.
2. Once the mixture comes to temperature, immediately add the bowl to your stand mixer and mix on a medium speed for 10-15 minutes, until the bottom of the bowl is tepid to touch.
3. Next, with your stand mixer on a medium speed, add the butter a little at a time, leaving 5-10 seconds between each addition. Once itβs all been added, continue mixing for another 5 minutes.Β
4. Finally add the vanilla and, using the paddle attachment, mix on a low speed for 5 more minutes.
Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Note – After finishing the filming I decided to adjust the recipe slightly as I wanted to improve the texture of the buttercream for the final coat. So I have adjusted the recipe here, where the cream cheese swiss meringue buttercream is just used as the filling, and then the swiss meringue buttercream is used for the final coat. This will give the cake a better finish.
1. Take the cream cheese, and beat it in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for 5 minutes on a medium speed.
2. Next, weigh 400g of the Swiss Meringue Buttercream and add this in thirds to the cream cheese, while beating with the paddle attachment.
3. This buttercream can be slightly unstable so if you find it has split slightly, switch to the whisk attachment and whisk on a medium high speed for 5-10 minutes, until it begins to smooth. It can take some time so be patient. It should be much smoother but slightly more aerated in texture, with a few more streaks of air bubbles compared to the regular swiss meringue buttercream. Thatβs ok as we are only going to use it for the filling.Β
Crumb Coat
1. Using a serrated knife, evenly cut the top off your cake layers to make them level.Β
2. Put a cake disc on top of a rotating cake stand (this is not necessary but makes cake decorating so much easier!). Secure the cake disc down with some wet kitchen paper.
3. Add a dollop of cream cheese buttercream to your cake board and place your first layer on top, cut side up.
4. Next, add a dollop of cream cheese buttercream in the centre of the cake layer. Use a palette knife to spread the buttercream out until you have an even layer.
5. Repeat this with the second and third cake layers, so you have three layers of cream cheese buttercream in total. Place your final layer on top, making sure the cut side is facing down, and cover this in buttercream too.
6. Next itβs time to crumb coat the cake. Add your vanilla buttercream to the outside of the cake, and use a palette knife to spread the buttercream out over the entire outside of the cake, making sure all the gaps between the layers are filled.
7. Next, hold a flat edge scraper against the outside of the cake at about a 30 degree angle. In one swift motion, spin the cake whilst keeping a straight hold of the scraper. Repeat this a few times, filling in any gaps with extra buttercream. You should be left with an even crumb coat around the cake. Then, take your palette knife and smooth the top of the cake.
8. Chill the cake until the buttercream feels firm to touch. About 20 minutes in the freezer or 30-40 minutes in the fridge.
9. Whilst the buttercream is chilling, grease one side of a cake disc with butter and add a circle of parchment paper, the same size as the cake disc. Use a palette knife to smooth the parchment paper – almost like you are βsqueegeeingβ out any excess buttercream. Place this disc in the freezer.
10. Once chilled, add a thick layer of the vanilla swiss meringue buttercream onto the top of the cake. Use a palette knife to spread the buttercream to the edge of the cake. Place your second cake disc on top of the buttercream, with the parchment paper facing down. Press down firmly, and use your cake scraper to line up the top cake disc with the bottom cake disc.
11. Add more vanilla swiss meringue buttercream to the outside of the cake using a palette knife, and, following the same technique as the crumb coating, use the cake scraper to evenly spread the buttercream over the whole cake. Repeat the process 4-5 times, filling in any gaps with buttercream after each spin, until you have a nice smooth layer of buttercream. Make sure you clean and heat your scraper in between each spn, and start scraping from the same place each time.
12. Once happy with the cake, chill once more until the buttercream feels firm to touch. About 20 minutes in the freezer or 30-40 minutes in the fridge.
13. Once chilled, carefully run a knife in between the parchment paper and the cake disc to gently dislodge it. You should be able to lift the disc off, then peel the parchment paper off.Β
14. Use a palette knife and a little more buttercream to the top and gently smooth the top of the cake as best as possible. Donβt worry too much, as we are going to spray it so it doesnβt need to be perfect.Β
White Chocolate Decoration
For this decoration we need to use tempered White Chocolate. There is a thorough guide and video to this here. I recommended splitting this into two batches, as it is a quick process so 800g is too much chocolate to work with at once.
