Gateau Basque (french Pastry Cream Version)

Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins Preparation Time: 50 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter (unsalted & softened)
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/8 ounce yeast (5 gm)
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon rum
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon rum
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 egg yolk (beaten, for glaze)
• powdered sugar (for dusting)

Recipe

• 1 make dough by mixing all dough ingredients in a lrg bowl. do not knead dough too much, but rather allow it to rise for 2-3 hours.
• 2 make pastry cream by heating the milk in a saucepan together w/the vanilla bean split lengthwise. remove from heat, cover & allow the vanilla to infuse for 20 minutes.
• 3 in a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, rum & 2 egg yolks. remove the vanilla bean from the saucepan & bring the milk back to a gentle boil. gradually pour it over the flour/sugar mixture while whisking vigourously. return mixture to the saucepan, reheat to a gentle boil (stirring freq), remove from heat & set aside.
• 4 preheat oven to 350f (180c).
• 5 roll out 2/3 of the dough to fit the base & sides of a shallow 9-in rd cake pan. spread the filling over the dough, fold over the dough edges & brush them w/a little beaten egg yolk.
• 6 roll out the remaining dough to cover the filling completely, glaze w/beaten egg yolk & bake for 45 minutes.
• 7 allow to cool slightly, refrigerate till cold & dust w/powdered sugar prior to serving. garnish w/red berries as desired.