Recipe Courtesy of Le Rêve Patisserie & Café
~from Savoring Time in the Kitchen
Makes 8 servings
Crème pâtissière (see recipe) or vanilla pudding made per box instructions
1 package (2 sheets) puff pastry, thawed
Stone fruit (plums, peaches, apricots), pits removed, and fruit cut into wedges
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk or whipping cream
4 tablespoon sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Make pastry cream and chill.
Using cold puff pastry, cut each sheet into four (4½-inch) squares, 1/8 inch thick. In center of each square, place 2 to 3 tablespoons chilled pastry cream and about ¼ cup plums or other seasonal fruit. Bring the four corners into the middle and gently press together (no need to seal tightly). Refrigerate at least 10 minutes.
Remove from refrigerator and brush with egg wash made of 1 yolk mixed with the 2 tablespoons milk or cream. Sprinkle baluchons with cinnamon-sugar and bake in preheated oven 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream, or use as breakfast pastry the next morning.
Crème pâtissière (I would highly recommend using this recipe instead of vanilla pudding – it’s wonderful!)
1 cup whole milk
1 vanilla bean (or 1 tablespoon extract)
¼ cup sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon butter
Place milk in medium saucepan over medium heat. Split and scrape the vanilla bean, and add bean to pan along with scrapings. Bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, in separate bowl, beat together sugar, cornstarch and yolks until mixture turns pale yellow. Gradually pour milk into yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Return mixture to medium heat and whisk continually until mixture thickens and just comes to a boil being careful not to let it get too thick. Remove from heat, and whisk in butter. Remove vanilla bean. Pour cream into a bowl, and place plastic wrap directly over the cream. This will prevent a skin from forming while the cream cools. Place in refrigerator to cool.
Note: These freeze well, so you can make them when fruit is at the peak of its season and enjoy them in the middle of winter.