Thread by @lifesafeast

For those of you who followed my recipe for Galette des Rois (with traditional frangipane filling) yesterday, I promised you 2 more choices of filling:

Vanilla Pastry Cream (with caramelized apples or pears)

Maple Apple Compote

Let's go 👇

1/ Vanilla Pastry Cream Filling (with or without caramelized apples or pears)

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons cornstarch
6 tablespoons (90 grams) sugar
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsalted butter (preferably at room temperature)
Small pinch salt

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2/

1 cup (250 ml) whole milk (I used 2% low fat but whole is great)
½ teaspoon vanilla or ½ a vanilla bean, split down the center, seeds scraped out
2 – 3 tablespoons jam or 3 or 4 tablespoons caramelized pear or apple chunks, optional

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Sift the cornstarch into a large heatproof bowl & whisk in half the sugar. Add the whole egg & yolks and whisk until smooth & thick.

Place the butter, the remaining sugar, the pinch of salt, the milk & both the vanilla bean pod and the seeds (if using a bean) in a

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saucepan & bring just to the boil. Remove from the heat.

Pour the hot milk into the egg mixture in a slow stream or a ladleful at a time, whisking constantly so that the eggs do not curdle or begin to cook; this will gradually heat the eggs.

Once all of the hot milk

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has been added to the egg mixture, pour it all back into the casserole & return to a very low heat. Whisking constantly, bring the cream to a gentle boil & cook for 2 to 3 minutes. The pastry cream may thicken rapidly but cooking for 2 minutes or so eliminates the

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cornstarch flavor & cooks the mixture.

If using liquid vanilla extract, add it to the cooked pastry cream. If using the vanilla bean, remove the pod & discard; the dark speckles seen in the pastry cream are the seeds.

If you want a bit of fruit in your filling, stir

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in a few tablespoons of small caramelized pear or apple chunks (small cubes tossed & cooked in a small amount of butter until tender; add a pinch of cinnamon or a spoon of maple syrup if you like).

Immediately pour & scrape the pastry cream into a clean heatproof bowl,

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cover with plastic wrap, pushing the plastic onto the surface of the cream to keep a skin from forming.

Allow the cream to cool slightly as you prepare the puff pastry; do not prepare this too far in advance or cool too much as the pastry cream must still be soft &

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creamy enough to easily spread on the puff pastry round.

Proceed as you would the recipe for Galette des Rois, replacing the Frangipane cream with the pastry cream.

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10/

Apple Maple Compote Filling

You can always make more and keep the extra on hand for tasty applesauce!

4 apples, preferably Belle de Boskoop or a similar type, sweet & flavorful for applesauce
1 ½ tablespoons (22 grams) unsalted butter

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Up to ¼ cup (25 to 50 grams) granulated sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup
Ground cinnamon

Peel, core & slice the apples.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the granulated sugar & stir until the mixture is smooth, grainy & bubbling.

Add the apple slices &

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toss to coat; cook the apples until soft, about 5 minutes, then stir in 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup & a dash of cinnamon, stir until well blended & continue cooking for up to about 5 minutes more, stirring often, until the apples are very soft & beginning to fall

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apart into a purée. Remove from the heat & purée, either with a fork or an immersion blender; taste & add more maple syrup and/or cinnamon as desired.

Allow to cool to room temperature.

Proceed as you would the recipe for Galette des Rois, replacing the Frangipane

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cream with the apple compote.

Enjoy!