Exotic Vanilla Cream Puff Tartlet

Rehydrate the gelatine in the water.

Break the white chocolate into pieces in a bowl (you can melt it slightly in a bain-marie or in the microwave).

Heat the 80 g (2.8 oz) of cream with the split and scraped vanilla pod in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cover and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.

Remove the vanilla pod, then heat the cream again.

Off the heat, add the rehydrated gelatine and mix.

Pour one third of the cream over the white chocolate and mix with a spatula to create an emulsion. Then pour in a second third, then a third, to obtain a smooth, homogeneous mixture.

Add the 170 g (6 oz) of cold cream and mix again. Blend for a few seconds with a hand blender to fully homogenise the mixture. Cover with cling film pressed against the surface and refrigerate overnight.

Place the softened butter and icing sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix at low speed. Add the ground almonds, vanilla powder and fleur de sel and mix again.

Add the beaten egg and mix with a spatula this time (it will be easier than with the mixer).

Finish by adding the flour and mix with the mixer until you obtain a smooth ball of dough. Do not overwork the dough. Bring the dough together into a ball without insisting.

Wrap in cling film, forming a flattened rectangle of dough. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Roll the dough out between two sheets of baking paper to a thickness of 2–3 mm, then prick with a fork.

Cut out 8 circles of 10 cm (3.9 in) diameter, then place the dough in the freezer while buttering all the moulds.

Butter the outside of the brioche moulds with a brush (the butter must be soft).

Take one disc of dough out of the freezer (take them out one at a time), wait a few moments if the dough is too rigid — it must be pliable enough to avoid cracking. Place the disc on the upturned brioche mould and gently press with your fingers so the dough perfectly follows the shape of the mould.

Once all the moulds are lined, place in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours. You will obviously not need all of this quantity of dough. You can halve the quantities, or freeze the excess dough — it is always handy to have a preparation ready.

In a bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar and fleur de sel, then add the softened butter and knead for a few minutes until you obtain a smooth dough.

Roll the dough to a maximum of 1 to 2 mm thickness between 2 sheets of baking paper.

Cut out discs of 3 to 4 cm (1.6 in) in diameter using a cookie cutter and keep in the freezer (the size of the craquelin will depend on the size you chose for your choux). Do not hesitate to re-use the offcuts to make more discs. Roll the dough out again and repeat. They can be kept in the freezer for the next batch of choux.

In a saucepan, combine the water, milk, salt, sugar and butter. Bring everything to the boil, then off the heat, add the flour all at once. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Return to the heat for 30 seconds to dry out the panade (it should very lightly stick to the bottom of the pan).

Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Leave to cool for a few minutes. Beat the eggs, then add them progressively to the dough. It should be neither too thick nor too liquid — it should fall in a ribbon (if using an electric mixer, use the dough hooks rather than the whisk attachments; if using a stand mixer, use the paddle).

Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a smooth 10 mm nozzle.

Preheat the oven to 240°C / 465°F.

Pipe choux of 2 to 3 cm (1.2 in) diameter onto a tray lined with baking paper or a silicone mat (my choux were a little large — it’s up to you whether you prefer this size or something smaller).

Place a frozen craquelin disc on top of each choux.

Before putting in the oven, lower the temperature to 175°C / 350°F and bake for approximately 25 minutes.

After baking, place the choux on a wire rack and leave to cool. To pipe evenly-sized choux, you have 2 options: use a cookie cutter of the right size dipped in flour and tap it onto the baking mat to mark the shape; or use a template placed under the baking paper (that’s what I do).

You will obviously have leftover choux pastry — do not hesitate to make more and fill them with any remaining preparations (whipped ganache or cream). You can also freeze them in a half-sphere mould and bake them later.

In a bowl, mix the pre-toasted hazelnut powder, lemon zest, brown sugar, egg, icing sugar and cream.

Melt the butter in a saucepan until it turns a hazelnut colour (stir continuously). The butter is ready when it has a delicious hazelnut aroma and stops “singing”. Add it, still hot, to the rest of the ingredients while continuing to mix.

Add the sifted flour and baking powder.

Whisk the 50 g (1.8 oz) of egg whites to stiff peaks, tightening them with the 8.3 g (0.3 oz) of brown sugar, then gently fold them into the first mixture using a spatula.

Pour the batter onto one half of a tray lined with baking paper and smooth with an offset spatula.

Bake for 13–15 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire rack, then cut out circles of 3 cm (1.2 in) diameter.

Rehydrate the gelatine in cold water.

Pour the fruit purée into a saucepan, then add the whole eggs, yolks and sugar. Mix everything with a whisk.

Heat to 83°C / 181°F, stirring constantly. The cream will thicken. This is similar to cooking a crème anglaise — be careful not to exceed this temperature. If you do not have a thermometer, here is Chef Michalak’s tip: quickly whisk the mixture then stop. If the “whirlpool” stops immediately, the cream is at the right temperature.

Add the rehydrated gelatine and mix.

When the cream is at approximately 35°C / 95°F, pour it into a tall container (I use a jug). Add the cold butter all at once, then blend with a hand blender. The cream should be smooth and will lighten slightly in colour.

Cover with cling film pressed against the surface and set aside until assembly. If you do not have exotic fruit purée, you can mix mango purée with passion fruit purée, for example.

In a saucepan, cook the fruit purées and bring gently to the boil.

Add the pre-mixed sugar and pectin and maintain the boil for 2 minutes.

Pour into a container, cover with cling film pressed against the surface and refrigerate.

Place the upturned brioche moulds lined with dough on a baking-paper-lined tray.

Bake in an oven preheated to 160°C / 325°F for approximately 12 to 15 minutes.

Leave to cool on a wire rack, then carefully remove the brioche moulds (this is the most delicate step). Smooth out any imperfections in the pastry with a microplane grater if needed.

Glaze the tart base and edges (inside and outside) with a mixture of egg yolk and whipping cream to make it shine (the cream represents approximately 10% of the weight of the yolk), for approximately 10 minutes (the pastry should be well golden). Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Pipe a small dot of exotic cream in the centre of the tart base, then place a biscuit disc on top, press down firmly, then pipe the cream up to 3/4 full. Freeze for 15–20 minutes.

Smooth the exotic confit with a whisk or hand blender, then pipe it over the cream to about 1 cm (0.4 in) thickness. Freeze for 15–20 minutes.

Whip the ganache like a Chantilly (not too firm) then place it in a 14 mm piping bag. Pipe balls of ganache around the edge of the tart, then in the centre.

Fill a cream puff with the whipped ganache, then place it in the centre of the tartlet.

Zest a lime over the top, then refrigerate until ready to serve. This cream puff tartlet is best enjoyed on the day it is made. The next day, the choux will have softened slightly.