I use a raplette to level my chocolate and create a more professional finish. You can do this using a palette knife but it will be uneven. These instructions assume you are using a raplette.
1. Once you have tempered your first batch of chocolate, take an A3 sheet of acetate and press it down onto a very lightly oiled work surface (to ensure it sticks). Alongside this, lay down a few sheets of clingfilm, longer than the length of the acetate, also on an oiled surface.
2. Set the raplette to a height of 2-3mm and a width of roughly 25cm/10 inches. Pour the tempered chocolate into the well of the raplette and, working quickly, drag this along your acetate to create an even rectangle of chocolate.
3. Let the chocolate set until it is just touch dry (you donβt want it to solidify too much). This should only take 2-3 minutes.
4. Using a sharp knife and a metal ruler, cut even, diagonal lines across the chocolate, roughly 3cm/1.25β wide. Repeat this in the other direction to create squares.
5. Place another sheet of acetate on top and lift the chocolate onto the clingfilm. Place a large rolling pin at one end and wrap the clingfilm and chocolate around the rolling pin. You need to ensure youβre working quickly here to ensure the chocolate doesnβt snap as youβre rolling it. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.Β
6. Once set, carefully remove the rolling pin and clingfilm to release the squares of chocolate. Put them to one side and repeat the process with the second batch of tempered chocolate.
Assembly
1. There are no real rules here! Just start to add your chocolate squares onto your cake, layer by layer. I like to overlap mine to create a bit more texture. If your cake is too cold, the chocolate wonβt stick, so it can be helpful to heat it up a little with a heat gun/hair dryer before you palace on each square. You want your top layer of chocolate to end slightly above the top of the cake. Once youβve added all the chocolate, place the cake in the fridge or freezer so it is cold before we spray. It only needs around 15m in the freezer or 30m in the fridge.Β
2. Next move on to your velvet spray. You can buy a premade spray in a can, or you can make your own velvet spray and use a fence spray gun (!) to spray your cake. To do this, add your ingredients to a bowl and stir over a pan of gently simmering water until melted. Then remove from the heat and cool until it reaches 45C.
3. Add the mixture to the spray gun and spray evenly over your cake. This is really messy so make sure anything behind your cake is well protected!
4. Ensure the cake comes to room temperature before serving.
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Tarte TropΓ©zienne
TIER 2
Tarte TropΓ©zienne
This recipe uses the same style of enriched dough as Tier 1, but we add a few more elements to level it up. We make a crème diplomate for the centre of the cake, and top it with a streusel. Traditional Tarte Tropézienne also has pearl sugar on top which gives it a lovely crunch! If you want to level this up even more, try adding some of the raspberry gel from the Maritozzi Marchigiani!
2
TARTE TROPΓZIENNE
Ingredients
For the dough
150g Whole Milk
90g Double/Heavy Cream
180g Whole Eggs
120g Caster Sugar
12g Salt
120g Plain Flour
495g French Strong Patisserie Flour (you are looking for white patisserie flour with a protein content of around 11-12%. Alternatively you could use white bread flour)
12g Instant Dry Yeast
Zest 1 Medium Orange
120g Unsalted Butter, Cold + Cubed
For the crème pÒtissière
500g Whole Milk
1 fresh vanilla bean pod/1.5 tsp vanilla bean paste
75g Caster Sugar
120g Egg Yolks
40g Cornstarch
Pinch of Sea Salt Flakes
For the crème diplomat
Crème pÒtissière (Above)
Weight of crème pÒtissière in Double/Heavy Cream
For the egg wash
60g Whole Egg
5g Double/Heavy Cream
For the streusel
25g Demerara Sugar (or light brown sugar)
25g Unsalted Butter, Cold
25g Plain/All Purpose Flour
25g Ground Almonds
For the sugar syrup
50g Water
50g Sugar
To bake
Pearl sugar
Special equipment
Stand mixer
7″ cake tin/7″ ring mould
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the orange zest followed by the milk, eggs and cream. On top of this, add the sugar, salt, flours and yeast. Knead the dough on a medium speed for around 15 minutes, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl throughout to ensure all the mixture is combined.
2. Next, slowly add the cubed butter a few pieces at a time, leaving about 20-30 seconds between each addition. Continue kneading for 12-15 minutes, until the dough comes away cleanly from the side of the bowl.
