The ultimate test of patisserie skills. Delicate flaky pastry layered with a silky crème diplomat and raspberry jam, topped off with a classic feathered fondant top.
Serves:
4
Difficulty:
Needs skill
Hands-On Time:
1 hr 45 mins
Baking Time:
30 mins
- Ingredients
- Method
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Method
Step 1
For the rough puff pastry, mix the flour and salt together in a bowl. Rub in the chilled butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Gradually add enough cold water to form a dough (about 6 tablespoons).
Step 2
On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a rectangle (approx. 15cm x 40cm).
Step 3
Scatter half of the frozen butter over the bottom two-thirds of the dough. Fold down the top third and fold up the bottom third as if folding a letter.
Step 4
Turn the folded dough by 90 degrees and roll it out into a rectangle again. Repeat the process of adding the remaining frozen butter and fold as before.
Step 5
Wrap the dough in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes before using.
Step 6
For the crème pâtissière, pour the milk and cream into a pan. Add the vanilla paste and bring just to the boil, then take off the heat.
Step 7
Whisk the egg yolks, caster sugar and cornflour together in a bowl. Pour the hot milk over the egg mixture whisking continuously. Return the mixture to the pan and cook over a low heat, stirring continuously until the cream thickens. Cook over a low heat for 2 - 3 minutes to cook out the flour.
Step 8
Remove from the heat and pass through a sieve into a bowl, then beat in the butter until smooth. Pour out onto a shallow tray and cover the surface with cling film. Leave to cool then chill in the fridge until set.
Step 9
Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/Gas 7. Roll the pastry to a large rectangle measuring approx. 35cm x 45cm, about ½ cm thick. Place the pastry onto a baking sheet and chill for 10-15 minutes.
Step 10
Place a baking sheet over the rolled-out pastry and bake for 20 - 30 minutes, until golden-brown and crisp. Remove from the oven, remove the top baking sheet and leave to cool.
Step 11
For the icing, on a work surface lightly dusted with icing sugar, roll the white fondant into a 25 x 10 cm rectangle.
Step 12
Break off small pieces of red and orange fondant and scatter them randomly over the white fondant. Using a rolling pin roll the coloured fondant into the white fondant to create a smooth, patterned effect. Cut out 4 rectangles of patterned fondant, each measuring 12cm x 5cm.
Step 13
When the pastry has cooled, cut out 12 rectangles of pastry each measuring 12cm x 5cm.
Step 14
Spoon the set crème pâtissière into a piping bag fitted with a ½ cm plain nozzle.
Step 15
To assemble, set aside 4 pastry rectangles. Place a raspberry in the corner of one of the pastry rectangles. Pipe a blob of crème pâtissière next to it. Sit a raspberry next to it and continue piping crème pâtissière with alternating raspberries until the pastry is covered. Repeat this process on the remaining 7 pastry rectangles.
Step 16
Sit the rectangles on top of each other so you have 4 double-layered pastries, topped with raspberries and crème pâtissière.
Step 17
To decorate, brush sugar syrup over the remaining 4 pastry rectangles and stick the fondant rectangles to the pastry. Place on top of the raspberries and crème pâtissière and lightly brush with sugar syrup, to glaze the fondant icing.
