Next Up: Gâteau Basque
This is a truly great — and mostly simple — preparation. If you’ve never tasted it before, you’re missing one of the world’s ultimate afternoon tea (or coffee) accompaniments. Gâteau Basque is really quite an unassuming little pastry. Classically it has but one filling: black cherry preserves or pastry cream. However I’ve seen versions with up to three: pastry cream plus fruit preserves plus almond cream. That seems excessive to me, since it’s the simplicity of a gâteau Basque that makes it so remarkable. I’m opening to being persuaded of course. Cash bribes are also welcome. The tip jar over there on the left is capable of receiving sums into the low five figures.
Pretty please, with a cherry in the middle, make the cake with the cream and he preserves. It will be worth a little extra fuss. My years in a French bakery led me to believe that the combination is *the* way to make them. I have no money but I can donate research time to make it so.
OMG – gateau basque is my absolute FAVE dessert!!! Make it with pastry cream with a little bit of aniseed or flower essence! (PS: Left comment on your last post and I think it may have been deleted.)
It’s looking like I may have to do more than one…hm…
The ones I had in Lit-et-Mixe (close the Basque border) some time ago did not have fruit. Just pastry cream. Oh, so simple…you could taste each ingredient. Just wonderful in its simplicity…