3 years later, time for a fresh thread.
What are you making that isn’t baked?
For me, it’s a lot of flatbreads (stuffed or plain), sweets cooked stovetop rather than in the oven, fried pastries (sweet or savory), and lots more.
My last sweet foray was old-fashioned fudge, and if I wasn’t trying to be good right now I’d make a quick batch!
Here’s the old thread:
Applets, cotlets and berrylets!
I don’t know how I blanked on this, but I hepled with two batches of lemon curd yesterday. I’m eating it straight out of the jar.
Passionfruit and coconut Tiramiwho…not a tiramisu as it does not have mascarpone, raw eggs or whipped cream.
This is made with a thick pastry cream instead, which I pretty much wing with assorted flavorings, etc. sometimes crushed berries are used to top the ladyfingers and a fruit syrup.
Today, the cookies are dipped in passionfruit purée and Alizé, I had some homemade passionfruit curd in the freezer which I added to the hot pastry cream. And a light sprinkling of unsweetened coconut on the dipped cookies to add a tropical note. The possibility for endless combinations are only limited by your imagination…so go for it! Just don’t call it tiramisu 
The bestest!
Beautiful! How do you serve this…like a pudding in a coupe or on a petit plate, or possibly just out of the dish with a spoon? T looks sooooo good!
After it’s well chilled, in this 5x7 dish, I use a small spatula to cut out a piece. I eyeball the center and make about a 2 1/2 “ cut. It will cut cleanly when chilled.
Today I have some leftover dipping juice so I might combine it with some curd and make a little sauce to serve underneath the slice.
And yes, a small plate so it doesn’t look too stingy!
Yesterday, I had about half of the dish left of a different version and I cut it into four pieces. Our household is happy with small portions!
What is your method? I’d love to learn a quick / easy pastry cream.
Was talking about your microwave lemon curd the other day!
Microwave as well, will get back to you asap.
Perhaps it would be better to DM you and not hijack the thread with directions for the pastry cream, lmk.?
Oh please hijack the thread that way!!
Ha! Is this the peanut gallery I hear? I’ll be happy to post
This is off the top of my head, so apologies if not totally clear.
This is the formula I use for one cup of milk which will yield almost two cups of pastry cream.
1 large egg
50 g sugar
25 g AP flour ( Wondra is nice)
250 g whole milk
2T butter
Vanilla
In the bottom of a 2 c. Pyrex cup, place the cracked egg, mix to break up a bit , chopsticks are good for this part.
Add the sugar, mix well, then the flour, mix again until moistened.
Gradually add the milk, mixing as you go along.
I switch to an immersion blender at some point.
The immersion blender is a critical piece of equipment if you want a very silky pastry cream and not a stodgy one, the whole thing can be done with a whip but there is a decided difference in the outcome.
Place cup in micro, I cover briefly with a silicon lid, just for the first couple of minutes. Heat at power 7 for about two minutes.
Remove cover, mix, heat again for a couple of minutes at power 5.
It will likely be starting to thicken at this point, give it a buzz with the immersion blender keeping the head submerged.
Continue to cook at power 5 , it will be very thick and bubbly.
Again use the immersion blender, it will go from thick and stodgy looking to silky. The crème will change from dull to shiny.
Remove when thickened, add butter and vanilla, blend again.
At this point I add various add ins.
Today was about 4 T passionfruit curd, on other occasions I added WHIPPED ricotta, or sour cream or whatever is appropriate for what you are making.
If not using immediately, cover the surface with Saran and chill in fridge until needed.
I recommend a little buzz with the blender prior to use.
My m.o. for the Tiramiwho is to pour the warm pastry cream on top of the dipped ladyfingers, making two layers.
Hope this covers it!
The pastry cream can be used without add ins, I usually do the add ins when making the Tiramiwho.
Love it! Thank you!
I feel like I need to start a little Google doc cookbook with the many simplified recipes you’ve generously shared. And other folks here too.
This method makes for an “ instant” dessert, I add chopped chocolate on occasion for another variation.
This is super helpful and likely to be dangerous, lol. Thanks for taking the time!
My pleasure, and yes, too easy!
@Nannybakes Do you make small-batch lemon curd in the microwave, or is it jam I’m thinking of?
Found this on Dessert for Two:
Both jam and curd. I use Stella Parks curd formula. Equal parts by weight of egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice. Mix well in Pyrex cup, cook until 180-185, KAF has the microwave method. No butter in SP recipe, you can conceivably use whole eggs but it ain’t quite the same.
ETA…I sometimes put in some strips of lemon peel and then just fish them out prior to pouring into jars…I scrape them a bit.
Thanks!
(My aunt switched to whole eggs and I still can’t stop eating it. I think maybe it cuts the tartness a bit more.)
No butter is interesting – more like the jam probably, and more intense / tart?