3. Once kneaded, take your dough out of the bowl and shape into a ball. Put it in a lightly greased bowl and lightly grease the top of the dough. Cover the top of the dough directly with cling film, and then cover the bowl with cling film. Proof in the fridge overnight (minimum 12 hours)
4. The next day, once your dough has proofed, take it out of the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour the top of the dough and your rolling pin, and roll it out into an oval shape to approximately half an inch thick.
5. Cut two circles out of your dough, the same circumference as the bottom of your cake tin or ring mould. (If youβre using a ring mould, you can use the ring mould to cut the dough. If youβre using a cake tin, you can use a pizza wheel to cut around the bottom of the tin.)
6. Place the dough into your greased and lined cake tins/ring moulds. Cover with a tea towel and leave to proof for 2-2.5 hours. Whilst proofing, make your crème pÒtissière.
7. Start the crΓ¨me pΓ’tissiΓ¨re by heating milk and vanilla in a saucepan over a medium heat. Whilst this is heating up, in a separate bowl whisk together the egg yolk, sugar, cornstarch and salt.Β
8. Once the milk has come to a gentle simmer, slowly pour it over the top of the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
9. Pour the combined mixture back into the saucepan and continue whisking until the mixture starts to thicken. It will take about two minutes to come to a boil. Once it reaches this point, heat and whisk for a further minute to cook out all the cornstarch. You should be left with a thick, pudding-like consistency.
10. Pass the mixture through a sieve onto a baking tray lined with cling film. Cover the surface of the mixture directly with cling film and chill in the fridge for 2 hours. Meanwhile, make the streusel.
11. In a bowl, add all your ingredients and combine them together with your hands until the butter has broken down and itβs a sand-like consistency. Then squeeze the streusel into a ball, cover it in cling film and chill it in the fridge for at least an hour.
12. Just before the dough has finished proofing, preheat your oven to 160C/320F Non- Fan Assisted.Β
13. Make the egg wash by whisking together the eggs and cream in a bowl. Lightly brush the top of your cakes with the egg wash, then grate the streusel over the top (youβll have some leftover). Lastly, add a good amount of pearl sugar. Bake the cakes for 35 minutes, until the inside of the cakes are above 90C. Whilst your cakes are baking, make the sugar syrup.
14. In a saucepan, add the sugar and water and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved, then leave to one side to cool.
15. Once baked, take your cakes out of their tins and leave to cool on a wire rack (approximately 45 minutes)
16. Once cooled, cut the cakes in half and brush your sugar syrup over the bottom half of the cakes. Next, make your crème diplomate.
17. Take your crΓ¨me pΓ’tissiΓ¨re out of the fridge and weigh it in a bowl (you should have approximately 525g). Weigh the same weight in double cream and whisk in a bowl until you have a medium stiff peak. Itβs important that the cream is not under whipped as if it is too soft, it will result in a soft crΓ¨me diplomate that won’t be able to support the weight of the brioche and it will βsmooshβ out when you place the lid on top.Β
18. Going back to your crΓ¨me pΓ’tissiΓ¨re, whisk it lightly until smooth, then fold in your whipped cream a third at a time, until itβs just combined. This is your crΓ¨me diplomate. Add the mixture to a piping bag with a 15mm round tip nozzle.
19. Pipe the cream in large droplets all over the base of the cakes, then gently put the tops of the cakes back on top. Dust with icing sugar, then your cakes are ready to serve!
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Salted Caramel Bundt Cake
TIER 2
Salted Caramel Bundt Cake
This recipe we advance the ‘flavoured sugar’ technique from Tier 1 and make a powdered salted caramel to add to the cake batter. This was a bit of a fluke whilst recipe testing but wow, the flavour of this cake is unreal! I’ve topped it with a decorative salted caramel sauce that’s quite chewy in texture. If you want something softer, switch it out for the salted caramel recipe in Tier 2 of the Chocolate Tart classes!
