Candied Fruit Pastry Cream Food

PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• Stir together the milk, salt, vanilla bean and seeds and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a medium saucepan until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the sugar has just dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the cornstarch, egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl until smooth. While continually whisking, slowly pour in about 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture. Continue to whisk until smooth. (This is called tempering, and it will prevent the yolks from scrambling.) Continue whisking and adding 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture at a time until completely combined and smooth.
• Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan and turn the heat to medium. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and the texture of pudding, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, then whisk in the butter until smooth and glossy. Remove the vanilla bean.
• Strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the pastry cream, and refrigerate until chilled through, at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Before serving, whisk the pastry cream until smooth and fluffy.

PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• 1. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat.
• 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg yolks until pale. Sift the cornstarch into the mixture and whisk to combine. Whisk about one-quarter of the milk into the yolk mixture, then whisk the yolk mixture into the pan with the remaining milk. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until the custard thickens and boils. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter until it has completely melted. Scrape the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a stainless steel bowl, set the bowl in an ice bath, and stir frequently until cold. Cover the surface of the pastry cream with plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate until ready to use.

CANDIED-FRUIT PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• Place raisins in small bowl. Add 1/4 cup rum. Cover and let stand 2 hours. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add crushed cookies and amaretto and stir to combine. Set aside.
• Bring milk to simmer in heavy large saucepan. Using electric mixer, beat yolks and sugar in large bowl until thick and pale. Beat in vanilla. Sift flour into yolk mixture; whisk to blend. Gradually whisk in hot milk. Return to saucepan. Whisk constantly over medium heat until pastry cream boils and is very thick, about 10 minutes. Transfer to large bowl.
• Drain raisins, reserving soaking liquid. Add 1/4 cup rum to liquid; reserve for panettone. Mix raisins, candied fruit and cookie mixture into pastry cream. Chill until cold, whisking often, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill pastry cream and rum mixture separately.)
• Beat whipping cream in bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold into pastry cream

PANETTONE FILLED WITH CANDIED-FRUIT PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• Turn panettone upside down. Peel paper off flat end but leave paper on sides. Using serrated knife and starting 1/2 inch from edge, cut around edge and down to 1 inch from rounded end of panettone (do not perforate top). Turn bread rounded side up. Insert serrated knife into side of bread just above paper and cut 3-inch-long horizontal slit. Insert knife in slit (do not perforate sides) and cut cylinder-shaped center of bread free. Insert fingertips into slit; press down to release cylinder. Remove cylinder; cut horizontally into 4 rounds.
• Place bread flat end up in bowl. Brush inside with some of rum mixture. Spoon 1 cup pastry cream into bread. Top with 1 bread round. Brush with some of rum mixture. Repeat layering twice with pastry cream, bread rounds and rum mixture. Cover with remaining bread round. Turn flat side down onto platter. Chill 4 hours.
• Stir chocolate and butter in heavy saucepan over low heat until smooth.
• Peel paper from sides of bread. Pour chocolate mixture over top, allowing to drip down sides. Sprinkle with almonds. Chill at least 6 hours or overnight.

PUFF-PASTRY FRUIT TART WITH ALMOND CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut 3/4-inch-wide strip off each side of pastry and reserve. Roll out pastry square on work surface to 9 1/2-inch square. Brush edges of square with egg glaze. Arrange 3/4-inch-wide strips atop edges, forming raised border. Brush border with glaze. Pierce center of pastry all over with fork. Bake until pastry is golden brown about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, blend almond paste and cream in processor until almost smooth. Spoon almond filling into center of tart and spread evenly. Bake 5 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool.
• Melt jam with ginger in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Arrange fruit decoratively atop tart. Brush jam glaze over fruit. Cut tart into squares and serve.