Recipe: Gateau Basque (Dessert)

Gateau Basque

1/2 lb butter
1 cup white sugar
2 egg yolks
1 whole egg
2 cup plus
1 tbsp cake flour
1 pinch salt
1 lemon, zest of (grated peel)

CREME PATISSIERE:
1 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
25 gm flour (plain or cake)
1 pinch salt
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla, to taste

Cream sugar into soft (but NOT melted) butter until smooth. Add the 2 egg yolks, whole egg, and lemon peel; mix well. Add cake flour gradually and stir until well blended. Cover mixing bowl and keep in refrigerator for one hour.

Meanwhile, make the creme patissiere (eclair filling):
Mix sugar, flour and salt in a bowl. Heat milk in heavy-bottomed saucepan until very hot but not boiling.

Whisk hot milk into bowl of dry ingredients and beat until blended. Return mixture to pan and whisk over low heat until thickened (like pudding) - 4 to 5 minutes.

Add egg yolks and cook 2 or 3 minutes more, constantly stirring.

Remove from heat and cool, stirring occasionally. Stir in vanilla.

Butter and flour a regular-sized round cake pan (9 or 10 inches by 2 inches high, I think; around 25 cm by 5 cm).

Assemble the gateau:
After the dough is hard, divide not quite equally into two parts. Press larger part into bottom of cake pan, covering bottom and partway up the sides to make a trough.

Spoon creme patissiere into middle of cake. Working quickly, roll out (or try with your fingers) the rest of the dough into a circle. Lay over the filling and seal at the sides with the bottom half.

Bake at 180 C (350 F) for about 40 minutes, until golden brown on top. Serve in wedges.

Servings: 6-8