Pithivier Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine butter and sugar in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Add almond flour, 2 egg yolks, and rum; mix until frangipane is smooth.
• Roll out puff pastry sheets and cut into 2 equal circles. Place the first circle on the baking sheet and pierce several times with a fork. Spread frangipane on the circle, leaving a 1/2 inch border.
• Brush uncovered puff pastry edge with a little water and lay the second puff pastry circle on top. Seal the edges by pressing together.
• Using a sharp knife, cut a decorative pattern around the rim. Trace decorative lines onto the surface without cutting all the way through. Beat remaining egg yolk with a fork; brush over the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake until pastry is puffed up and lightly browned, about 20 minutes more.
• Remove from the oven and dust with confectioners' sugar.
• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Place pithiviers under the broiler and broil until a golden, shiny crust forms, 1 to 2 minutes. Watch carefully to make sure it doesn't burn.

Steps:

• To prepare the Almond Cream: in a food processor, combine the almonds, sugar, and flour. Process to a mealy consistency. Add the butter, a piece at a time. Add the eggs, one at a time. Continue to process until smooth. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before use.
• Roll out the puff pastry to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut one 10-inch circle and one 11-inch circle. Place the smaller circle on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the edge with egg wash. Spread the almond cream in the center, leaving the outer 2 inches of the circle clean. Cover with the larger circle and lightly press down the edges. Brush the top with egg wash. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before decorating.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Using the dull edge of a paring knife, press it against the sides of the Pithivier to seal. Decorate the top by lightly cutting from the center moving towards the edge in half circles, leaving about 1/2-inch spaces between the cuts. Put a couple of vents and place in a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes or until puff pastry is baked. Serve warm.

Steps:

• Combine flour, cornstarch, salt, and butter in a large bowl. With your fingertips, mix until a coarse meal forms. Add the water, all at once, and knead by hand until a ball forms.
• Transfer to a bowl of an electric mixer with a dough hook and knead until smooth and moist, about 5 minutes, or knead by hand about 15 minutes. Press dough into a 6 by 4 inch rectangle. Wrap with plastic and chill 4 hours or overnight.
• Soften butter block with your hands or with an electric mixer until pliable enough to roll like doughnut not too soft. The key to rolling butter and dough is they must be warm enough to roll, but not warm enough to combine. The two parts should always remain separate.
• On a floured board, roll cold dough, from center out, to form a 9 by 6 inch rectangle, keeping the thickness uniform, about 1/2inch thick. Align dough so the length is parallel to the counter.
• Imagine the dough divided in thirds along its width and spread butter over middle and right thirds, leaving a 1/2 inch margin uncovered on all sides. Fold dough in thirds, first left over middle, then right over left. Press edges together to seal in butter and press out any air.
• Turn folded dough clockwise a quarter turn. You have now completed one turn. To make second turn, roll dough out again to a 9 by 6 inch rectangle. Fold in thirds again. As a reminder of turns completed, press 2 dots in dough with your fingertips. Wrap in plastic and chill 1/2 hour.
• Roll, fold, and turn dough two more times. Press the dough with four dots, wrap, and chill 1/2 hour. Repeat the same procedure 2 more times, for a total of 6 turns. Wrap well in plastic and store in refrigerator overnight. Puff pastry may be frozen as long as 3 weeks.
• To make almond cream, process sugar and almonds in a food processor until fine. Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, processing after each addition until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble. The almond cream may be made up to 4 days in advance.
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Divide puff pastry in half. On a lightly floured board, roll each piece to a 10 inch square. Set aside in refrigerator 1/2 hour.
• After chilling, assemble tart on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Lightly roll each piece so it returns to a 10inch square. Place one pastry square on pan. Mound softened almond cream in a 5 inch circle about 2 inches high in center of square. Brush egg on exposed pastry.
• Place second pastry square over almond cream, so corners align. Pressing out from center to release any air, seal in cream by pressing together top and bottom pastry. Cut a small hole in center of top layer using a paring knife. Press out excess air. Chill an additional hour or, preferably, overnight.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place in a 10 inch round bowl over tart and, using a sharp paring knife, trim excess pastry to form a 10 inch circle. Do not drag knife. Press edges again to seal and carefully brush top with egg. Using a paring knife, make a pinwheel pattern by scoring dough from center out.
• Bake, on lined sheet pan, 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake an additional 1/2 hour. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Prepare the almond cream, place it in a pastry bag with a large opening (no tip) and set aside.
• Prepare the pithivier: Cut the puff pastry dough in 1/2 and roll each 1/2 into an 8 1/2-inch circle. Each circle will be about 1/8-inch thick. Place 1 of the circles on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet. Pipe a 5-inch-diameter mound of almond cream in the center of the circle. The mound should be about 1-inch high.
• Prepare the egg wash: Whisk together the egg yolks, whole egg, and milk in a small bowl until well combined. Lightly brush the remaining 1 1/2-inch rim of the pastry circle with the egg wash. Place the second circle of puff pastry over the first. Gently press against the sides of the almond cream mound to remove any trapped air. Seal the edges of the 2 layers by pressing the top edge into the bottom edge. This will keep the almond cream from running out as it bakes. Use a sharp knife to give the circle a fluted edge. It should look like a flower when finished. Use a sharp knife to pierce a 1/2-inch slit in the top layer at the center of the almond cream mound. This will allow steam to escape during baking.
• This dessert usually has a classic pattern scored into its top. If you would like to try it, use a sharp knife to score a curved line that begins at the top of the mound and ends at the bottom of the mound. Repeat this line every 1/2-inch around the circumference of the mound, but be careful not to cut through the top layer and into the almond cream. Let the pithivier rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour before baking. (At this point, you can wrap the pithivier well in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 weeks. Let it thaw in the refrigerator or in your backpack before baking.)
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake the pithiviers until it begins to brown slightly, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the glaze: Stir together the corn syrup and water. Remove the pithivier from the oven and brush it well with the corn syrup mixture. This adds sweetness, enhances the color, and gives it a crispy crust. Lower the oven 20 degrees and continue to bake until well risen and evenly browned, about another 15 minutes. The baked pithivier should be flaky and tender, and the almond cream center still moist. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. The pithivier is best when served while it is still slightly warm. Use a serrated knife to slice it.
• I can't tell you how long the baked Pithivier can be stored because I never have any leftovers!
• It is possible to buy almond flour (use 1 cup if you do) but it just as easy to make your own. Place the slivered almonds (no skin preferred) and granulated sugar into the food processor. Pulse until the almonds and sugar reach the consistency of flour. It is best to pulse because the heat of the blade will cause the release of the oil from the almonds.
• Mix in the flour. Mix in the butter. Add the egg and mix until the mixture becomes light and creamy. Do not overmix or the gluten in the flour will overdevelop and the almond cream will lose its delicate texture when baked.

