Armaretto Genoise

Last week in pastry class we were focusing on specialty frostings and unique cakes: genoise and classic sponge cakes. Both can be flavored to taste like just about anything, and both are used in a variety of designs and ways.

We also had our first lesson using gelatin sheets (these looker boogers are fun and interesting). To bad you can't purchase them locally, only in UBER-specialty stores. If you're located in the Los Angeles area, "Surfas" (corner of Washington/National) is the only place that will sell them to the public.

They are these long, see through sheets that add texture and more structure to whatever they are added too (mostly frostings).

Lastly, we worked on a variety of frosting and fillings: Chantilly cream, Bavarian cream and pastry cream (the latter can be used for almost anything).

The result was Armaretto Geniose w/ Bavarian cream filling & Chantilly cream frosting

RECIPE: (to dissolve gelatin sheets)
- Place hard gelatin sheets in a ice bath to soften; 15-20 minutes
- Mise en place the remaining ingredients
- Use about 1/4 of "whatever" liquid that's in the recipe, warm it up in the
microwave (be sure to get it hot - not boiling)
- Place dissolved gelatin in hot liquid and whisk until it dissolved, completely
- Add dissolved gelatin to the egg mixture/custard (whichever you're preparing)
- Whip the cream until stiff; use right away

Here is a picture of a dry gelatin sheet... very thin, with ridges in it.


RECIPE: Classic Genoise
10 eggs
8oz granulated sugar
1.5oz butter, melted
.3oz vanilla extract (or whichever one you want to use)
9oz cake flour




Sift flour, set aside.
Whisk the eggs and sugar together in large bowl. Place bowl over double boiler and heat mixture until 100 degrees (don't cook eggs) - stir frequently.
Replace the bowl back on the mixer and whip until mixture is triple in volume.
Fold sifted flour into egg mixture (gently - do not deflate mixture).
Add melted butter into vanilla extract. Pour vanilla/butter mixture onto the sides of the bowl and fold into the batter. Use batter immediately.
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 8-15 mixtures (time vary dramatically).

RECIPE: Chantilly cream
1 qt heavy cream
2 ea gelatin sheets

Bloom gelatin sheets, dissolve sheets in small portion of (hot) heavy cream.
Add gelatin to rest of cream. Beat on high until stiff peaks form.

RECIPE: Bavarian Cream
3 lb pastry cream (see recipe below)
1 qt whipped cream
3 ea gelatin sheets

Bloom gelatin sheets, dissolve sheets in small portin of (hot) whipping cream.
Add gelatin to rest of cream. Beat on high until SOFT peaks form. Fold in
pastry cream until well blended.





RECIPE: Pastry Cream
1 qt milk
1 vanilla bean
7.5oz sugar
6oz egg yolks
2.5oz cornstarch
2oz butter


Warm milk with 1/3 of sugr, until hot (do not boil).
Combine egg yolks and rest of sugar in a bowl, and whisk until sugar is dissolved.
(never leave sugar alone in yolks, it will begin to cook them)
Add cornstarch to egg mixture, slowly; make sure there are no lumps.
Temper hot milk mixture into egg mixture slowly, and the pour egg mixture into
hot pan.
Continue whisking cream on the stove until it begins to thicken.
Remove from heat and then add butter, whisking until well combined.


NOTE: you have to chill pastry cream before using, either place in bowl and cover with plastic wrap (be sure and place a film directly on top of cream; place the entire pan/bowl in a large bowl of ice water (to chill quickly); or pour hot cream into plastic wrap and wrap up and refrigerate until needed.
To reconstitute cream, just re-whisk cold cream until smooth again.