Ekmek Kadaifi Pastry Topped With Custard And Whipped Cream Food

EKMEK KADAIFI WITH CHOCOLATE CUSTARD.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180 celcius (fan-forced).
• Defrost kadaifi if frozen and scrunch together gently to loosen strands. It should double in volume and fill a 32 x 40cm baking dish. (Don't worry it shrinks when baking.).
• Cut butter into small pieces and dot evenly over the kadaifi.
• Bake in oven for around 15 minutes until golden brown.
• While pastry is baking prepare the syrup.
• Add water and sugar in a small saucepan and boil for 5 minutes. Switch off and allow to cool slightly.
• When the pastry has also cooled slightly add warm syrup over the entire surface of the pastry using a ladle. Don't add it while the pastry is too hot or it will sizzle and evaporate.
• Allow to cool while you prepare the custard.
• Heat 1 litre of milk in a large pot. Pour the remaining 500mls in a small bowl and add the custard powder and combine with a whisk until there are no lumps (you can use your hands if you like).
• When the milk has warmed up but is not too hot to dip a finger into, pour in the custard powder mixture whisking constantly.
• The mixture should thicken very quickly, turn down the heat slightly, add the sugar and cook until the custard is quite thick.
• Switch off the heat and add the chocolate couverture which you have broken into small pieces and whisk until it has melted and a dark brown chocolate custard has formed.
• Add in the zest and the cognac.
• Then pour over the custard over the pastry (it can be warm but should not be hot) and allow to cool.
• Beat the Cool whip or Morfat cream with the icing sugar until white and fluffy. Add in the vanilla essence and the cognac (if using).
• Cover the cooled custard with the whipped topping and sprinkle with chocolate flakes, truffles or shavings.
• Cool in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

GREEK EKMEK KATAIFI RECIPE (CUSTARD AND WHIPPED CREAM PASTRY WITH SYRUP)

Steps:

• To prepare this traditional Ekmek kataifi recipe start by making the base. Preheat the oven to 170C and unroll the kataifi dough from the plastic sleeve. Work the kataifi dough with your hands, tearing apart the shreds and spreading the strands out a bit if they clump together, in order to get fluffy. For this ekmek kataifi recipe you will need a 25cm square non-sticking baking dish. Butter the bottom of the baking dish and spread the kataifi dough to form the base of the ekmek kataifi. Pour over the melted butter and bake in preheated oven for 30-45 minutes depending on your oven, until crispy and nicely coloured.
• In the meantime prepare the custard for the ekmek kataifi (steps 2-4). Add in a large bowl the egg yolks with half the sugar (100g) and whisk until fluffy. Add 3-4 tbsps of the milk and the corn starch and whisk again until the corn starch has dissolved. Set aside.
• Pour the rest of the milk in a large non-sticking pan and add the sugar and the vanilla extract. Place the pan over high heat and bring to the boil. As soon as the milk comes to the boil, remove from the heat and ladle gradually 1/3 of the milk into the egg mixture, whilst whisking. Place the pan (with the remaining milk) again on the stove and turn the heat down to medium. Add the egg mixture into the pan with the remaining warm milk. Whisk continuously, until the mixture has thickened and is smooth and creamy. Remove the pan from the stove, add the butter and stir.
• Pour the custard in a large tray, cover with some plastic wrap (the plastic wrarp should be touching the custard, so that it doesn't form a crust) and let it cool, while you prepare the rest of the ekmek kataifi recipe.
• Turn the kataifi out of the oven and let it cool down completely.
• Prepare the syrup for the ekmek kataifi. Add all the ingredients for the syrup into a small pot and bring to the boil. Simmer the syrup of 3 minutes (without stirring), until slightly thickened and remove from the stove. Leave the syrup aside to cool down for a while, until lukewarm. Ladle slowly the lukewarm syrup over the cold baked pastry, enabling each ladle to be absorbed. Set aside to cool down for a while.
• Prepare the whipped cream and assemble the ekmek kataifi. Top the kataifi base with the custard and even out using a spatula. Put the cold heavy cream into a mixer's bowl, add the icing sugar and whisk on high speed until medium peaks form, about 1 minute. Top the ekmek kataifi with the whipped cream and even out. Sprinkle with the chopped pistachios and a pinch of cinnamon.
• Store the ekmek kataifi in the fridge and serve cold. Enjoy!