Preparation

• To prepare a lump-free, silky pastry cream follow my PASTRY CREAM recipe.

  Start by heating the milk with a pinch of salt, the lemon peel, the cinnamon, and the vanilla (seeds and pod). As soon as it reaches a boil, turn off the heat and let it infuse for 5 minutes, then strain the milk and remove the aromatics. Meanwhile, in a bowl, vigorously whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until slightly lightened. Add the sifted starches to the yolk-and-sugar mixture, mixing well until you obtain a smooth, lump-free paste. Slowly pour the hot strained milk into this mixture, whisking well to dissolve everything.

• Transfer the fluid mixture to a heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk and a spatula to prevent sticking. As soon as the cream begins to make its first bubbles (or reaches 185°F), immediately remove from the heat. Let the cream cool for a few minutes (to about 122°F), then add the cubes of butter and beat until completely melted, making the cream glossy and silky. Pour it immediately into a baking dish, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and let it cool to room temperature before refrigerating for at least 3 hours. At the time of use, vigorously whisk the thickened cream to make it smooth and ready.

  

• Take the puff pastry and first cut strips and then roughly equal squares. Put a tablespoon of pastry cream in the center of each square, moisten the edges with a little water and fold the puff pastry into a triangle.

  Try to seal the edges well with finger pressure otherwise the pastry cream will leak out during baking. Brush the surface of the triangles with one beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. The temperature shock will help the puff pastry to bake better.

• Remove from the fridge and bake in a preheated oven at 356°F for about 20 minutes or until the surface is completely golden. Remove from the oven and let cool. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar.

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