Pie and Pastry Bible (123 page)

On a well-floured counter, place the dough and dust it well with flour. Roll it into a rectangle (the exact size is unimportant). Using a flat cookie sheet or dough scraper to flip over the bottom and top of the dough, fold it as you would fold a business letter, brushing off any excess flour. Lift up the dough, clean the work surface, lightly reflour it, and position the dough so that the closed side is toward your left. Lightly flour the top of the dough and roll the dough into a rectangle about the same size as before. Fold the dough as before, clean the surface, reflour it, and position the dough so that the closed side is to your left. Repeat these steps one more time, then divide the dough into 2 pieces. Wrap each and chill them for at least 45 minutes and up to 2 days. (The dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.)

HAND METHOD

In a bowl, combine the flour and salt and whisk to combine them. Add the butter and rub the mixture between your fingertips until large flakes form. Add the cream and stir the mixture until it holds together.

Empty the dough onto a work surface and
fraisez
it (smear it in front of you with the palm of your hand two or three times—but don’t overwork it). The dough should feel slightly elastic and large flakes of butter still be visible. Roll and chill the dough as above.

Preheat the oven to 425°F at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the middle level before preheating.

ROLL, SHAPE, AND BAKE THE WAFFLES

Work with one piece of dough at a time, leaving the remaining dough in the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a square about 7 inches across and ¼ inch thick. Use the cookie cutter to cut out four 3-inch
rounds. Sprinkle a clean work surface and the rounds of dough with sugar. Gently roll each round to make a 5- by 3-inch oval. Using a small flexible pancake turner or offset metal spatula, transfer the ovals to the cookie sheets, spacing them at least 1 inch apart. (If you have only 1 cookie sheet, place the second 4 waffles on a sheet of parchment. Cover and chill until the first batch is baked. Quickly slip the remaining waffles, still on the parchment, onto the cookie sheet and immediately place in the hot oven to bake.)

Bake the waffles until they are puffed and lightly browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the cookie sheets to racks and allow the waffles to cool slightly, then remove them to racks to cool completely.

MAKE THE RICH WHIPPED CREAM FILLING

Chill a medium bowl for the whipped cream. Have ready a greased 1-cup heatproof glass measure near the range.

In a medium bowl, beat the yolks with an electric mixer until light in color.

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan (preferably with a nonstick lining) and heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the syrup comes to a boil. Continue cooking, without stirring, until to 238°F. (the soft ball stage). Immediately transfer the syrup to the glass measure to stop the cooking.

If using an electric hand-held mixer, beat the syrup into the yolks in a steady stream. Don’t allow the syrup to fall directly on the beaters, or it will spin it onto the sides of the bowl. If using a stand mixer, turn it off, very briefly, while adding the syrup in 3 parts. Use a rubber scraper to remove the syrup clinging to the glass measure. Continue beating until completely cool.

Gradually beat in the butter. The buttercream will not thicken until almost all of the butter has been added. (The filling can be stored at this point, refrigerated, for up to 5 days, but it must be softened to room temperature for about 1 hour before adding the whipped cream.)

Beat the heavy cream in the chilled bowl until soft peaks form when the beater is lifted. With a large whisk, fold the whipped cream and vanilla extract into the buttercream. This filling will be very fluffy. If you’re not ready to use it shortly, it can be refrigerated for up to 8 hours, but it must be allowed to soften to room temperature before filling the waffles.

ASSEMBLE THE WAFFLE SANDWICHES

Up to 4 hours before serving, place 4 waffles on a counter, flat side up. Spread ½ cup of the filling evenly on top of each waffle (it will be about ¼ inch thick). Top each with a waffle, flat side down. Dust lightly with powdered sugar. Use a pancake turner to lift the filled waffles onto serving plates (they are very fragile). If desired, place a few fresh berries on each plate.

STORE

Room temperature, uncovered, up to 4 hours.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

The egg yolk and sugar syrup mixture for the filling must be completely cool before adding the butter.

This pastry is too fragile to line a pie or tart pan.

UNDERSTANDING

This dough has almost equal weights of butter and flour, a ratio that approaches that of puff pastry. It has
cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) less flour than the basic flaky pie crust, half the water (3.5 tablespoons of cream contains about 2 tablespoons of water), and about 1¾ ounces/50 grams more butterfat, from the cream—this is why it is so much more tender.

TWELFTH NIGHT GALETTE

(
Galette des Rois
)

T
his flower-like disc of the flakiest, most decorative puff pastry is filled with a thin layer of frangipane for the added flavor of almonds and sweetness. In France, it is traditionally baked to celebrate Twelfth Night and a
fæve
(fava bean) or tiny ceramic figure is baked into the pastry. The person who discovers it in his or her portion is considered to be lucky for the whole year. (Without the bean, it is called Pithiviers.)

This is an ideal make-ahead dessert because the pastry and the filling actually benefit from being frozen before baking. Individual galettes (see the variation) also make charming presentations. I love this dessert because of its beauty and its delicious taste.

EQUIPMENT

A heavy pizza pan or inverted half-size sheet pan

Make the dough (page 417 or 420), or defrost it according to the package directions.

MAKE THE FRANGIPANE

In a food processor, pulse the nuts until finely chopped. Add the remaining ingredients and process only until mixed. Chill, tightly covered, for at least 1 hour or as long as 1 week. (Alternatively, you can combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, stirring by hand. In this case, the mixture may be firm enough to use without chilling.)

MAKE THE GLAZE

Beat together the egg yolk and cream just to mix.

ASSEMBLE THE GALETTE

You will need to roll out two 11-inch rounds [or two 9-inch rounds] of puff pastry, the bottom layer
inch thick and the top 3/16 inch thick, so when cutting the dough, make one piece slightly larger than the other. To roll, push in the corners of the dough and roll from the center to the edge, trying to keep the dough as round as possible.

Roll out the smaller piece of dough and transfer it to a pizza pan that has been moistened with water. Using a 10-inch [9-inch] inverted cake pan, gently mark a
ring in the dough. Spread the frangipane [use only ¾ cup] in the center of the dough, making the outer edge higher than the center and leaving a 1-inch border. Paint the border with the egg glaze.

Roll out the second piece of puff pastry and place it over the first piece, pressing down firmly on the border to make the two pieces adhere. With a 10-inch [9-inch] inverted cake pan, gently mark a ring in the dough. Cover the pastry with plastic wrap and freeze it until firm enough to cut without compressing the pastry layers at the edge, about 30 minutes. (They must be left open to allow the pastry full flight when it rises.)

Use the tip of a sharp knife to cut the pastry into a 10-inch (9-inch) circle. Brush the top of the pastry with egg glaze, being careful not to allow it to drip onto the sides (and thus sealing them closed). Freeze for 20 minutes.

Brush the pastry again with egg glaze. Using the tip of a sharp knife, cut a leaf pattern (Figures 1 and 2) into the top of the dough, going about 1/16 inch deep, or one third of the way through.
^*
Cut a steam vent into the center of the pastry or into a few of the decor lines, going through to the filling. Using a sharp blade, make ¼-inch-long vertical slashes about ¼ inch deep
^*
at even intervals into the border of the dough. For an alternative design, see Figure 3. Using the tip of a sharp knife, starting at the center of the galette and continuing to the slash marks, make curved lines in the top of the dough, going about 1/16 inch deep, or one third of the way through. Cut small steam vents into 3 of these lines, piercing the upper layer of the dough. Cover the pastry with an inverted bowl or cake pan and allow it to rest, refrigerated for 2 hours, to relax the dough and prevent distortion.