Basic Patisserie recipes

⇐ Useful stuff

French Meringue	this is the one to use for meringues like you find in shops, or for nests etc
Italian Meringue	Used as ingredient in other recipes
Swiss Meringue	Firmer than French Meringue
Creme Patisserie (rich)	Preferred creme pat, e.e. for custard slices or Tompouce
Creme Patisserie (easy)	Lighter but not easier to be honest
Fruit Glaze	aka Glaçage Fruits, for example for glazing fruit tartlets
Butter cream	Basic butter cream, e.g. for Victoria Sandwich Cake
Creme Mousseline	Lighter than butter cream, good for cake fillings
Classic sponge mixes	Link to cake sponge mix page

French Meringue

this is the one to use for meringues like you find in shops, or for nests etc

Ingredients

4 egg whites, or 125ml or 140g

125g caster sugar

125g icing sugar

Method

1. Whisk the egg whites till soft peaks (or bowl upside down over your head test 😀)
2. Beat in the caster sugar a little at a time and beat for 10 minutes until firm, very smooth and shiny
3. Fold in icing sugar and do not overwork
4. Pipe or spoon onto greaseproof paper. Place in oven heated to 120℃, immediately reducing oven to 100℃ and cook for 100 minutes

Italian Meringue

usually used as an ingredient in other things

Ingredients

6 egg whites, or 185ml or 210g

80ml water

360g sugar

30g glucose (optional)

Method

1. Put water in pan and add sugar and glucose. Bring to boil, skim if necessary. Boil, keeping an eye on the syrup temperature, while you beat the egg whites to soft peaks.
2. When the syrup reaches 121℃ set the mixer with egg whites to lowest speed and add the hot syrup in a steady, thin stream. Beat at low speed until cool, probably 15 minutes.
3. Now ready to use

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Swiss Meringue

firmer than french meringue but good for dessert bases

Ingredients

4 egg whites, or 125ml or 140g

300g caster sugar

Method

1. Combine egg whites and sugar. Stand bowl over a bain marie and beat continuously till it reaches a temperature of approx 40℃. Take off heat and continue beating till cold

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Creme Patissiere (rich)

the custard you find in custard slices or tompouce

Ingredients

6 egg yolks

125g caster sugar

40g plain flour

500ml whole milk

1 vanilla pod, split

Method

1. Whisk the egg yolks with one third of the sugar until they are pale and form a light ribbon. Sift in flour and mix well
2. Combine milk, remaining sugar and vanilla pod in a sauce pan and bring to the boil.
3. As soon as milk boils pour about one third onto the egg mixture, stirring all the time. Pour back in to saucepan and cook over gentle heat, stirring continuously. Boil for 2 minutes

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Creme Patissiere (easy)

This recipe uses whole eggs and is less rich than the 3-star version

Ingredients

2 whole eggs

500ml whole milk

100g caster sugar

55g cornflour, or ½ and ½ cornflour and plain flour

½ tsp vanilla essence

Method

1. Heat the milk with ⅓ of the sugar. Meanwhile mix the flour and remaining sugar well and carefully beat in the eggs and vanilla essence. Beat till smooth.
2. When the milk comes to a boil whisk half of it into the egg mixture. Add this mixture to the remaining milk in the pan. Whisk away while it thickens, bring to the boil and bubble away for 2 minutes whisking all their time.
3. Pour into a clingfilm lined baking tray and cover tightly with more clingfilm to exclude air and allow to cool.

Fruit Glaze

aka Glaçage Fruits

Ingredients

10g gelatin sheets

200g sugar

150ml still mineral water

¼ orange

¼ lemon

½ vanilla bean (or equivalent of essence/paste)

Method

1. soak the gelatine in a bowl of cold water for 5-10 minutes till softened
2. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan. Add the zest from the orange and lemon. Scrape the seeds from the half vanilla pod and add to pan along with bean. Bring to a boil making sure all the sugar dissolves.
3. Remove from heat. Squeeze the gelatine leaves dry and add to pan. Whisk gently to dissolve.
4. Strain through a fine sieve and allow to cool.

The glaze can be used immediately (after cooling but before it has set). Or it can be refrigerated for several days or frozen. To use, gently warm the glaze over a hot water bath.

Butter cream

Ingredients

150g unsalted butter

275g icing sugar

few drops vanilla essence

15-30ml warm milk

Method

1. Put the butter in a bowl and cream until soft.
2. Gradually beat in the icing sugar, vanilla and milk to the butter till smooth.

Good Housekeeping step-by-step Cook BookGood Housekeeping

Creme Mousseline

Creme mousseline is made from creme patissiere with some added butter or buttercream and then whipped and flavoured.

It is good a cake filling as it is lighter than buttercream. The recipe on which this is based uses more sugar (220g) and 4 whole eggs with 2 yolks for the creme patissiere rather than the more traditional all egg yolk version here. The one here is the recipe I used for a rainbow layer cake.

Ingredients

for the creme patissiere

6 egg yolks

125g caster sugar

40g plain flour

500ml milk

1 vanilla pod

butter and the rest

250g unsalted butter, cut into cubes

optional flavouring, e.g. caramel, chocolate, coffee, praline or Grand Marinier etc

Method

1. Make the creme patissiere as for the recipe here. Once the creme has cooked, remove from heat and beat in ⅓ of the butter.
2. Cover with cling film and allow to cool, ideally to around 16℃. Stirring regularly helps the creme to cool.
3. Once the creme patissiere has cooled have the butter at the same temperature. Place the remaining butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with a K beater for 3 minutes until rather pale. Change to a whisk and add the creme patissiere a little at a time at medium speed. Beat for 5 minutes. Add the flavouring of your choice or leave plain.

Patisserie Michel & Albert Roux