Paris Pastry Club: A collection of cakes, tarts, pastries and other indulgent recipes (15 page)

6

(THE PERFECT END TO A PERFECT EVENING)

ICED YOGHURT
(NOT UNLIKE A NOUGAT)
WITH MEAD-BAKED PEACH

PISTACHIO NOUGAT

FRESH STRAWBERRIES
À LA PIMM’S & LEMONADE

PUMPKIN PIE, SORT OF

ROASTED FIGS,
VANILLA SPONGE,
GOATS’ CHEESE CURD,
OLIVE OIL JELLY

AVOCADO & CHILLI,
HORCHATA FOAM

ELDERFLOWER
SUMMER PUDDING

SALTED CARAMEL
& MILK CHOCOLATE
FLAN PÂTISSIER

I HAD FORGOTTEN how it feels to gaze at the Milky Way and get lost in our thoughts; making wishes for every shooting star we see.

I had forgotten how to make a cake batter with a wooden spoon; how to knead without a dough hook; how to bake without a timer, and how to eat with our fingers.

I had forgotten how he makes me smile for no reason other than just being him. And how cold it gets when hours are spent sitting on the steps overlooking the garden, talking about anything – everything, really – with a beer or two and a slice of cake; that’s what we do.

We chop and we mix. We fold and we whisk. And when it’s all over and our kitchen looks like a flour storage unit and the sink wishes it never existed, we gather around a table.

A table made of upside-down wooden pallets and my favourite tablecloth. The one with embroidered flowers that my great grand-mother cross-stitched years ago now. We have mismatched plates and glasses. And really, that’s fine. More than fine, in fact.

Because, the very essence of it all hides behind every dessert you’ll put on that table. It’s about much more than food. So much more. Always, and for ever, more.

ICED YOGHURT
(NOT UNLIKE
A NOUGAT)
WITH MEAD-BAKED
PEACH

Serves 6

FOR THE ICED YOGHURT

60 g (2 oz) caster (superfine) sugar

30 g (1 oz) water

1 egg white

125 g (4½ oz) thick yoghurt

125 g (4½ oz) whipping cream,

whipped to soft peaks

FOR THE MEAD-BAKED PEACHES

6 ripe yellow peaches, halved and stoned

60 g (2 oz) caster (superfine) sugar

2 tablespoons honey

250 g (9 oz) mead

FOR THE HONEYCOMB

150 g (5 oz) caster (superfine) sugar

60 g (2 oz) glucose syrup

30 g (1 oz) honey

30 g (1 oz) water

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

TO SERVE

Pistachio Nougat
, optional

To make the iced yoghurt, first place 6 x 6 cm (2 in) metal rings on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Line each ring with a strip of rhodoid or baking parchment.

Heat the sugar and water in a small pan set over medium heat to 118°C (245°F). As the syrup reaches the correct temperature, start whisking the egg whites until soft peaks form. When the syrup is ready, slowly pour it into the side of the bowl, to avoid splatters. Keep on whisking on a high speed until firm and glossy and the bowl feels warm-ish to the touch

Whisk the yoghurt in a large bowl to loosen it, then gently fold in the Italian meringue until almost fully incorporated. Add the cream and fold in until combined.

Pour the yoghurt mousse into a piping bag, cut the tip off and pipe the mousse into the prepared rings so that each is around 3 cm (1¼ in) deep. Freeze for at least 5 hours or overnight.

In the meantime, make the honeycomb. Have a baking tray lined with baking paper ready. Place the sugar, glucose syrup, honey and water into a large pan, and cook over low heat until it turns into a light caramel. Off the heat, add the bicarbonate of soda, mixing well using a wooden spoon. Immediately scrape onto the prepared baking tray and allow to cool completely. Then break the slab into pieces and store into an airtight container until needed.

Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Arrange the peaches cut-side up on a baking tray. Sprinkle with the sugar and honey, and drizzle with the mead. Bake for 20 minutes, spooning the juices over the fruits every 4 minutes or so. Transfer the fruits to a plate and keep at room temperature to cool down slightly.

Bring the juices to the boil in a small saucepan over a high heat. Simmer for 6–8 minutes, or until syrupy. Spoon the syrup over the peaches to coat them slightly.

When you are ready to serve, unmould the frozen yoghurts onto a large serving plate. Add the roasted peaches and drizzle some more syrup on the plate. Break the honeycomb into small pieces and scatter over. Add chopped up nougat, if using.

PISTACHIO
NOUGAT

Makes 1 slab

icing (confectioner's) sugar, for lining the baking tray plus extra for dusting

1 egg white

260 g (9 oz) caster (superfine) sugar

125 g (4½ oz) honey

100 g (3½ oz) water

50 g (2¾ oz) glucose syrup

150 g (5 oz) blanched pistachios

Line a baking tray with baking paper and sprinkle it with a generous amount of icing sugar.

Place the egg white in a stand-mixer and whisk on slow speed until soft peaks form. Add 30 g (1 oz) of the sugar and whisk until stiff. Keep on whisking on slow speed while you get on with the syrups.

In a small pan, cook the honey to 130°C (266°F). In another pan, place the remaining sugar, water and glucose syrup in another pan and cook to 155°C (311°F). With the mixer still on slow to medium speed, pour the boiling honey down the sides of the bowl to mix with the egg white, increase the speed a bit and whisk for a minute or two. When the sugar syrup reaches 155°C (311°F), pour it down the sides of the bowl. Crank up the speed to the maximum and whisk until the bowl just feels slightly warm to the touch. Remove the whisk and add the pistachios, mixing with a wooden spoon as you do so. Immediately scrape the nougat onto the prepared baking tray. Dust with more icing sugar and top with a sheet of baking paper, then roll to a 2 cm thick slab using a rolling pin. Allow to cool down at room temperature for 12 hours, then slice into squares or bars.

FRESH STRAWBERRIES
À LA PIMM’S
& LEMONADE