4 Instagram-Worthy Pâtisserie Recipes

 
4 Instagram-Worthy Pâtisserie Recipes

By combining whimsical presentation with delicious flavours, Celine Rousseau’s playful, nature-inspired take on French gastronomy has garnered a major Instagram following. Here she presents four enticing eye-pleasers for readers to try at home.

Lemon tart with daisy meringues

Makes 1 Tart (18 cm/7 in). Here is a spring twist on lemon meringue tart. Its refreshing citrus flavour will awaken your taste buds, while the daisy flowers against a yellow background will brighten your table. Serve yourself a slice of spring!

INGREDIENTS

For the tart shell

  • 200 g (around 13) digestive biscuits (wholemeal biscuits)
  • 100 g (7 tbsps) butter, melted

For the lemon curd

  • 2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks (reserve the whites for the meringue)
  • 100 g (½ cup) sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • A pinch of salt
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 100 ml (½ cup) lemon juice
  • 80 g (5½ tbsps) butter, cold and cubed

For the meringue

  • 2 egg whites 100 g (½ cup) sugar
  • A pinch of salt

OPTIONAL

  • Mint leaves

TOOLS

  • Tart tin (18 cm/7 in) with a removable bottom
  • 2 piping bags with a round tip
  • Kitchen thermometer

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. To make the tart shell, in a food processor, pulse the digestive biscuits until they are finely crushed. Add the melted butter and pulse until well combined. Press the crumb mixture into the base and sides of the tart tin. Refrigerate the tart shell to set it.
  2. To make the lemon curd, whisk together the eggs, sugar, comstarch, and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
  3. In a medium-sized non-reactive saucepan, heat the lemon zest and juice until simmering, then pour them slowly into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to avoid curdling the egg.
  4. Transfer the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until thickened so that a finger run over the back of the spoon leaves a mark. Strain the mixture through a sieve to remove the zest and any scrambled pieces. Add butter to the strained mixture and blend well using a blender or whisk.
  5. Reserving I tbsp of the lemon curd, pour the rest into the tart shell, smoothing the surface with a spatula. Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours or until set.
  6. To make the meringue, combine the egg whites, sugar, and salt in a glass or metal bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of boiling water, ensuring that it does not touch the water. Whisk the mixture until it reaches 70°C (160°F) and the sugar has completely dissolved. When you rub a bit of the mixture between your fingers, it should feel smooth, not gritty.
  7. Remove the bowl from the pot of water. Using an electric whisk, beat the mixture until very stiff peaks form.
  8. Fit a piping bag with a small round tip. Fill the piping bag with the meringue, then pipe the meringue into daisy petal shapes on top of the lemon curd filling. Fill another piping bag with the reserved lemon curd and pipe it at the centre of the daisy petals. Garnish with mint leaves and serve.

Seashell macarons © Céline Rousseau

Seashell macarons

Makes around 16 seashell-shaped macarons. With a white chocolate ganache and pearl chocolate inside are dainty and precious, like the little shells we pick up on the shore.

INGREDIENTS

For the macaron shells

  • 80 g (generous ¼ cup) almond flour
  • 80 g (½ cup) powdered sugar
  • 2 egg whites (65 g), room temperature
  • 65 g (½ cup) granulated sugar | teaspoon of cocoa powder

For the filling

  • 160 g (5% ounces) white chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 100 ml (cup) heavy cream
  • A pinch of salt

