Difficulty : medium
Time : 2.5 hours + one night in the fridge
Serves 6 to 8 people
Ingredients : 2 sheets of butter puff pastry – 24 or 25 cm diameter tart tin. For the frangipane: 50 g butter – 1 egg – 18 ml rum (preferably dark) – 85 g icing sugar – 8 g cornflour – 85 g ground almonds. For the pastry cream: 1 vanilla pod – 20 g vanilla powder (pudding powder) or cornflour – 65 g sugar – 3 large egg yolks – 330 ml milk or soy milk. For the topping: 1 egg yolk – 1 tbsp milk – a fava bean or an almond.
The steps of the recipe
1. Split the vanilla pod in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Rub them with the vanilla powder in the sugar until the seeds are evenly distributed and there are no more lumps. Add the egg yolks and beat until the mixture is pale and fluffy, preferably using a food processor.
2. Heat the milk in a separate saucepan. Pour a little of the hot milk into the sugar mixture. Mix well. Gradually add the rest of the milk.
3. Place the mixture over heat and slowly bring it to a boil, whisking vigorously. Remove the pan from the heat when the mixture begins to bubble and burst. It should be quite thick and smooth. If it is still too runny, cook it a little longer. Strain the mixture through a sieve to remove any coagulated egg or eggshell residue.
4. Immediately cover the cream with cling film and seal the edges well to prevent a skin from forming. Let it cool to room temperature.
5. For the frangipane: Work the butter until very soft and add the egg and rum. Mix the icing sugar, cornflour, and almond flour, then stir them into the butter. Combine the frangipane with the pastry cream and refrigerate overnight.
6. The next day. Preheat the oven to 185°C (365°F). Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet and arrange the first sheet of puff pastry on top. Brush the edge with a mixture of beaten egg yolk and milk (the “egg wash”). Pipe (using a piping bag) or spread the rich frangipane filling over the puff pastry base, leaving at least 2 cm (3/4 inch) from the edge. Place the fève (bean) on top. Cover with the second sheet of puff pastry and press the edges firmly to seal.
7. Decorate the edge with “waves”: press your index and middle fingers on the edge of the dough and push the dough between your two fingers about 2 cm back with the back of a spoon. Do this all around.
8. Brush the edge with egg yolk and milk, and make a few arcs on top with a sharp knife, from the center outwards. Bake for 25 minutes, let cool, and serve.
Find all of Sofie Dumont’s recipes on her website.
