4 Plant-Based French Pastry Recipes | EUROtoday

From her new cookbook, Amanda Bankert, an American expat pastry chef on the Boneshaker bakery in Paris, showcases decadent plant-based delights, together with reimagined French classics.

FINANCIAL

Makes | 2 financiers

Rumor has it that these miniature almond truffles, usually dotted with raspberries or flavored with citrus and pistachio, obtained their identify from their resemblance to bars of gold (financiers are historically baked in rectangular molds), however right this moment you are simply as more likely to see round variations, as I’ve performed right here.

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ cups (150 g) powdered sugar
• ¼ cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup (72 g) almond flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (150 ml) aquafaba
• 4% tablespoons (65 g) vegan butter,
• melted ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract

METHOD

1. In a big bowl, sift collectively the powdered sugar, all-purpose flour, almond flour and baking powder. Add the aquafaba, melted butter, vanilla and almond extract and stir to mix. Transfer the batter to a storage container and let it relaxation within the fridge for two to six hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C). Grease and flour a 12-cup muffin tin, taking care to ensure every cup could be very nicely. greased and floured. Fill the cups two-thirds of the way in which full with the batter.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, the pan as soon as midway by, till rotating golden across the edges.
4. Let cool fully within the pan, then gently take away them by operating a butter knife across the edges of the cups and lifting out the financiers.
5. The truffles are finest served the day they’re made however will be saved in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as three days.

VARIATIONS

• Financial pistachio: Whisk 1 heaped tablespoon of pure pistachio butter into the batter earlier than refrigerating. Top every financier with a few teaspoon of crushed pistachios earlier than baking.
• Financial Lemon: Add the zest and juice of 1 lemon to the batter earlier than refrigerating.
• Raspberry monetary: Press 3 or 4 berries into the highest of every financier earlier than baking.

GLASSES

Makes | dozen sandwich cookies

Lunettes, named for his or her resemblance to studying glasses, are made by merely sandwiching cut-out butter cookies along with jam. My model, utilizing each raspberry and apricot jam, is maybe extra akin to two-toned 3D film frames. You can follow one taste of jam for those who desire, raspberry is the standard alternative.

INGREDIENTS

• 2½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon advantageous sea salt
• ½ cup (100 g) strong white vegetable shortening (Crisco)
• 1 cup (200 g) sugar
• 3 tablespoons aquafaba
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) plant milk Raspberry jam Apricot jam (non-obligatory)
• Powdered sugar, for dusting (non-obligatory)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. In a big bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt. It’s not essential to sift the elements, however I like to present them a fast whisk to aerate the flour a bit of and blend the whole lot collectively.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a big bowl with a hand mixer, beat collectively the shortening, sugar, aquafaba, vanilla and almond extract on excessive velocity till absolutely included, about 2 minutes. Add the milk and blend till included. Gradually add the flour combination, mixing on low velocity till absolutely mixed. Be cautious to not over-mix. (If you are not baking the cookies instantly. divide the dough into 2 flat discs, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for as much as 2 days)
4. Lightly flour a piece floor and roll out the dough about ½ inch (1 cm) thick. Use a 4in (10 cm) spherical or oval cookie cutter to chop out 24 cookies. Use a linen (25 cm) cutter to chop out two eyes’ on half of the cookie discs and place all of the discs on the ready baking sheets. Bake for five to 7 minutes.
5. Allow the cookies to chill fully. When you are able to assemble, unfold a teaspoon of raspberry jam within the center-left of one of many non-cut-out cookies. Spread one other teaspoon of jam on the center-right (apricot jam on this aspect, if utilizing). Place the remaining 12 cookies (with cut-outs) on prime and press them collectively to seal. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

MI-COOKED WITH CHOCOLATE

Makes | 4 truffles

Chocolate lava cake mi-cuit (half-baked) in French is a basic on dessert menus worldwide and for good cause. Is there something extra serotonin-inducing than sliding your spoon by a skinny layer of chocolate cake to disclose a pool of molten chocolate? I doubt it. I’ve made these in each restaurant I’ve labored in. At dwelling, make like a pastry chef and put together these truffles upfront: pipe the batter into ramekins and retailer them within the fridge till you are able to serve. Bake the truffles à la minute and if you take away them from the oven, add flaked salt and a cheeky scoop of ice cream.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 teaspoons cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons floor flaxseed
• 2/3 cup (3.5 oz/100 g) chopped darkish chocolate
• 7 tablespoons (100 g) vegan butter
• ¼ cup (150 g) sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup extra
• 1 tablespoon (50 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon advantageous sea salt

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Grease 4 4in (10 cm) ramekins and mud the middle of every with about I teaspoon of cocoa powder. Spin the ramekin in your palm, tuming it so the cocoa powder coats the complete floor. Tap out the surplus and set the ramekins apart.
3. In a small bowl, stir collectively the bottom flaxseed with 7% tablespoons (110ml) of water. Set apart to thicken for about 10 minutes. This is your flax egg.
4. Make a bain-marie by putting a big heatproof bowl over a small pot of simmering water. Make certain the underside of the bowl is not touching the water (the chocolate will bum). Add the chocolate and butter and warmth, stirring sometimes, till the chocolate has simply melted. Alternatively, you’ll be able to microwave it in 30-second increments till melted. Let’s cool barely.
5. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a big bowl with a hand mixer, add the chocolate combination, flax egg, sugar and vanilla and blend on low velocity till easy. Finally, fold within the flour, baking powder and salt.
6. Transfer the batter to a piping bag and fill every ramekin three-quarters full. At this stage. you’ll be able to both place the fondants within the fridge till you are able to serve them (as much as a day upfront), or bake them for 10 to 12 minutes. The truffles needs to be overrated on the edges however nonetheless wobble (the tiniest bit) within the middle if you take them out of the oven.

LEMON PIE

Makes | one 9in (23 cm) tart

This is no-fuss, eat-straight-out-of-the-pieplate baking.

INGREDIENTS

For the crust:

• 1 cup (125 g) crushed vegan graham crackers or vegan digestive biscuits
• 3 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon advantageous sea salt

For the filling:

• ¼ cup (150 g) sugar (superfine most popular, however granulated will work)
• 1 tablespoon extra
• 2 teaspoons pectin
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon agar agar powder
• ½ teaspoon floor turmeric
• Zest of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup extra
• 1 tablespoon (200 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 4 lemons)
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon (260 ml) barista- mix oat milk
• 8 tablespoons (113 g) chilly vegan butter, cubed

METHOD

Make the crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. In a meals processor, pulse the graham crackers till they’re advantageous crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl and add the melted butter, sugar and salt. Stir till the crumbs are coated with butter after which tip them right into a 9in (23 cm) pie pan or tart plate. Using your arms, press the crumbs evenly into the underside and sides of the pie pan. I wish to take a metallic measuring cup and go over the crust as soon as, urgent firmly with the cup to ‘set’ it.
3. Bake for 10 minutes till golden brown.Let cool whilst you make the filling.

Make the filling:

1. In a small bowl, whisk collectively the sugar, pectin, comstarch, agar agar and turmeric.
2. In a medium sauce pan over medium warmth, add the pectin combination, lemon zest, lemon juice and oat milk. Cook, whisking always. till the combination begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Bring to a boil and boil for I minute, then take away from the warmth. Whisk within the butter, piece by piece, till fully included. Let cool for five minutes earlier than pouring into the tart base and smoothing with a metallic spatula or offset spatula.

Refrigerate for about 2 hours, till set.

From France Today Magazine