Puff Pastry Showstoppers

An ambitious trio of orange-thyme puffs, pear-malt millefeuilles, and blackberry-lemon verbena crème brûlée custard tarts using homemade puff pastry.

Estimated Nutrition

Per Serving Total
Calories 405 kcals 14580 kcals
Carbohydrates 41.3 grams 1485.6 grams
Fat 24.5 grams 880.2 grams
Protein 5.4 grams 195.5 grams
Cook Time
120 mins
Produces
36 tarts
Allergies
Vegetarian
Vegan
Dairy Free
Gluten Free

Ingredients

BakingIngredients
50
g
Icing Sugar
for dusting
130
g
Caster Sugar
for crème pâtissière
20
g
Cornflour
for crème pâtissière
50
g
White Chocolate
finely chopped
6.5
sheets
Gelatine
soaked in water
100
g
Icing Sugar
for pear dredging
40
g
Brown Sugar
for streusel
50
g
Soft Brown Sugar
for butterscotch
130
g
Caster Sugar
for lemon crème pâtissière
20
g
Cornflour
for lemon crème pâtissière
100
g
Caster Sugar
for caramel toppings
CondimentsSauces
Dairy
400
g
Unsalted Butter
for the pastry
1
piece
Egg
beaten, for glazing
8
piece
Egg Yolks
for crème pâtissière
700
ml
Milk
for crème pâtissière
200
ml
Double Cream
whipped to soft peaks
80
g
Unsalted Butter
softened, for streusel
50
g
Unsalted Butter
for butterscotch
80
ml
Double Cream
for butterscotch
700
ml
Milk
for lemon crème pâtissière
8
piece
Egg Yolks
for lemon crème pâtissière
Fruits
1
piece
Orange
zest only
2
piece
Pears
peeled and sliced 1cm thick
0.5
piece
Lemon
juice only
1
piece
Lemon
zest and juice
12
piece
GrainsCereals
500
g
Plain Flour
for the pastry
100
g
Plain Flour
for streusel
Liquids
200
ml
NutsSeeds
1
tbsp
1
tbsp
Fresh Thyme
chopped
1
tsp
Lemon Thyme
finely chopped
1
piece
Vanilla Pod
split lengthways
12
piece
Other

Steps

  • Mix vinegar with 225ml water.
  • Combine flour and salt in a mixer, add liquid, and knead into a dough ball.
  • Wrap dough in film and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • Flatten the butter into a 15cm square between parchment and chill.
  • Roll dough to a 30cm circle, encase the butter, and roll into a 60x23cm rectangle.
  • Fold into thirds, wrap, and freeze for 20 minutes.
  • Repeat the rolling, folding, and chilling process three more times.
  • Divide dough into three equal pieces and chill.
  • Roll one piece of dough to 30x30cm, dust with icing sugar, and bake between trays at 180°C for 15-20 minutes.
  • Cut the baked pastry into 36 circles of 6cm diameter.
  • Roll the second piece of dough to 20x30cm and bake at 200°C for 10-15 minutes.
  • Trim and cut the second pastry into twelve 9x4cm rectangles.
  • Roll the final piece of dough into a cylinder, chill, slice into 12 discs, and line a muffin tin.
  • Blind bake tart shells at 200°C for 15 minutes, brush with egg, and bake for 2 more minutes.
  • Whisk egg yolks and sugar, add cornflour, then whisk in hot milk and thicken over heat.
  • Divide crème pâtissière and stir white chocolate into both portions.
  • Flavor one portion with thyme, orange, and cream; add 4 sheets of gelatine and chill in a tray.
  • Flavor the second portion with malt extract and chill.
  • Dissolve 2.5 sheets of gelatine in 200ml hot orange juice and pour over the chilled orange cream.
  • Mix streusel ingredients, roll to 1cm thickness, cut into cubes, and chill.
  • Bake streusel cubes at 170°C for 10 minutes.
  • Griddle pear slices dredged in sugar and malt until caramelised.
  • Boil butterscotch ingredients, add cream, and transfer to a bottle.
  • Infuse milk with lemon verbena, then use to make a lemon crème pâtissière with yolks, sugar, and zest.
  • Melt sugar into caramel, cool, powder in a processor, and bake into discs with verbena leaves at 150°C.
  • Assemble millefeuilles by layering pastry circles with malt cream and pear cubes, topped with butterscotch.
  • Assemble orange slices by placing set jelly cream onto pastry rectangles and topping with streusel.
  • Fill tart shells with a blackberry and lemon cream, bake at 180°C for 10 minutes, and top with caramel discs.