La Pâtisserie des Rêves: The Pâtisserie of Dreams

PREFACE

La Pâtisserie des Rêves was the fruit of our meeting and our friendship.

The starting point was our mutual creativity and a strong urge to express our feelings and let the big kid in us speak out.

When we opened La Pâtisserie des Rêves, our aim was simple but ambitious: we wanted to appeal to young and old by offering them great classic cakes of mouth-watering French pâtisserie – cakes which give today’s children the same pleasure that forged the sensory and emotional memory in ourselves, the grown-up children we still are.

What could be more wonderful than to conjure up magical moments when young and old come together! You, Thierry, expressed that magic in your marvellous décor of transparent domes on round and oval tables – a tribute to the carousels of miniature horses you rode in your childhood. Those ingenious displays were your idea to showcase my cakes as you wished.

As for you, Philippe, your sensitivities found expression in delicious cakes, which captivated me before beguiling everybody else. Ah, your Paris-Brest and Tarte Tatin, your Saint-Honoré… the list is endless!

To cut a long story short, this book is an attempt to bring you the magic of La Pâtisserie des Rêves and rekindle the delight we feel every day of the week (including Sunday) as we watch your eyes sparkle.

Magical flavours in a magical universe. Take it from us: every chapter will open doors into a whole world of lusciousness you will never want to leave. Viennoiseries, biscuits, classics or freestyle pastries – you’ll find them irresistible!

The recipes all provide full details to help you reproduce at home the creations you can find in our pastry shops, and above all, to help you recapture the pleasure of eating them. But before you get started, we’ll tell you the secret that has informed our way of working for years: ‘put what you are into what you do’.

Now, over to you to play and ‘pâtisser’. Roll up your sleeves, don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty, and above all, be sure to try everything you make: you won’t be disappointed!

Philippe Conticini

Thierry Teyssier

VIENNOISERIES

Light Kouign-amann

For 12 Kouign-amanns (depending on their size) Preparation: 1hr 50mins Resting time: 9hours Cooking time: 20mins

400g flour (+ for the work surface)

12g table salt

340g unsalted butter (+ a little for the baking tray)

8g fresh yeast

20ml water

200g granulated sugar

FOR THE DOUGH

Tip the flour, salt and 15g of butter cut into chunks into the bowl of an electric mixer. Combine everything with the dough hook at low speed for 2 minutes, then immediately tip in the yeast first dissolved in 100 ml of cold water. Add the remaining water.

ALLOW THE DOUGH TO RISE

Continue kneading on medium speed for another 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and homogenous. Leave the dough in the bowl, then cover it with cling film and allow to rise at room temperature for one and a half hours until doubled in size.

PUT THE DOUGH IN THE FRIDGE

Turn the dough out on to the floured work surface and flip it over two or three times with your hand from bottom to top to return it to its original ball-shape. Then put it on a sheet of baking parchment, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 2 hours.

ROLL OUT THE BUTTER

Place the remaining butter (which should be very soft) between 2 sheets of baking parchment and pound it with the rolling pin then roll it out into a rectangle about 20 x 25cm to a thickness of 5mm to 1cm. Put the butter in the fridge for about an hour and a half. Butter and dough should be the same temperature.

GIVE THE DOUGH THE FIRST TWO TURNS

Now roll out the dough on the floured work surface to make a rectangle about 45 x 25cm. Place the rectangle of butter in the middle of the dough and fold the flaps of dough into the centre of the butter so the edges meet. Roll it all out to obtain a strip about 70cm long. Fold the dough again, this time into three layers like a folding wallet. Give the dough a quarter turn then roll it out to obtain another 70cm-long strip. Now, give it a second turn exactly like the first one. Wrap it up in cling film then let the dough rest in the fridge for one and a half hours.

TO FINISH THE DOUGH

Give the dough another two turns but this time, sprinkle it with sugar before folding it into the wallet-shape to fully incorporate it. Wrap the dough in cling film again then put it in the fridge for at least an hour.

SHAPE THE KOUIGN-AMANN

Roll out the dough into a 40 x 90cm rectangle. Sprinkle the dough with sugar before every roll. Cut the dough into squares with 10cm sides then fold the corners into the centre. Dip the kouignamanns in the sugar to give them a good coating then lay them on a well-buttered baking tray sprinkled with the remaining sugar. Allow to rest at room temperature (between 22ºC and 24ºC) for one and a half hours.