For the decoration

  • White pearl chocolates

TOOLS

  • 2 piping bags

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. To make the macaron shells, sift together the almond flour and powdered sugar in a bowl.
  2. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until frothy. Gradually add the granulated sugar while continuously beating the mixture. Once all the sugar has been added, whip until very stiff, glossy peaks form.
  3. Slowly fold the sifted dry ingredients into the meringue with a spatula until fully incorporated.
  4. Split the batter into two equal halves. Stir the cocoa powder into one half. Carefully blend each half of the batter until it becomes smooth and shiny (macaronage). The batter should slowly flow off the spatula when lifted.
  5. Fill a piping bag with both batters, adding them from opposite sides, so that both the vanilla and chocolate batter are dispensed simultaneously when piped.
  6. Pipe the batter onto a baking sheet lined with a Teflon sheet or two baking papers, following the shapes on a macaron template (either round or shell-shaped) or piping them into shell shapes freehand.
  7. After piping, tap the baking sheet on the counter several times to remove any air bubbles. Use a toothpick to pop bubbles if needed.
  8. Allow the piped macarons to rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes or until their surfaces are dry to the touch.
  9. Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F).
  10. Bake the macarons for about 15 minutes. Let them cool completely before removing them from the baking sheet.
  11. To make the filling, place the white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl.
  12. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream until it begins to simmer. Pour the simmering cream over the chopped white chocolate and gently stir the mixture until it becomes smooth.
  13. Let the ganache cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge for about I hour or until thickened to peanut butter consistency.
  14. Using a whisk, whip the ganache until slightly fluffy and pale in colour, ensuring not to over-whip.
  15. To assemble, transfer the whipped ganache to a piping bag, then pipe it onto the macaron shells. Place a pearl chocolate in the centre and sandwich with another shell.
  16. Place the macarons in an airtight container and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.

Apricot & blackberry ‘sunflower’ galette

Makes 2 Galettes (16 cm/6 in)

These galettes, filled with the summer bounty of fresh apricots and blackberries, conjure up sunflowers. Serve them on a sunny day for dessert or pack them for a picnic near a sunflower field.

INGREDIENTS

For the pie crust

  • 200 g (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsps sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 100 g (7 tbsps) cold butter, cubed
  • 3 tbsps ice water
  • For the filling
  • 4 tbsps sugar (adjust to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons corn starch
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
  • 4-5 apricots (around 200-250 g), thinly sliced
  • 7 blackberries
  • 10 g (scant tbsp) butter

For the egg wash

1 egg

1 tbsp of water

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter: Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Gradually add the ice water, a tbsp at a time, and mix until the dough comes together. Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a disc, wrap them in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour,
  2. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).
  3. For the filling, in a small bowl, mix the sugar, constarch, and optional ground cinnamon. Add 1 tbsp of the mixture to the sliced blackberries and the rest to the sliced apricots. Toss well to ensure the fruit is evenly coated.
  4. Roll out one of the pie crust discs on a lightly floured surface to a circle of about 20 cm (8 in) in diameter.
  5. Leaving about 2 cm (1 in) of border around the edges, arrange the blackberries in the centre and the sliced apricots around them to mimic a sunflower. Fold the edges of the pie crust over the filling, pleating as necessary to create a neat circle. Dot the filling with butter. Whisk the egg with | tbsp of water to create an egg wash and brush the exposed crust with it.
  6. Repeat the process with the second galette.
  7. Bake the galettes for approximately 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly. Let the galette cool before serving.

Asparagus Mimosa © Celine Rousseau

Asparagus ‘Mimosa’

Serves 4 as side dishes

Asparagus Mimosa a classic French spring dish consisting of lively green asparagus topped with brilliant yellow, finely chopped hard-boiled eggs is, as its name suggests, a dish that looks akin to blossoming mimosa flowers.

INGREDIENTS

  • 200 g (½ lb) asparagus, tough ends trimmed
  • 2 eggs
  • For the dressing
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper to taste

OPTIONAL

  • Fresh dill for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer, carefully add the eggs using a slotted spoon, and cook for 10-11 minutes, or to your desired doneness.
  2. After they are hard-cooked, place them in a bowl of ice water to cool. When they are cooled, peel the eggs. Separate the yolks and whites, then dice each.
  3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook for about 3 minutes (less or more depending on the thickness of the asparagus) until just tender: Drain the asparagus and immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water: Once cooled. drain and pat dry using paper towels.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, honey, and Dijon mustard, or alternatively, combine these ingredients in a jar and shake until well blended. Season the mixture with salt and pepper according to your taste.
  5. Arrange the asparagus on a serving platter. Sprinkle the chopped hard-boiled egg whites first, then the yolks. Garnish with fresh dill to resemble mimosa leaves, and serve with the dressing

La Table by Celine

La Table by Celine is published by Prestel, £24.99/€30,

www.prestel.com; latablebyceline.com

Lead photo credit : Lemon Tart with Daisy Meringues, © Celine Rousseau

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