Saint Honoré with light vanilla crème pâtissière

Mister frog had his birthday a few days ago! Saint honoré is it's favorite!

It is a very classic & traditional french pastry !
I skipped the round puff crown that usually goes on the pastry & under the puffs. I also added beaten egg whites to the crème pâtissière to make it lighter & fluffier. In fact, this is my version of that savorous & very chic dessert.
Believe me : you're going to love it as much as we do !!

Yields : 6

Here's what we need :

11 inches diameter puff pastry (homemade or not)

For 18 medium size puffs : 8cl water, 1 small teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, 75g butter, 100g flour, 3 eggs

For the light vanilla crème pâtissière : 2 vanilla pods, 30g cornstarch, 80g sugar, 35cl all milk, 4 egg yolks, 35g butter at room temperature, 2 egg whites.

For the caramel : 5cl water, 50g sugar



here's what we do :

First preheat the oven at 356°F

lay your puff pastry on a nonstick flat pan such as pizza pan, cover with a greaseproof paper & with raw beans so your pastry won't swell to much, we want it to stay a bit flat.

bake for 15/20 minutes. Put aside.

Meanwhile we can start with the puffs :

First pour water & milk in a saucepan with salt, sugar & butter. Bring to a boil whisking constantly with a spatula.

Add flour at once, whisk thoroughly until smooth & homogenous.

When it doesn't stick anymore to the saucepan, go on whisking for 2/3 minutes to dry a little.

Place the dough In a large bowl & add eggs one by one whisking carefully until homogenous.

Pour the dough in a piping bag & form nice medium puffs on a greaseproof paper. Bake for 15 minutes at 356°F until golden brown.

Let's make the crème :

Cut the vanilla pods lenghtwise & scratch the inside with a knife.

In a saucepan pour the milk, cornstarch & half the sugar, whisk & add the vanilla pods & seeds. Bring to a boil whisking constantly.

I na large bowl, beat egg yolks with the remaining sugar for 3 minutes, add a little hot milk still beating.

Put back in saucepan on medium low heat beating constantly until boiling. Put aside immediately, wait until it cools down (122°F) & add butter whisking vigorously. Put aside until cold.

Beat the 2 egg whites until very firm & add carefully to the vanilla "crème pâtissière".

With a piping bag make a small hole on the back of puffs and fill them with vanilla crème.

In a saucepan on medium heat pour water & sugar to make the caramel. Avoid touching with a spatula & allow to gently caramelize by itself until golden.

Pour one side of the puffs in caramel (beware your fingers, it is extremely painfull!!) & stick them around the pastry vertically.

Spray the vanilla light crème all over the center of the pastry & arrange remainning filled puffs on it.

                                                                                                                                   relax, savour & share!