Delightful…! Preposterous…! Brioche Feuilletée

Tags

Bertinet, brioche, Feuilletee, Hamelman, Hazelnut, Pistachio

When I first got my iPad, I became addicted for a while to a game called Cruel Jewels. It was very amusing the way a kind of posh butler would comment with increasing excitement on how well you were doing. A good move might earn a “Delightful!”, a better one a more enthusiastic “Splendid!”, but if you had done particularly well he would work himself up to an almost hysterical “Absurd! Preposterous!! INCONCEIVABLE!!!”

I fear that some people might view this Brioche Feuilletée recipe in the same light. For it takes a dough that is already very rich, packed as it is with eggs and butter, and adds yet more butter in the form of a croissant-style lamination. The dough is then wrapped around a rich nutty filling, and finally the loaf is glazed with apricot jam, drizzled with icing and sprinkled with more nuts.

Portuguese Custard Tarts

Tags

custard tarts, natas, Pastel de nata, Tea Time Treats

These Portuguese Custard Tarts, or Pasteis de Nata, are often referred to simply as Natas. There is no denying that they are quite time consuming and fiddly to make, but the end result is delicious. The way the pastry is worked and rolled makes it especially flaky, and some of the cases end up with attractive spirals in them. The custard is not too rich, and is delicately flavoured with cinnamon, lemon and vanilla.