This is certainly a challenge. Predominately for myself though, to expand the experience and to allow more recipes to be tried, tested and shared. But recipes like this, also require a bit of time! I had a spare half a day, so I set about putting this together! Lucky this also coincided with Bastille Day, so a lovely French recipe, cooked and baked on a very traditional French holiday. This one is for all you French Gluten Free followers 😊

Again I am linking in with other bloggers via http://www.bakingqueen74.co.uk for the July 2015 Perfecting Patisserie Blogging Challenge.

This bake consists of 3 elements (Frangipan, Gluten Free Creme Patissiere, Gluten Free Rough Puff Pastry) and requires plenty of patience. It will make roughly 10 mini Pithivier’s. And will take around 4 hours to make and bake from beginning to end.

Firstly make the Frangipan – beat 50g of soft butter with 50g caster sugar until soft and creamy. Beat in one egg and then 1 teaspoon of almond essence. Then mix in 50g ground almonds until will combined. Set aside.

Then make a small batch of Gluten Free Creme Patissiere. Whisk until pale 1 egg yolk with 10g caster sugar. Then stir in 10g Dove Farm gluten free plain flour. Bring to a quick boil 80ml Double Cream, 10g caster sugar and 1 teaspoon almond essence. Pour half of this onto the egg mix and whisk well. Then pour this egg mix back into the pan. You need to cook the flour, which will need a minute or so. The mix will also start to thicken and will all happen fairly quickly, so don’t leave the pan and stir continually. You don’t want lumpy custard!

Remove from the heat if you need to, as the heat from the pan will continue to heat and cook the custard mix. Spoon into a fresh bowl, cover with cling film and leave to cool. It should set nicely. Once cool mix with the Frangipan. If this is a stage too much you could leave out the Creme Patissiere. It just makes the Frangipan a little lighter.

Gluten Free Rough Puff Pastry

260g Dove Farm White Bread Flour Blend

240g Cold Butter, cut into small dice

1 level teaspoon of Xanthum Gum

10 – 12  Tablespoons cold water

1 beaten egg – for egg wash

Firstly rub in 60g of the butter into the flour and Xanthum gum to form breadcrumbs. Then just put the rest of the diced butter into the flour and fold in to cover with flour. It’ll be these bits of butter that help to form the layers of the pastry and make it light and fluffy.

 

Bring this then to form a dough with the cold water.

 

Wrap this in cling film or greaseproof paper and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes. So that all the ingredients are the same, cold temperature.

Now I know I have already said to make the Frangipan and Creme Patissiere, but you could also makes these within these following 30 minute windows. Both don’t take very long to make, and makes better use of the time. It is up to you.

After 30 minutes remove the dough from the fridge and then roll into a long rectangle, roughly 30cm long and 10cm wide. This is where you start to create the layers of pastry. Fold the top 1/3 of the dough into the middle and bring the bottom 1/3 up and over, as –

 

Wrap this in cling film (or greaseproof paper) and place in the fridge again, for another 30 minutes.

Remove from the fridge and give a 1/4 turn, clockwise. As –

Roll out again, going wider and slightly longer. Again top 1/3 down, bottom 1/3 up. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes more. Repeat this 2 more times. The gluten free pastry is then ready to use.

You will need 2 round pastry cutters, one smaller than the other. I used 7cm and 9cm cutters. Cut the pastry ensuring you have the same amount of each sizes –

You will need to re-roll the remaining pastry to get the required amount of discs, but I can assure you, the end result is not affected. Place a teaspoon of the Frangipan mix onto the smaller discs and brush the edges with egg wash to ensure the pastry joins. Then cover with the larger discs.

 

You will need to gently mould the upper pastry disc over the Frangipan mix so that there are no air pockets, then gently press the edges together to form a little pocket of pastry. Press down a little. Once all the Mini Pithiviers are made you can then decorate with a knife. By gently pressing on the pastry in a curved move from the base to the centre. Sounds technically, but it’s easier done 😊

Place onto lined trays.

And just to be sure, place these in the fridge for a further 30 minutes resting and pre-heat the oven Gas 7, 200c.

After 30 minutes bake in the hot oven for about 15 – 18 Minutes. Until the pastry is golden and lifts off the lined trays.

These can be eaten straight away, hot with custard, cream or creme fraiche or even with a fruit coulis, or cooled and eaten warm or even cold.

If you are feeling a little brave you could put a small amount of jam with the Frangipan before covering – raspberry or apricot will certainly enhance the dish. Or even a fresh strawberry or a cherry.