Tarte Tropézienne

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 30 minutes plus rising time

Cooking time: 45 minutes

For brioche

2 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons caster or superfine sugar
3 tablespoons Milk plus 1 tablespoon extra
2 teaspoons instant dried yeast
2 eggs, beaten lightly
90g butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons pearl sugar

For filling

1 cup Milk, heated
80g caster or superfine sugar
25g cornflour/fine cornstarch
80g egg yolks
4 sheets gold gelatine
3 tablespoons orange blossom water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
250ml cream
1 passionfruit
1 tablespoon icing or confectioners sugar

Step 1 - Place the bread flour, sugar, milk, yeast, eggs and butter in a bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir the ingredients with a spatula to combine and then knead on the lowest setting until elastic and the dough is able to be stretched without breaking. Shape into a ball and cover with cling film and keep in a warm place to rise.

Step 2 - After about a n hour or so, punch down the dough and then knead in the salt. Place in a covered bowl in the fridge overnight.

Step 3 - The next day remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature for an hour.

Step 4 - Then make the creme patissiere. Whisk the sugar, cornflour and egg yolks together and then pour in the milk while stirring with a spatula. Keep the heat on low and create a custard making sure that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the saucepan. Remove from heat and add orange blossom water and vanilla. Meanwhile, soak the gelatine sheets in cold water and then add to the hot custard. Allow to cool completely.

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Step 5 - Shape the dough into a round and place on a baking tray with a ring around 20cm to keep its shape as it rises and bakes. Allow to rise again for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Brush with milk and sprinkle with pearl sugar and bake for 25 minutes (I baked mine for 30 minutes and it was a bit dark). Remove ring and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Slice in half horizontally.

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Step 6 - Whip the cream until you get firm peaks and then mix with the creme patissiere mix. Place in a piping bag with a #11 plain large tip and pipe dollops (or you can spread this onto the brioche with an angled spatula). Top with the flesh and seeds of a passionfruit (my adaption) and then place the other half on top and sift icing sugar on top.

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