This delicious and classical french dessert is always a winner. Classical brisée pastry, pâtisserie cream, strawberries and some strawberry syrup… it has colour, it smells delicious and it’s perfect for special occasions such as birthday parties or any party of course :) I made it for my friend Macarena’s birthday celebration at Gloria’s and Ruben’s house in Marburg, a very lovely typical German town just 5 hours from Berlin. Not a single gram left!
Let’s go step by step, first the pastry, then the cream and finally making the strawberries and ending the dessert. It is important that it stays in the fridge until before serving and to add the syrup when it is cold.
l. Let’s start with the brisée pastry.
Ingredients.
- 275 gr flour
- 220 gr cold butter
- 1 cup of iced water
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon of salt
Preparation.
This pastry has to be worked fast, particularly if you have a warm kitchen because we have to prevent the butter from softening itself. We have to try and use our fingers as little as possible as well because we are warm. I sometimes mix it with a knife and fork.
- Place the flour, salt, butter and egg in bowl.
- Mix rapidly the flour and the butter between the tips of your fingers until the butter is broken into small pieces.
- Start to add the water little by little and mixing fast as you start making a ball.
- Press and gather all the ingredients until you have a consistent dough. Add water until necessary.
- Cover with film paper and leave at 4ºC at least for 30 minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC.
- Take out the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured board. With the heel of one hand, rapidly press the pastry down to the board and away from you. This will is the final blending between the flour and the fat or fraisage.
- Finish rolling the dough into the shape you’d like.
- Place it on your buttered and floured mold (or silicone) and make some holes with help of a fork. Place same baking paper on top and some beans.
- This will prevent the dough from rising in the oven.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until it’s golden.
- De-mold and let it cool in a rack.
2. Cream pâtisserie and the finishing part of the dessert!
Ingredients.
- 1 cup of white sugar
- 5 egg yolks
- 2 cups of milk
- 1 hand beater
Preparation.
- First mix gradually the sugar and the egg yolks, and beat for about 2-3 minutes until the mixture looks pale yellow.
- Turn on the heat and add the milk while always beating.
- Once it starts to boil it will get thicker and dense and as you keep on beating it will become finer.
- Once it boils, mix for about 2-3 more minutes and turn off the heat and let cool.
3. Dessert!!
- Ok! We have to do the strawberries.
- Wash them well and cut into fine slices.
- The ones that don’t look so well place on a small saucepan.
- Add some sugar to the (sprinkle) and a bit of orange juice or water to make the syrup.
- Bring to a boil softly and it will start to get thick.
- You can add some cornstarch as well to make it thicker.
- Let it cool.
- Over the brisée pastry, add the cream, decorate with the strawberries and place the syrup on top.
- Cool for a few hours before serving.
Delicious!!
