I’ve mentioned a few times that I’m not a particularly religious person but if I were to aspire to Sainthood for any reason it would probably be to a food related saint. Saint of Foolproof Recipes anyone? The pastry I made today was named after Saint Honoré, the patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs.

I had somewhat of a success with the Religieuse, something that I frankly thought I’d never make. Ask me one year ago when I was busy chowing down on one amid much orgasmic murmuring and moans and I would have looked at you like you had suggested I use instant mash potatoes. I would have been horrified at the thought of trying to make these. But time makes some people wiser or in my case, more foolish and riskier and so I entered my teenage years of pastry where I wanted to try anything and everything to do with making pastry from scratch.

The bottom choux weren’t quite as puffy and didn’t hold their puff as much as the smaller ones. And if you’re scared at all, know that the star piped whipped cream, like a black dress, hides a multitude of sins. I know that tradtionally this would be made with a Chiboust cream but I have to confess that I’m addicted to creme patisserie and prefer this slightly over Chiboust cream. I apologise for the lack of in progress photos while making these. I was by myself and found it difficult to switch between creating and taking photos.

Was it worth the trouble? Absolutely. There is something so decadent and lusciously delectable about a St Honoré that like childbirth (so I hear), the result is so glorious that you forget any sort of pain you may have experienced.

So tell me Dear Reader, what to you is painful but worth it?

And because it’s Wallpaper Wednesday again, allow me to give you, the Ricotta, Chive & Tomato tart Wallpaper! Happy Hump Day

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Why is that when you’re in the middle of piping or beating, does the phone ring or the courier buzz your apartment? This happened to me 3 times while I was making these. The first time happened when I was beating the mixture by hand and the second and third time happened when I was piping the choux and filling the piping bag.

The recipe comes from Adriano Zumbo, Sydney’s very own pastry god who recently appeared on Masterchef Australia twice, the first time was for a Croquembouche challenge. Croquembouches are something I intend to conquer one day – and I do look upon it as conquering as it’s as tall and intimidating as a mountain as evidenced by the contestant’s versions which more resembled leaning towers of Pisa.

These delicacies called a Religieuse due to the resemblance to a Nun. I take a slightly different interpretation of the name due to the amount of uncharacteristic praying I did when I a) beat the mix and b) put them in the oven and c) when I took them out of the oven to realise that yes indeed they worked! There is a certain amount of praying to the pastry gods that occurs for these (and macarons). I took these to Gravy Beard’s birthday as the theme was bring food and drink from a country and I chose France. I was delighted to hear The Second Wife and Naomi utter “Fat Nuns!” when they saw it. I know they’re not a patch on Laduree’s Religieuse but I was comforted that they could see the resemblance.

Anyway, given the timing Happy Bastille Day! Bastille Day was always something that my High School celebrated. I’m not quite sure why as we weren’t a French school. Perhaps it was the chance to eat Pain au Chocolat and croissants for brunch.

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Every cuisine has their late night food. The food that whilst perfectly good during the daytime, tastes even better after a long, late night and is best enjoyed when your memory of it and whoever you kissed is fleeting and when your stomach craves something buttery or greasy to balance the alcohol within it.

Greece’s late night food looks almost too damn pretty to give it a tag of “late night food” (click here for an example of a late night monstrosity I had in Finland called the Kannibal). No greasy kebab or pie, it’s a delicious custard filled filo pasty parcel. I first heard about this from a Greek friend and my interest intensified when I started talking to David Tsirekas from Perama restaurant, a restaurant that I visited only the other night. He’d twitter tempting things such as “making mandarin bougatsa” and I’d be urged to bump this to the top of my “to make” list, a messy scrawled piece of paper that I’ve clipped to my teapot wall calendar. I knew of course that I wasn’t going to make the filo from scratch and my version wouldn’t be as amazing as his but I persevered.

These were very, very good. I wouldn’t be so presumptuous to say that they were as good as the ones at Perama but if you want to make your own version at home, say late at night when the clock strikes midnight, these will certainly do. I loved the crunchiness of the buttery, light filo and the softness of the oozing vanilla and lemon custard.

And yep you guessed it. It’s Wallpaper Wednesday! How about some Bannoffee Peanut Butter cups?  I’m sure we’ve all made a quick version of this late at night with a spoon, some chocolate and a jar of peanut butter!

So tell me Dear Reader, what is your favourite late night food either at home or when you are out? A kebab? A pie? A friend used to get the urge to make wedges at midnight. What’s yours?

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