bostini cream pie with the daring bakers

today is the day! the day all the crazy bakers from the daring bakers post their little baking projects. click on the link to see all the wonderful bostini cream pies, but let me tell you that this month's host mary from alpineberry made such a cute little cake, you shouldnt miss it.

bostini cream pie was this months recipe and while i mis-read the title for a couple of weeks i finally figured out it wasnt a boston cream pie - although it is kind of a boston cream pie. a bostini cream pie is a vanilla bean pastry cream topped with an chiffon cake and then drizzled with a rich chocolate glaze.


its a bit of a fancy name i have to admit and you need a little time to bake and blend and assemble it all together but it's definitely worth all the work. you will need a truck of fresh eggs in your fridge and all in all its a dessert that can feed a little army - its so rich and chocolatey and all that. so since i am a little person i just halved the recipe and fed 4 hungry mouths instead. worked well!
i do have every possible and impossible gadget for the kitchen but dont own any custard cups. so just use any other cup that would survive 25 minutes in the oven or simply use your silicone molds to bake the little cakes.
any leftover cakes can be drizzled with the leftover chocolate glaze and surely keep a day or two in the fridge (if not eaten before...). enjoy!



RECIPE

Bostini Cream Pie
(from Donna Scala & Kurtis Baguley of Bistro Don Giovanni and Scala's Bistro)
(makes 8 generous servings)

INGREDIENTS:

Custard (Pastry Cream)
3/4 cup whole milk
2 3/4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 whole egg, beaten
9 egg yolks, beaten
3 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract)
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar

Chiffon Cake
1 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 1/3 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola or sunflower oil
1/3 cup beaten egg yolks (3 to 4 yolks)
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup egg whites (about 8 large)
1 teaspoon cream of tartar (or pinch of salt)

Chocolate Glaze
8 ounces semi or bittersweet chocolate
8 ounces unsalted butter

INSTRUCTIONS

To prepare the custard (pastry cream):
Combine the milk and cornstarch in a bowl; blend until smooth. Whisk in the whole egg and yolks, beating until smooth. Combine the cream, vanilla bean and sugar in a saucepan and carefully bring to a boil. When the mixture just boils, whisk a ladleful into the egg mixture to temper it, then whisk this back into the cream mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain the custard and pour into 8 large custard cups. Refrigerate to chill.

To prepare the chiffon cakes:
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray 8 molds with nonstick cooking spray. You may use 7-ounce custard cups, ovenproof wide mugs or even large foil cups. Whatever you use should be the same size as the custard cups.

Sift the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the oil, egg yolks, orange juice, zest and vanilla. Stir until smooth, but do not overbeat.

Beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gently fold the beaten whites into the orange batter. Fill the sprayed molds nearly to the top with the batter.

Bake approximately 25 minutes, until the cakes bounce back when lightly pressed with your fingertip. Do not overbake. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. When completely cool, remove the cakes from the molds. Cover the cakes to keep them moist.

To prepare the glaze:
Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Place the butter in a saucepan and heat until it is just about to bubble. Remove from the heat; add the chocolate and stir to melt. Pour through a strainer and keep warm.

To assemble:
Cut a thin slice from the top of each cake to create a flat surface. Place a cake flat-side down on top of each custard. Cover the tops with warm chocolate glaze. Serve immediately.