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Gateau: Gateau St. Honore

Source of Recipe

cookitsimply.com


Recipe Introduction

This gateau is the traditional birthday cake in France.

List of Ingredients

for the base
100 g (4 oz) plain flour
1.25 ml (1/4 tsp) salt
50 g (2 oz) margarine (or half butter, half
lard) flour for rolling out
2 eggs, beaten, for glazing



for the choux pastry
225 g (8 oz) plain flour
100 g (4 oz) butter or margarine
pinch of salt
4 whole eggs plus 2 yolks



for the pastry cream
3 eggs
50 g (2 oz) caster sugar
35 g1 1/4 oz plain flour
25 g (1 oz) cornflour
few drops of vanilla essence
250 ml (8 fl oz) milk
125 ml (4 fl oz) double cream
50 g (2 oz) granulated sugar



for the decoration
glace cherries angelica




Recipe

1. Set the oven at 200°c (400°f) gas 6.

2. Make the base. Sift the flour into a bowl, then rub in the margarine until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add enough cold water to make a stiff dough. Press the dough together with your fingertips. Rest the dough in the refrigerator while making the choux pastry.

3. Sift the flour for the choux on to a sheet of greaseproof paper. Put 500 ml (17 fl oz) water in a saucepan and add the butter or margarine with the salt. Heat gently until the fat melts.

4. When the fat has melted, bring the liquid rapidly to the boil and add all the flour at once. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir the flour into the liquid to make a smooth paste which leaves the sides of the pan clean. Set aside to cool slightly.

5. Add the egg yolks and beat well. Add the whole eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until the paste is very glossy.

6. Roll out the chilled short crust pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 20 cm (8 inch) round. Place on a baking sheet.

7. Put the choux pastry into a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm/1/2 inch nozzle; pipe a circle of it around the edge of the pastry. Brush with beaten egg.

8. Use the remaining choux pastry to pipe 18 - 20 small buns on a separate baking sheet.

9. Bake both pastry round and buns for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 190°C/275°F/gas 5 and bake for 10 - 15 minutes more, until the choux ring is well risen and golden brown.

10. Slit the buns to release the steam, then cool on wire racks.

11. To make the pastry cream, separate 2 of the eggs. Reserve the whites. Combine the yolks, whole egg and caster sugar in a bowl and beat well. Stir in the flour, cornflour and vanilla essence.

12. Heat the milk in a saucepan and gradually beat it into the egg mixture. Return the mixture to the clean pan and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Boil for 2 - 3 minutes.

13. Pour the mixture into a clean bowl, cover with buttered greaseproof paper and leave until cold.

14. In a bowl, whip the cream until stiff. Place in a piping bag and fill the choux buns. Combine the granulated sugar and 45 ml/ 3 tbsp water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved.

15. Boil until the mixture turns a pale straw colour. Remove from the heat and dip the bottom of each bun quickly in the syrup. Arrange on the choux round.

16. Spoon a little syrup over each choux bun. Finally, in a clean, grease free bowl, whisk the reserved egg whites until stiff. Fold into the pastry cream, adding any leftover whipped cream.

17. Fill the centre of the gateau with the pastry cream. Decorate with glace cherries and angelica.

SERVES 8 -10