CONTENTS TITLE PAGE BASE RECIPES Tart pastries Yeast doughs Cooked doughs Beaten doughs Meringues Cooked sugar Creams Icings Decorations Sauces PASTRIES Grand gâteaux Mousse-based desserts Tarts Choux pastries Brioche cakes Puff pastry gâteaux Meringue-based desserts Bakers’ treats GLOSSARY Utensils Basics Preparing a tin or mould Using a piping bag Decorating with a piping bag Decorating a cake or dessert Butter Cream Sugar Eggs Chocolate Colourings, flavours & nuts Choux pastry tips Macaron tips Pastry tips Copyright Page CHAPTER 1 BASE RECIPES TART PASTRIES SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY SABLÉ PASTRY RICH SHORTCRUST PASTRY PUFF PASTRY YEAST DOUGHS BRIOCHE DOUGH BABA DOUGH CROISSANT DOUGH COOKED DOUGHS CHOUX PASTRY BEATEN DOUGHS GENOESE SPONGE ALMOND SPONGE LADYFINGERS WALNUT MERINGUE BASE FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE MERINGUES FRENCH MERINGUE ITALIAN MERINGUE SWISS MERINGUE COOKED SUGAR CARAMEL NOUGATINE CREAMS PASTRY CREAM FRENCH BUTTER CREAM GERMAN BUTTER CREAM BOMBE MIXTURE ENGLISH EGG CUSTARD OR CRÈME ANGLAISE CHANTILLY CREAM ALMOND CREAM CHIBOUST CREAM DIPLOMAT CREAM BAVAROIS CREAMY GANACHE LEMON CURD ICINGS SHINY DARK CHOCOLATE ICING WHITE CHOCOLATE ICING MILK CHOCOLATE ICING FONDANT ICING ROYAL ICING DECORATIONS MARZIPAN SUGAR DECORATIONS CHOCOLATE DECORATIONS SAUCES PROFITEROLE SAUCE MILK CHOCOLATE SAUCE RASPBERRY COULIS CARAMEL SAUCE SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY HOW CAN THE PASTRY BIND TOGETHER BUT BE CRUMBLY AT THE SAME TIME? Shortcrust pastry doesn’t contain whole eggs, but the kneading coats the flour grains in fat; this means they don’t stick together, which prevents the pastry having a uniform hard layer after baking. During cooking, the starch grains in the flour swell while the butter melts and joins all the grains together. The butter, therefore, serves as a sort of glue, and it’s this binding that creates the crumbly texture. MAKES 1 × 24 CM ROUND BASE OR 8 × 8 CM ROUND BASES 200 g plain flour 100 g cold butter, cut into small cubes 50 g water 1 g salt 25 g caster sugar 15 g egg yolk 1 Make a mound of the flour with a well in the middle and place the butter in the well. 2 Rub the butter into the flour using your fingers (Pastry tips) until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. 3 Add the water, salt, sugar and egg yolk. Mix into a dough using your fingers. 4 Knead lightly by flattening the dough twice using the heel of your hand. Check the smoothness and knead again if necessary; there must be no visible butter remaining. 5 Press flat, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.