TO COOK

Preheat the oven to 170ºC (gas mark 3 to 4). Bake the kouign-amanns for about 20 minutes until crisp and a deep golden colour on the outside but melting on the inside. Allow to cool before serving.

Gourmet Pains au Chocolat

For 6 pains au chocolat Preparation: 40mins Resting time: 3hours Cooking time: 45mins

75g dark chocolate

50g unsalted butter

20ml water

2 level tablespoons milk powder (12g)

25g yeast

395g type 55 flour (+ for the work surface)

40g brown sugar

40g thick cream

1 level tablespoon fleur de sel

2 tablespoons cocoa powder (10g)

60g dark chocolate chips

TO FINISH

1 egg

brown sugar

KNEAD THE DOUGH IN THE MIXER

Chop up the butter and chocolate and melt the pieces in a bain-marie.

Dissolve the milk powder in water, warm the milk then pour it together with the yeast into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, fleur de sel and thick cream. Set the mixer going at low speed for 5 minutes to start kneading then increase the speed to medium. Count 5 minutes before switching back to low speed to mix in the warm melted chocolate and butter, a third at a time. When the dough starts to come away from the sides of the bowl, tip in the chocolate chips.

SHAPE THE PAINS AU CHOCOLAT

Place the dough on the floured work surface then cut it into 6 rolls weighing 150g each. Roll them into balls between floured hands. Lay the balls on a tray lined with a sheet of baking parchment then allow to ‘grow’ at room temperature (22ºC to 24ºC) for 3 hours until doubled in size.

GLAZE THE PAINS AU CHOCOLAT

Preheat the oven to 170ºC (gas mark 3 to 4). Brush the pastries with beaten egg then sprinkle liberally with brown sugar. Put them in the oven for about 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

Chaussons Napolitains

For around 15 chaussons Preparation time: 1hour Freezing time: 40mins Refrigeration time: 1hour Cooking time: 30mins

70g brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

Zest of 1 orange

Zest of 1 lemon

50g macadamia nuts

200g puff pastry (see page 209)

1 egg to glaze

Icing sugar

FOR THE RAISINS

50g raisins

3 tablespoons rum

1 teaspoon brown sugar

FOR THE SWEETENED BUTTER

60g butter

15g brown sugar

FOR THE CRÈME PÂTISSIÈRE

100ml semi-skimmed milk

1 egg yolk

15g caster sugar

10g type 55 flour

5g cold butter

30ml rum

1 vanilla pod

FOR THE CHOUX PASTE

45ml water / 45ml rum

90ml semi-skimmed milk

70g butter / 90g flour

140g whole eggs (3 eggs)

1 teaspoon caster sugar

1 level teaspoon table salt

FOR THE RAISINS WITH RUM

Marinate the raisins in the rum and sugar mixture. Set aside.

FOR THE SWEETENED BUTTER

Mix together the brown sugar and very soft creamed butter. Beat vigorously for 20 seconds.

FOR THE CRÈME PÂTISSIÈRE

In a saucepan, bring the milk and vanilla pod to the boil.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolk and sugar thoroughly then add the flour. Off the heat, remove the vanilla pod from the milk and pour the boiling vanilla milk over the previous mixture in two or three batches, continuing to whisk vigorously. Transfer everything to the pan and bring the mixture back to the boil, but gently and slowly over a medium heat and don’t stop whisking. Cook the cream for 1 minute, still whisking to prevent it sticking to the bottom of the pan. When the cream has thickened up, still on the heat, vigorously whisk in the cold butter then the rum. Pour the still-hot cream into a mixing bowl and pat cling film down over the surface to prevent a crust forming. Place in the fridge.

FOR THE CHOUX PASTRY

Cut the butter into chunks. Pour the milk and water into a saucepan followed by the pieces of butter.

Bring to the boil then add the sifted dry ingredients (flour, salt and sugar) in one go. Stir carefully: a dough will form immediately. Continue stirring over a medium heat for 1 minute to eliminate as much moisture as possible. Now tip the dough into the bowl of an electric mixer and knead it with the paddle (the flat beater attachment), incorporating the whole eggs one at a time. You should obtain a pliable, glossy dough. To check whether it is ready, drag your finger quite deeply over the surface for a few centimetres: the groove should gently close up afterwards. Whisk the crème pâtissière vigorously into the choux paste, followed by the brown sugar, vanilla extract, the zests, crushed macadamia nuts and the rum-marinated raisins.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CHAUSSONS

Roll out the puff pastry to 1.5mm thick, cut