Bavarian Slice Recipes

BAVARIAN SLICE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200℃ (180℃ fan)/400°F/gas mark 6.
• Prepare the pastry for baking. Unroll the pastry keeping it on the greaseproof paper supplied. With a rolling pin lightly roll the pastry to flatten it if necessary, dusting the pin lightly with flour. Lay the pastry and greaseproof paper on a baking tray, cover with another sheet of greaseproof paper and sit the second tray on top. Weigh this down with a pudding bowl or tin can. Depending upon the size of your trays, you may need to slice the pastry in half and bake in batches, as I did.
• Place the prepared pastry in the centre of the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, checking it after 20 minutes. Rotate the tray around if necessary. Once cooked through and golden brown remove from the oven and carefully transfer the pastry to a cooling tray.
• To make the custard, pour the cream, milk and vanilla extract into a medium heavy based pan and sit it over a medium heat.
• Using a balloon whisk, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, and corn flour in a bowl sat on a tea towel, adding a little of the cool measured milk if it's particularly thick. Once the milk is about to come to the boil slowly pour about a quarter of the milk over the egg mixture whisking constantly. Then whisk in the remaining milk
• Pour the runny custard mixture back into the pan. Reduce the heat to low. Cook the custard slowly, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon until very thick. If the custard starts go go lumpy remove from the heat and beat vigorously. Once the custard is thick pour it into a bowl.
• Add half of the cubed butter and stir gently but thoroughly to combine. Add the remainder of the butter, stirring until it has fully melted and been incorporated with the custard. Cover with a disc of greaseproof paper so that it is in contact with the mixture to prevent it skinning. Set aside to cool. Once cooled place in the fridge to firm up further.
• Place the cooled pastry on a clean work surface and with a sharp knife carefully trim the edges of the pastry. Cut the pastry in 8 equally sized portions (Mine were approx 10 x 6.5cm (4x3in). Pair up the pastry pieces. If one is larger then the other simply place the smaller one on top of the larger one and trim the excess away with a sharp knife.
• Place the jam in a bowl and stir thoroughly to soften. If it needs slackening any further simply add a drop or two of water. Stir the custard thoroughly and spoon into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle.
• Make the water icing, pPlace the icing sugar into a cup or small bowl and add a teaspoon of water. Mix. Slowly add drips of water mixing between each addition to get the mixture to the desired consistency. It needs to be quite thick.
• Melt the chocolate. Break the chocolate into a small bowl and set it over a pan containing a small amount of water. Ensure the water doesn't touch the base of the bowl Set over a medium heat and allow to melt. Once melted remove from the heat and set aside.
• To assemble the Bavarian Slices. Decide which pastry slice of each pair will be used for the base and spoon some jam onto each one. Use the back of a spoon to spread the jam from the centre to the edges. Position the fresh raspberries along the edge of the pastry, open side down so that they stand upright easily. Pipe the custard between each of the raspberries and through the middle length of the pastry, aiming it to be at least as tall as the raspberries. Avoid getting too near the pastry edge.
• Spoon the water icing onto the remaining pastry pieces and spread out to form a thick layer . Use a teaspoon to dribble five parallel evenly spaced lines of chocolate along the short length of the pastry. Feather the chocolate into the icing with the point of a small knife Carefully lift the decorated piece of pastry and gently position on to the raspberries and custard.
• Chill for about an hour before serving. Enjoy

BAVARIAN CREAM

Steps:

• In a small bowl, stir together the gelatin and cold water. Set aside to soften. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt until smooth.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. Pour the hot milk in a steady stream into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and pour the custard through a strainer.
• Stir in the softened gelatin and vanilla and stir to melt the gelatin. Allow to cool.
• When the mixture has cooled almost to room temperature, whip the heavy cream to medium stiffness and fold it into the custard. Immediately transfer the Bavarian cream to parfait glasses, molds, or on prepared cake layers, as it will firm up quickly as the gelatin sets. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

VANILLA CUSTARD SLICES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Roll out 250g of the pastry on a sheet of baking parchment to about 25cm square. Scatter over half the almonds, then press them in very gently, dust with half the icing sugar and lay over a second sheet of baking parchment. Lift onto a baking sheet, and sit another baking sheet on top like a sandwich. Fill a few small tins with baking beans (or something similarly heavy and ovenproof, like uncooked rice). Bake for 30 mins, then have a quick peek - it will probably need another 5 mins to be well browned and crisp all over.
• Remove from the oven, take off the weights and top baking tray, then carefully lift off the top sheet of parchment and leave to cool. Repeat with the remaining pastry - you can do both sheets at once if you have enough baking sheets and tins, but they might not cook as evenly with two in the oven, so it is safer to do one at a time. Cool both completely.
• Put the gelatine in a bowl of cold water to soften, then put the remaining custard ingredients in a big saucepan. Set over a low heat to start, whisking continuously to mix well, then increase the heat a little until the custard is gently boiling. Keep whisking the whole time - the custard will thicken and lump unevenly, but keep cooking and whisking until it is smooth and very thick.
• Remove the custard from the heat and take out the vanilla pod. Squeeze out the water from the gelatine sheet, then stir it into the custard until it has dissolved.
• Line the base and sides of a 20cm square tin with baking parchment - criss-crossing two big strips will give you the neatest corners. Using a big, sharp knife and a ruler - or the base of your tin if it is removable - trim one pastry sheet to a shade under a 20cm square, so it will sit inside the tin, almond-side down. Spread over the custard as evenly as you can. Trim the second pastry sheet in the same way, but then divide the square into eight 10 x 5cm rectangles (so it will be easier when you cut the slices later). Sit them on top of the custard, almond-side up, putting them back together a bit like a jigsaw puzzle. Gently press down on the pastry so it doesn't break but sticks to the custard, then cover and chill for 4 hrs or so, but better still overnight.
• To serve, lift the slice from the tin and cut all the way through where the pastry top is already cut. Dust the slices with a little more icing sugar and serve. Best eaten within 24 hours, when the pastry is still good and crisp.

BAVARIAN CREAM

Steps:

• Combine sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in milk.
• On med-high heat (turning down to med, if necessary), cook and stir until mixture thickens and boils.
• Cook and stir 2-3 minute.
• Stir a little of the hot mixture into egg yolk.
• Stir egg mixture into the rest of the hot mixture and bring it just to boiling.
• STIRRING CONSTANTLY.
• Add vanilla.
• cover entire surface with plastic wrap or waxed paper.
• Cool.
• beat smooth.
• Fold in whipped cream.