Pistachio Crepe Torte

crepe torte

 

Yield

6 lbs (total torte)

Ingredients

Batter

g/ml

lbs./oz

Baker's %

Yield %

Notes

Flour, bread

450 g

1 lb

100.00 %

21.25 %

 

Sugar, granulated

170 g

6 oz

37.78 %

8.03 %

 

Salt

1.5 g

1/4 tsp

0.33 %

0.07 %

 

Eggs

50 ml

12 each

11.11 %

2.36 %

 

Milk

1300 ml

3 lbs

288.89 %

61.39 %

 

Vanilla, pure extract

16 ml

1/2 oz

3.56 %

0.76 %

-or orange sugar -or lemon sugar

Grand Marnier

45 ml

1 1/2 oz

10.00 %

2.13 %

-or Cognac -or Kirsch -or Rum

Butter, melted

85 g

3 oz

18.89 %

4.01 %

 

Total

2117.5 g

4 lbs 13 oz

470.56%

100.00%

 

 

Pastry cream

g/ml

lbs./oz

Yield %

Notes

Milk

470 ml

1 pint

57.60 %

 

Sugar, granulated

230 ml

8 oz

28.19 %

 

Vanilla, bean

 

1/2 each

0.00 %

split lengthwise, seed scraped

Salt

6 g

1 tsp

0.74 %

 

Egg, yolk

68 g

4 each

8.33 %

 

Cornstarch

14 g

0.5 oz

1.72 %

 

Flour, bread

28 g

1 oz

3.43 %

 

Total

816 g

1 lbs 14 oz

100.00%

 

 

Pistachio cream

g/ml

lbs./oz

Yield %

Notes

Pastry cream

454 g

1 lb

49.29 %

 

American Pistachios

230 g

8 oz

24.97 %

 

Butter

230 g

8 oz

24.97 %

 

Cherry rum

7 ml

0.25 oz

0.76 %

 

Total

921 g

2 lbs

100.00%

 

Instructions

Mix the flour, sugar, salt and flavoring. Add the eggs and stir to incorporate and form a lumpy paste. Gradually add the milk until you obtain a smooth batter. It should be the same consistency as non-whipped cream. Add the liquor or flavoring and the melted butter. Blend with an immersion blender or in a counter top blender. Strain through a fine china cap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. This resting will hydrate the flour and yield tender crèpes.

If needed, adjust the consistency with some cold milk.

Notes
DO NOT FORGET THE MELTED BUTTER. This small amount of fat will act as a lubricant as the crepes are being baked. If you omit it, you will need to spray or oil the pan to insure proper release of the crepes from the hot pan. The same can be done with a mixer in second speed. –or- When using the Robot Coupe, first mix the dry ingredients with the eggs and gradually incorporate the milk and the liquor.

Cooking of the crèpes:

Adjust the consistency of the crèpe batter with a little milk. Place 2 oz. ladle right next to it. Place a sheet of baking paper on a sheet pan (or more if you are making a large batch of crepes) and reserve on the stainless steel table in front of the stove. Pour 2 oz. of oil is a small stainless bowl and a clean cotton towel right next to it.
Place 8 black steel pans on the stove and heat them up until they start to slightly smoke. Place 2 Tblsp. of rock salt and use a cotton towel to scrub the pan with this salt. The salt discolor and turn grey when the pan is clean free of any dry batter stuck to the pan. Dump this salt onto another hot pan and continue to scrub all the black pans

With a clean cotton cloth wipe all the pans clean and drops a few drops of oil in each pan. This will be the oil and a towel the “Oiling cook” will use to lightly rub in each pan before they are filled with the crèpe batter. With a third cotton towel, rub the oil on the bottom and edge of the pan and proceed to cook the crèpes. Place the first pan filled with batter the far left burner. Slide the pan on the extreme right side of the stove to the person who will be oiling the pan with the small cotton towel. Pour 1 ounce of batter in the pan and swirl it until it covers the bottom of the pan. Move the first pan with the batter to the right and place the newly filled pan to the extreme left burner. Continue to the empty pans to the right and fill them up and cook them so all the pans move from the left to the right. When the edge of the crêpe starts to brown pick it up with a spatula then flip the crêpe. Continue cooking until it reaches the far right burner then dump the baked crêpe on the baking paper lined sheet pan.

Pastry Cream

In a medium saucepan, combine milk, 4oz sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, and salt. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Strain the vanilla bean

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, cornstarch, bread flour and remaining 4oz sugar. Whisking constantly, slowly pour about 1/3 of the hot-milk mixture into the egg-yolk mixture; add the remaining 2-3rds slowly, until it has been incorporated. Whisk constantly to avoid coagulation of eggs. Pour mixture back into saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens.

Transfer to a hotel pan. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled.

Pistachio Cream 

Make Pastry Cream. Refrigerate.

Grind the pistachios in a Robot coupe. In a kitchen aid mixer, cream the butter and add the Cherry Rum. With a Spatula mix in ground Pistachios and the chilled pastry Cream.

Assembling the Pistachio Cake:

Butter and flour an 8-inch Cake Pan with Parchment. On the first layer, lay Crepes to cover in a single layer. With a 805 circle tip swirl a layer of pistachio cream. Spread with a scrapper. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 until you reach the top. To end with a layer of crepes. This will be about 6 layers. Freeze the cake. When Frozen, frost with Chantilly cream. *Just a thin Layer. Top with Pistachios (Ground). And add Chocolate curls to the sides of the cake. Cut into 8 slices.

Notes
This cake must be made every day. Crepes may be frozen. Pastry Cream should be made the day the cake is being prepared. Chantilly Cream should be made the day of as well. Raspberry sauce should be sent with the cake.

 

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