112 CUP BUNDT CAKE
Ingredients
For the caramel sugar
320g Caster/Granulated Sugar
4g Fine Sea Salt
For the caramel cake
245g Caramel Sugar (Recipe Above)
95g Caster/Granulated Sugar
95g Light Brown Sugar
465g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
385g Whole Eggs, Room Temperature
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
465g Self Raising Flour
35g Boiling Water
Soft unsalted butter + flour to coat the bundt tin
For the caramel sauce
125g Caster/Granulated Sugar
65g Water
75g Double Cream
30g Unsalted Butter
Pinch Sea Salt Flakes
Special equipment
Blender
Stand Mixer
12 Cup Bundt Tin
Caramel Sugar
1. Into a medium frying pan, add about β of the sugar, spreading it evenly across the pan.
2. Place the pan onto a medium heat, and gently shake the pan to agitate the caramel, until it has melted.
3. Add another β of the sugar on top and agitate the pan again to dissolve the sugar, until it has melted.Β
4. Continue adding the sugar in increments, ensuring it is fully melted before adding the next addition. At this point, you can begin to use a rubber spatula to stir it through.
5. Once you have added all of the sugar, add in the salt and continue to stir it with a rubber spatula until it reaches a deep amber colour.
6. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it evenly onto a baking tray lined with a silicon mat.
7. Allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, until it has set completely firm.
8. Once set, break the caramel into shards and place it into a high powered blender and blender for 5-10 seconds, into a fine powder*
* Once you have blended the sugar, it is important to use it immediately for the cake, otherwise it will begin to absorb moisture and go very sticky.Β Β
Caramel Cake
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/355F Non-Fan Assisted. Take soft butter (not melted), and use a pastry brush to brush the inside of the bundt tin to ensure an even coating. Sieve over a few tablespoons of plain/all-purpose flour and shake it around the tin to coat. Tap out the excess and set the tin to one side.Β
2. Take the caramel sugar and weigh 245g.
3. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the soft butter and all the sugars. With the paddle attachment, beat it on a medium speed for 3-4 minutes, until the mixture is thicker and paler in consistency, scraping down the bowl as needed.Β
4. Add the eggs in four parts, beating for a few seconds between each addition (still at a medium speed). Then add the vanilla bean paste. At this point, the batter will look split but donβt panic.Β
5. Sift in the self-raising flour, and mix on a low speed just until the flour has been absorbed.Β
6. Finally, tip in the boiling water and mix to combine. This will help to loosen the cake batter slightly.Β
7. Use a spatula to evenly scoop the cake batter into the lined bundt tin, then using the back of a slightly warm spoon, spread the top of the batter out just to smooth it slightly.Β
8. Place the cake into the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.Β
9. Allow it to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before placing a wire rack on top, and then flip the cake out to release it. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before adding the Caramel Sauce
Caramel Sauce
Note: if you want a softer, runny caramel sauce I would recommend using the Tier 2 salted caramel recipe from the Octoberβs chocolate tart recipe.
1. Into a medium saucepan add the water, then the sugar. Place it on a medium heat.
2. Cook the caramel, until it reaches a deep golden brown colour, being careful not to burn it.
3. Pour in the cream and add the butter. Be careful as this will bubble quite violently. Use a hand whisk to mix it through and continue to cook for about 30 seconds on a medium low heat until you have a smooth glossy caramel. Stir in a good pinch of sea salt flakes and whisk them through.
4. The caramel can be served immediately as a warm sauce, or poured over the top of the cake in a decorative drip. The caramel will set as it cools, and turn into a more stringy, chewy texture, like a candy bar! It holds its shape very well, so is perfect to leave at room temperature on the cake for when you are ready to serve.
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Raspberry Maritozzi Marchigiani
TIER 2
Raspberry Maritozzi Marchigiani
For this recipe, we use the same dough as Tier 1 but we turn it into a more advanced shape. We make a raspberry reduction and a raspberry gel which really takes it to the next level. I’ve not added crΓ¨me pΓ’tissiΓ¨re to this one, but you easily can to add that extra bit of decadence. I’ve topped it with raspberry powder and edible flowers to give it that extra wow factor.
6
LONG BUNS
Ingredients
For the raspberry gel + raspberry reduction
400g Frozen Raspberries
40g Caster/Granulated Sugar
Agar Agar Powder
For the dough
315g White Bread Flour
25g Caster/Granulated Sugar
6g Instant Dry Yeast
5.5g Sea Salt
55g Whole Eggs
160g Whole Milk
Zest Β½ Lemon
2g Vanilla Bean Paste (1 Tsp)
55g Unsalted Butter, Cold + Cubed
For the egg wash
50g Whole Egg
5g Whole Milk
For the vanilla cream
300g Double/Heavy Cream
5g Icing/Powdered Sugar
To Decorate
Raspberry Powder
Edible Flowers (Micro Amaranth, Wood Sorrel)
Special equipment
Stand mixer with paddle and whisk attachments
Hand blender
Piping bag
Palette knife
For the Raspberry Gel and Reduction
1. Into a medium heat-proof bowl, add the frozen raspberries and pour the sugar over the top. Toss them gently to combine. Tightly wrap the surface of the bowl with cling film so that it is completely sealed.