Steps:

• In a food processor, grind together the sugar, butter, egg, almonds, extracts and rum until light and fluffy. Line a shallow 6-inch bowl with plastic wrap and spoon in the nut mixture. Smooth the top flat and chill in the freezer 30 minutes to form a disk of firm nut filling.
• Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, roll the puff pastry out a bit thinner just to flatten it and make the sheets square, about 10 inches, then chill them. Using a pizza cutter and a lid or cake pan as your guide, cut the largest disk possible out of both pieces of pastry.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water to make an egg wash. Place one of the pastry disks on a parchment lined sheet pan and paint a 2-inch border on the edge of the pastry with the egg-wash.
• Pop the chilled nut filling out of the bowl, peel off the plastic, and place it in the center of the pastry. Carefully place the second pastry disk on top and ease it over the nut filling smoothing it out on the edges to match up the bottom piece. Brush the whole top surface with egg wash. Using a small sharp knife, score the surface of the pastry decoratively in a spiral pattern.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 400 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes more. Ten minutes before the cake is done, sprinkle it with powdered sugar then finish baking. Cut into wedges to serve.

Steps:

• Cream butter and caster sugar in a small bowl until combined.
• Beat in egg yolk, ground almonds and rum.
• Cut the pastry sheet in half, placing one half on a buttered baking tray.
• Fill the centre with the almond filling and flatten out, leaving the edges clear.
• Top with the remaining pastry and press the edges together.
• Lightly score the top of the pastry with a sharp knife in a decorative pattern.
• Refrigerate until ready to bake.
• Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C for fanforced).
• Brush pastry with egg.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 180°C (160°C fan forced) and bake for a further 10 minutes.
• To give the pastry a crisp caramelised glaze sprinkle with white sugar and bake for another 5 minutes.
• Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream as a dessert, or plain with coffee.