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Title: Vanilla Bavarian Cream (CrŠme Bavarois … la Vanille)
Categories: Dessert Dairy French Cheese
Yield: 6 Servings
| 190 | g | Castor sugar |
| 6 | Egg yolks | |
| 1 | pn | Salt (Tiny pinch) |
| 375 | ml | Milk |
| 1 | Vanilla pod-=OR=- | |
| 3/4 | ts | Vanilla extract |
| 10 | g | Gelatine |
| 375 | ml | Whipping cream; whipped |
| 40 | g | Powdered sugar |
Notes. Castor sugar is fine sugar. Whipping cream is a heavy cream with just enough butterfat content to whip. You can substitute 1 part double and 1 part single. (US heavy and light). Powdered sugar is icing sugar, but you may use castor again.
Put the milk into a heavy saucepan with the vanilla pod and the salt and heat gently. When the pod is soft, split it, and with the point of a knife extract the tiny seeds which you rinse off into the milk. It is traditional for vanilla bavarois to have these seeds when finished, to show the use of real vanilla. If you don't have vanilla pods, but only REAL vanilla extract (NEVER use artificial vanilla in this dish) add it to the milk with the gelatine later, but heat the milk anyway. Continue heating the milk gently while measuring the remaining ingredients and separating the eggs. As soon as it comes to the boil, turn off and allow to steep. If using powdered gelatine, sponge it by sprinkling it over some water in a cup, while stirring and then letting it sit to absorb it. If using leaf gelatine which is easier and less strong in flavour, place the sheets, one by one (to avoid dry spots stuck together) into cold water in a shallow dish. Let them absorb the water and become soft and pliable. Separate the egg yolks and put them in a large bowl. Start beating with an electric beater, and when they start to lighten in texture, add the castor sugar, a little at a time, beating the while. When all the sugar has been added, continue beating until the mixture is very thick, pale and forms the ribbon. By now the gelatine will be softened or sponged, so place it in a container in a hot water bath to dissolve/melt. Strain any skin and the vanilla pods out of the milk, but allow the seeds through. Rinse out the pan. Add the dissolved vanilla to the hot milk and add the mixture to the egg mixture, in a thin stream of drops, beating the while. When all is added, return the mixture to the pan and heat very gently stirring continuously until it thickens. This takes place at a temperature of around 170-175F. Take great care not to overheat the mixture or the yolks will curdle, and the preparation will be spoilt. As soon as the mixture coats the back of the wooden spoon well, remove from the heat, and start to cool in cold water, stirring from time to time while you continue with the next stage and changing the water when it warms up. If you intend to turn out the bavarois, prepare a mould by wiping lightly with a flavourless oil. If not, get a serving dish ready. In an ice cold bowl, whip the chilled cream until just beginning to thicken, then sprinkle over the powdered sugar and continue whipping until quite stiff. (It is quite in order to use one of the proprietory cream stabilisers - follow their instructions, but don't let the cream curdle and turn to butter). Return the whipped cream to the fridge. Have ready a bowl large enough to receive the combined cream and custard. When the custard gets cold, you will notice that is starts to set _very_ lightly. It is more a change of texture than setting really. Immediately remove the pan from the cold water and pour the mixture into the large bowl. Add the whipped cream and cut and fold the two together delicately to produce a homogenous mixture. Immediately pour this into the mould or serving dish and leave to set in the fridge for at least 3 hours. [IMH Notes] I use vanilla sugar throughout this preparation, as well as flavouring my milk with vanilla pods. Vanilla sugar is castor sugar in which I store my vanilla pods. The watch points are three fold. 1 Making the custard. Temperature is critical, too cool and the mixture will not thicken, too hot and it curdles. I watch it like a hawk and use a thermometer. I also have a bowl of cold water ready to cool the mixture if I suspect it may be trying to curdle, though never need to use it. 2. using the gelatine. You must sponge and dissolve it fully before adding to the custard, and when cooling, you must get it to the point of setting but not beyond. When at the right point, the spoon begins to leave a "trace" through the custard, it is hard to describe but very easy to see. At this point you need to work fast to compose the bavarois, or the gelatine will set too far before the cream is folded in. 3. Whipping the cream. Again, not far enough and the cream will be too liquid to hold its shape, too far and the cream will start turning to butter. Have everything ice cold and don't recoil from using a cream stabiliser. Recipe Elaborated from Larousse Gastronomique & Mmed IMH c/o Georges' Home BBS 2:323/4.4
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