2. Place a medium saucepan on the hob, filling it β with water. Bring this to a gentle simmer.
3. Immediately lower the heat to its lowest setting and place the bowl of raspberries on top. Let this sit on the pan for 2 hours.
4. After 2 hours, place a sieve lined with kitchen paper over a large bowl and pour the cooked raspberries into the sieve.Β
5. Place the bowl into the fridge for 2 hours (or ideally overnight), allowing the raspberry syrup to drip into the bowl underneath.
6. Scoop the raspberry reduction out of the sieve and scoop this into a bowl. Cover it and refrigerate until ready to use.Β
7. Take the raspberry liquid from the bowl, and pour it into a jug sitting on a digital scale. For every 100g of raspberry syrup, we are going to add 1g of agar agar powder. (So for example, if the liquid weighs 120g, add 1.2g of agar agar powder)
8. Add the raspberry syrup and the agar agar powder into a saucepan and bring it to a boil, whisking to combine. Once at a boil, cook for 1 minute.
9. Remove it from the heat and pour it onto a shallow baking tray and set it in the fridge to cool until firm to the touch (this should take about 30 minutes).Β
10. Once firm, break the gel into pieces and blend until smooth. Set this gel aside, covered in the fridge, until ready to use.
For the Dough
1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add milk, eggs and yeast. On top of that, pour the flour, sugar & finally the salt. Add in the lemon zest & vanilla.
2. Knead the dough for 10 minutes on a medium low speed, scraping down the sides half way through to make sure everything is incorporated.
3. After 10 minutes, add in the cubed cold butter a little at a time, and increase the speed to medium. Once all the butter has incorporated, knead for a further 3 minutes by which point the dough should be nice and smooth.
4. Lift the dough out of the bowl and onto your work surface. Gently shape it into a smooth round ball and lift it into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film and proof the dough for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
5. Once proofed, remove the dough from the bowl and cut it into 100g pieces. You should get 6 pieces of dough in total.
6. Take each piece of dough and roughly shape it into a tight ball. Then, using your hand, flatten the dough into a rough oval shape, flip it over, so the smooth side is now facing down, and the short edge of the dough is facing towards you.
7. If the dough has started to contract, just press it out again with your fingers.
8. Use your fingers to gently blend the bottom edge of the dough into the work surface. Then, starting at the top, tightly roll the dough on itself, into a log shape. You might need a tiny bit of flour on your hands as you do this, but avoid using too much or it will prevent the dough from sticking together.Β
9. Once youβve got the log shape, gently roll it back and forth on the surface, and then use your fingers to apply some pressure at the ends of the dough, pressing down and rocking the dough back and forth, to form small βtailsβ on the end of the dough (almost like a baguette)
10. Carefully lift the dough, seams side down, onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and repeat with the remaining dough.Β
11. Cover the dough loosely with a tea towel and allow it to proof again for another 1-1.5 hours until the dough has increased in size about 1.5x.
12. Just before the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 180C/355F (non-fan assisted).
13. Prepare the egg wash by whisking together the egg and milk.
14. Use a pastry brush to paint an even coating over the dough and then place the dough into the oven and bake for around 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
15. Remove from the oven and lift them onto a wire cooling rack, to cool completely.
For the cream
1. In a stand mixer, whisk together the double cream and icing sugar until you have a medium peak.
Assembly
1. Cut your bun down the centre (like a hot dog!) and add a small amount of the raspberry pulp across the bottom of the bun. I wouldnβt recommend overloading your bun with this! If you want to take this to the next level, you can also add some crΓ¨me pΓ’tissiΓ¨re from Tier 1 too!Β
2. Fill the rest of the bun with the whipped cream. Then, using a warm palette knife, scrape across the edge of the bun to smooth the cream and create a nice clean finish. Youβll be left with a little cream around the edges, so I tend to use my (clean!) finger to remove this.
