Dame Helen Collier
INGRIEDNETS
Sweet Pie Dough
400g plain flour
200g unsalted butter
½ tsp salt
20g icing sugar
2 egg yolks (40g)
6 tbsps (approx.) cold water
Pie Filling
Vanilla Pastry Cream
250ml full fat milk
½ vanilla pod
60g egg yolks
45g caster sugar
15g plain flour
15g cornflour
300g rhubarb, chopped into 2cm cubes
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g caster sugar
15g cornflour
2 x pieces of stem ginger, finely chopped
Topping
1 egg, beaten for egg wash
1 tbsp demerara sugar
Equipment
1 x 12 hole standard muffin tin
1 flat baking sheet
8 cm and 10 cm pastry rings
Lattice roller (optional)
Hand whisk
Palette knife
METHOD
First make the pie dough. Add flour, butter, icing sugar and salt to a food processor and blitz until fine crumb-like texture. Add egg yolk and water to processor and pulse until dough begins to come together. Alternatively, if working by hand rub together with fingertips until crumb-like texture achieved and then stir in egg yolk and water. Do not overwork at this point. If it is too crumbly, add a little more water. Knead lightly into a ball, cover in cling film, flatten slightly and rest it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
For the pastry cream, pour the milk and 20g of the caster sugar into a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod into the milk and add the pod also. Heat gently, and give a gentle stir to dissolve the sugar. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 25g of the sugar with 60g egg yolks in a bowl until pale in colour and then whisk in the flour and cornflour to achieve a smooth paste. As the milk mixture begins to steam, pour a little into the egg mixture to temper it, gradually whisking in the rest of the milk mixture before pouring it all back into the saucepan to gently bring to the boil, stirring continuously. As the mixture begins to thicken you will need to whisk furiously to stop lumps forming, removing briefly from the heat if necessary if it feels like it is overheating. When smooth, continue to cook the starch from the flour out of the pastry cream for a couple more minutes, tasting to see if ready. Once cooked, spread onto a tray and cover the surface with clingfilm to prevent a skin forming. Allow to cool.
Preheat oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas Mark 6. Place baking sheet in the oven.
Remove pastry from fridge and roll out two thirds of the pastry on a floured surface to a depth of approximately 2mm. Cut out twelve circles using a 10 cm pastry ring and line the holes in the muffin tin. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Knock back cooled pastry cream by removing vanilla pod (wash and dry the pod and reuse by popping it in a jar of sugar), scraping mixture into a bowl and whisking until smooth. Remove pie shells from fridge. Place pastry cream in a piping bag, snipping the end off and piping a swirl of pastry cream into the bottom of the pie shell. Alternatively use a heaped teaspoon.
Combine rhubarb, vanilla extract, sugar, cornflour and ginger in a bowl. Add a heaped dessertspoon of this on top of the pastry cream.
Roll out the last third of pastry and cut out twelve circles using a 8 cm pastry ring. I have also used a lattice roller in the picture to achieve a slatted effect but a simple circle will look equally beautiful. Brush the pastry shell edges with a little egg wash, place the 8cm circles on top and gently press the edges together. Add a couple of slits with a knife to allow steam to escape, egg wash and sprinkle with a little demerara sugar.
Place muffin tin on the heated baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas Mark 6, then reduce heat to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas Mark 4 and bake for a further 25 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing gently with a palette knife and placing on a wire rack to cool. Delicious served hot or cold.