Breton Aux Pommes

[apronstrings]

I will be making Nick Malgieri's Breton Aux Pommes. This time I'd like the apple filling to sit in/on a custardy, pastry cream like filling. What, if anything, can I put in the batter over the bottom half of the Breton dough? The goal is a pastry, shortbready gateau. Thanks!

[McDuff]

which book is this from? what's the batter like? why couldn't you use pastry cream? what about frangipane?

[apronstrings]

which book is this from? what's the batter like? why couldn't you use pastry cream?  what about frangipane?

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"Perfect Pastry". I didn't think prepared pastry cream would do well if it was baked in the gateau. Frangipane just might work, and I have pistachio paste on hand. So, you don't think pastry cream would be adversely affected?

[etalanian]

A frangipane would hold up nicely. And would taste great.

Eileen

[McDuff]

I just looked it up. (Nick Malgieri is very underrated imo. I've got a lot of his books.) You could easily put pastry cream in there, in fact, since it has a top crust, I think it would work better that frangipane. Don't worry about the pastry cream being in the oven. I make a tarte aux pommes at work that has a layer of pastry cream spread into a pre-baked shell that has about 4 big apples fanned on top and then baked for 40 minutes, and it works every time.

[alanamoana]

yeah, pastry cream is "oven safe" that's why it is used in choux...often it is filled and then dipped in the hot caramel (when making croquembouche) so you need a filling that won't degrade with the heat.

[apronstrings]

yeah, pastry cream is "oven safe" that's why it is used in choux...often it is filled and then dipped in the hot caramel (when making croquembouche) so you need a filling that won't degrade with the heat.

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Hmmm. I'm gonna have to try BOTH now because I can't make up my mind about which to do. I'll use a different type of apple with each filling. Thanks so much!

I agree about nick Malgieri. When Sara Moulton used to do her Cooking Live show, she had him on several times. He is a terrific and a passionate teacher, and I've never had a problem following any of his recipes.

[apronstrings]

So I made the gateau with an almond frangipane. It was OUTRAGEOUS, and couldn't have turned out better. I also made Epicurious' Inside Out German Chocolate Cake for a nice counterbalance. WOW to that one too! I took them both to a party yesterday.

Next time I bake the gateau I'll use a pastry cream under the apples. Should I stick with Pierre Herme's recipe?

[JeanneCake]

The recipe for the Normandy tart (it's an apple custard tart) from Paris Sweets is a Pierre Herme recipe. I used it for a restaurant client as part of their Easter buffet brunch and of the 15 11" tarts they ordered, nothing was left (their order included flourless choc cakes, linzertorte, pecan tarts, this apple tart, mini pastries and something else I can't remember). They did have a few of the Linzertortes and pecan tarts left, but the staff said people inhaled the apple tart and wanted more. So yes, the Pierre Herme recipe is a good one...