3. Next, add your raspberry gel to a piping bag and cut a small hole at the end. Pipe the gel onto your bun as you wish. I went full-on hot dog and piped mine like ketchup in a zigzag pattern over the cream.
4. Finally, dust your optional raspberry powder over the top of the bun, and add the optional edible flowers. Repeat for all buns.Β
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Chocolate and Caramel Tartlets
TIER 2
Chocolate and Caramel Tartlets
For this recipe, we use the same pastry and filling from Tier 1, butΒ we advance itΒ by using individual perforated tart rings, and by creating a Chocolate Namelaka and a Salted Caramel. I’ve used a #127 piping nozzle to create a funky design around the edge, but you can do whatever you fancy!
6
TARTLETS
Ingredients
For the chocolate pastry
70g powdered/icing sugar
100g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
20g cocoa powder
50g egg yolks
180g all purpose/plain flour, plus a pinch of sea salt
For the cocoa egg wash
40g egg yolks, plus 5g cocoa powder
10g heavy/double cream
For the Namelaka
3g powdered gelatin
18g cold water
160g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids
120g whole milk
12g glucose
240g heavy/double cream, cold
For the salted caramel
88g heavy/double cream
23g whole milk
68g glucose syrup, divided
40g superfine/caster sugar
1g flaky sea salt
30g unsalted butter
For the filling
100g eggs
50g granulated/caster sugar
pinch of sea salt
110g heavy/double cream
200g whole milk
80g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids
Special equipment
Stand mixer with paddle and whisk attachments
6x 3 x 0.78 inch (7.6×1.98cm) perforated tart rings
2x piping bags, plus a #127 tip piping nozzle
Hand blender
Chocolate pastry and egg wash
- Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift in the sugar. Add the butter and the cocoa powder.
- Beat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture forms a smooth paste, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add in the egg yolks, scrape down the sides and beat for 30 seconds, or until incorporated.
- Scrape down the bowl once again to ensure no butter is stuck to the sides. Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed for about 20 to 30 seconds, or until the mixture pulls together into a dough.
- Squeeze the mixture in your hand to form a rough ball. Place the ball of dough onto a silicone mat. Place a second silicone mat on top and roll the mixture into a rough rectangle, getting it around 0.15 to 0.2 inch (4mm to 5mm) thick. If you donβt have silicone mats you can roll the dough between parchment paper, but it will be more difficult as it has less grip. Place it in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- While the dough is chilling, take the perforated tart ring and very lightly grease the inside with soft butter. This helps to prevent the dough from sticking to the ring.
- Remove the chilled dough from the freezer and, working quickly, peel the top silicone mat off of the dough. Press the 4 tart rings firmly into the dough, lift them up, and transfer them to a perforated tray lined with a perforated baking mat. The dough should be cold enough that it attaches to the ring as you lift it up. Place the tray in the fridge while you cut the walls.
- With the remaining dough, use a ruler and a sharp knife to cut 4 strips of dough each measuring 9.6 x 0.9 inches (24.4 x 2.3cm). These measurements seem quite precise, but this will ensure the dough fits perfectly into the tart rings with no excess overlapping. If they feel too warm to lift up, place them back in the freezer for 5 minutes just so they can cool back down slightly.Β
- Remove the baking tray with the tart bases from the fridge and remove one strip of dough for the walls.
- Working quickly, take the strip of dough and place it inside the tart ring. Use your fingers to gently press together this strip of dough, against the base of the tart. The idea is to slightly push down the wall of dough so that it meets the dough on the base of the tart shell and there are no gaps. If at any point you feel the dough is too warm or is tearing, place everything back in the freezer for 10 minutes then carry on.
- Repeat this with the remaining tarts, again, chilling the dough if needed. At this point, squeeze together the remaining scraps of dough, and repeat the process, rolling the dough and chilling it, so that you can create the final 2 tart shells.Β
- Once you have lined all the tart shells, avoid trying to move them in case the dough tears. Chill the entire tray for 15 minutes and pre-heat your oven to 350Β°F/175Β°C.
- Remove the shells from the freezer and holding a knife perpendicular to the tart shell, trim off the excess pastry hanging over the tart ring so that the pastry is flush.
- Place the tart shells in the oven, and bake for 15 minutes. While they bake, thoroughly whisk together the ingredients for the egg wash.Β
- Remove the tarts from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes. At this point, the pastry should have retracted slightly from the ring mold, and you should be able to lift it off easily.
