Whisking pastry cream on the stove
Some friends were having a scorpion bowl party, so I thought, what better time than to bake more fun treats? I'm really obsessed with baking sweet if you hadn't noticed by this blog. Trying to fit in with the scorpion bowl theme, I thought coconut and pineapple! I had both on my kitchen counter. Not wanting to invest hours on end to this endeavor, I picked up some pre-formed pastry shells from the freezer sections and decided to dedicate my efforts to the filling.
I made a classic pastry cream, halving the Dorie Greenspan recipe that I used for the Classic Fruit Tart the week before. I then sauteed fresh cut pineapple and mixed it with a warm lime curd glaze. Bon appetit!
Pineapple + Lime Pastry Cream Tart
While the tarts were under construction, I dipped into my newly purchased cookbook: My Sweet Mexico by Fany Gerson. It's a delectable book filled with rich stories and anecdoates about authentic pastries, breads, candies and other treats from Mexico. She includes detailed easy to execute instructions as well. The simplest and most compelling recipe for me to begin with was Jamoncillo de Leche, or milk fudge. Her description made it seem super easy. Toss in ingredients and stir until it pulls away from the sides of the pan. Ta-dah! It struck me as funny simply because I investigated other milk fudge recipes online only to find them described as complex with specific temperatures and procedures to follow - like candymaking. But it wasn't that way at all. I could tell when it was ready. It was clear. I didn't need thermometer or whatever else they suggested. It did take me 45 minutes of constant stirring, instead of the 20-30 min she said. I realized mid-way through that my stove simply wasn't hot enough, hence the slow carmelization. I was too cautious at first due to concerns about burning - but I didn't need to have those fears.
Honestly, I don't know what the big fuss is about this kind of cooking. It was super easy and everyone loved the milk fudge. I used coconut milk instead of evaporated milk, so it had a hint of tropical sweet. Perfecto!
