Daring Bakers: Bostini Cream Pie
Monday, October 29th, 2007
This is my fourth month as a member of the amazing Daring Bakers. The Daring bakers consist of proud women and men that love to bake and are not afraid of baking challenges. The idea of the Daring Bakers is that every month one baking recipe is presented that all members have to follow exactly without any modifications except where specifically allowed. During the month we share our experiences and learn to be better bakers. The recipe, our photos and experiences are then officially posted on a specified day, this time on the 29th of Otober. This month’s challenge is Bostini Cream Pie which consists of a orange chiffon cake served on vanilla custard and then topped with a chocolate glaze. The recipe is from Donna Scala and Kurtis Baguley of Bistro Don Giovanni (in the Napa Valley) and Scala’s Bistro (in San Francisco) and was picked as this month’s challenge by Mary at Alpineberry.
I must admit that this month’s challenge has been the most delicious so far, but oh so rich. I already feel much heavier due to the delicous vanilla custard! I halfed the recipe and still got 4 generous servings and 3 mini servings. I’m always nervous when cooking custard but it turned out perfect. The orange chiffon cakes were easy too make. I had some troubles getting them out from the ramekins though, I probably greased the ramekins too little. For the mini variants I cut out hearts with a cookie cutter and for the normal servings I just used the whole cake from each ramekin. The chiffon cakes were very light and fluffy even though they sank quite a lot after they were taken out from the oven. I used a little too bitter chocolate for the chocolate glaze, but actually I think that was good as the dessert might have been too sweet otherwise.
The verdict is very positive! This is a simple yet delicious dessert, it’s perfect for parties as you can prepare all parts in advance and then just assemble them as the guests are waiting for the dessert. Thanks Mary for this month’s challenge! To see how the other Daring Bakers managed this month’s challenge, go to the Daring Bakers blog roll.
- Bostini Cream Pie
(from Donna Scala & Kurtis Baguley of Bistro Don Giovanni and Scala’s Bistro)
(makes 8 generous servings)
Custard (Pastry Cream)
3/4 cup whole milk
2 3/4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 whole egg, beaten
9 egg yolks, beaten
3 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract)
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
Chiffon Cake
1 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 1/3 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup beaten egg yolks (3 to 4 yolks)
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup egg whites (about 8 large)
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Chocolate Glaze
8 ounces semi or bittersweet chocolate
8 ounces unsalted butter
INSTRUCTIONS
To prepare the custard (pastry cream):
Combine the milk and cornstarch in a bowl; blend until smooth. Whisk in the whole egg and yolks, beating until smooth. Combine the cream, vanilla bean and sugar in a saucepan and carefully bring to a boil. When the mixture just boils, whisk a ladleful into the egg mixture to temper it, then whisk this back into the cream mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain the custard and pour into 8 large custard cups. Refrigerate to chill.
To prepare the chiffon cakes:
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray 8 molds with nonstick cooking spray. You may use 7-ounce custard cups, ovenproof wide mugs or even large foil cups. Whatever you use should be the same size as the custard cups.
Sift the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the oil, egg yolks, orange juice, zest and vanilla. Stir until smooth, but do not overbeat.
Beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gently fold the beaten whites into the orange batter. Fill the sprayed molds nearly to the top with the batter.
Bake approximately 25 minutes, until the cakes bounce back when lightly pressed with your fingertip. Do not overbake. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. When completely cool, remove the cakes from the molds. Cover the cakes to keep them moist.
To prepare the glaze:
Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Place the butter in a saucepan and heat until it is just about to bubble. Remove from the heat; add the chocolate and stir to melt. Pour through a strainer and keep warm.
To assemble:
Cut a thin slice from the top of each cake to create a flat surface. Place a cake flat-side down on top of each custard. Cover the tops with warm chocolate glaze. Serve immediately.