- Lift the shells up and using a pastry brush, apply an even egg wash all over the tart. Place them back on the tray and into the oven for a further 5-8 minutes. The pastry is blind baked now ready to add your filling.Β
Namelaka
- In a small bowl, combine the powdered gelatin and cold water. Mix well and allow to bloom for 5 minutes.
- To a medium bowl, add the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water without allowing the bowl to touch the water. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside.
- To a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk and glucose. Stir the mixture until steaming. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the bloomed gelatin until it completely dissolves.Β
- Slowly pour this mixture over the melted chocolate, stirring in small circles in the center of the chocolate as you pour. Initially, the mixture will look quite split and oily, but as you add the remaining milk, everything will pull together.
- Add the cold cream and use a hand blender or a hand whisk to mix until combined. Cover the surface with plastic wrap/cling film and refrigerate for a minimum of 5 hours or ideally overnight.
Salted Caramel
- In a medium saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, combine the milk, heavy cream, and 23 grams of corn/glucose syrup. Bring to a gentle simmer, whisking the mixture to ensure the syrup has fully dissolved. Remove the saucepan from the heat but ensure the mixture stays warm.
- In a medium saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, combine the superfine/caster sugar and the remaining 45 grams of glucose sugar. Cook until the mixture turns a deep caramel color, whisking slowly to help disperse the sugar.
- Once golden, immediately pour in the hot cream mixture, being very careful as it will bubble up violently. Whisk the mixture and cook for 1 minute.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the mixture through a sieve and into a large bowl. Let the mixture cool for 2 minutes. Add the sea salt flakes and butter. Blend or whisk until smooth.Β
- Pour the mixture into a container and chill for at least 3 hours
Filling
- Lower the oven temperature to 285Β°F/140Β°C.
- To a medium bowl, add the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and salt for 1 minute.Β
- In a small saucepan over a medium heat, combine the milk and cream. Heat until the mixture is steaming.Β
- Slowly pour the milk mixture over the eggs, whisking to combine as you pour.
- Slowly pour this mixture over the melted chocolate, using a spatula to stir the mixture in small circles in the center as you pour. Once everything has been combined, use a spoon to scoop off any foamy bubbles on the top.
Assembly
- Place the tray with the tarts on, in the middle of the oven and carefully pour in the chocolate fillingβjust to the top of the tart shell. Bake for about 25 or 30 minutes or until they have a very small wobble in the center.Β
- Remove the tarts from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature before refrigerating for 3 hours.Β
- Remove the namelaka from the fridge and add it to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until you get a mediumβstiff peak.Β
- Add the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a small St. Honore nozzle. Holding the piping bag just slightly below vertical, pipe the namelaka around the outside edge of the tart in a zigzag motion, leaving a small gap in the center. If you have a cake turntable, this can make it a little easier to spin the tart as you pipe.
- Add the salted caramel to a piping bag and snip a small hole off the end. Pipe this into the center of the tart.
- Allow the tarts to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.Β
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Tier 2
Lemon Meringue Pavlova
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Tier 2
Black Sesame & Blackberry
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Tier 2
Chocolate Sheet Cake
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Tier 2
Orange Blossom Paris Brest
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Tier 2
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
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Tier 2
Pain De Mie
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Tier 2
Apple Crumble
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Tier 2
Croissants
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Tier 2
Gourmet Brownie
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Tier 2
Chocolate Hazelnut Tart
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Tier 2
Chocolate Orange Cheesecake
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Tier 2
Black Forest Gateaux
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Tier 2
Almond & Orange Cake
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Tier 2
Kanelbullar (Cinnamon Rolls)
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Tier 2
Chocolate Praline Finger Cake
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Tier 2
Sourdough Focaccia
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Tier 2
Chocolate Moelleux
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Tier 2
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
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Tier 2
Vanilla & Blueberry Danish
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Tier 2
Japanese Milk Bread
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Tier 2
Salted Caramel Bon Bons
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Tier 2
St Honore Tart
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Tier 2
Chocolate Hazelnut Finger
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Tier 3
Brown Butter Madeleines
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Tier 2
Crème Brûlée Cheesecake
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
Tier 2
Lemon Tart
We would love to see your Bake It Better creations!
Show off your skills by sharing your desserts
#BakeItBetter
