The deconstructed puff pastry with Chantilly cream is a delicious dessert that appeals to both adults and kids. I first tasted it in Rome after a delightful lunch in Testaccio. The restaurateur called it a crumble with strawberries, and I, curious like a little monkey, wanted to taste it immediately, obviously delighted at the sight of my favorite dessert all jumbled up. Indeed, I have a fondness for puff pastry, and this crumble is nothing but a somewhat disordered puff pastry.
Here in Italy, as Chantilly cream, we usually use what is called crema diplomatica, pastry cream mixed with a bit of whipped cream, while the real Chantilly cream is a French recipe made with sweetened whipped cream flavored with vanilla.
During the strawberry season, I usually use them to make this dessert, but berries or any fruit you like are also perfect. In winter, kiwis are also delicious.
To whet your appetite, I’d like to leave you with some fresh recipes
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: No cooking required
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 827.80 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 90.60 (g) of which sugars 55.21 (g)
- Proteins 12.96 (g)
- Fat 47.66 (g) of which saturated 8.90 (g)of which unsaturated 23.36 (g)
- Fibers 1.36 (g)
- Sodium 156.16 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 300 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the deconstructed puff pastry with Chantilly cream
- 1 sheet puff pastry
- 500 ml milk
- 150 ml heavy whipping cream
- 150 g sugar (plus some for the pastry)
- 40 g cornstarch
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 pod vanilla
- to taste powdered sugar
- strawberries (or other fruit of choice)
Tools
- Baking tray
- Brush
Preparation of the deconstructed puff pastry with Chantilly cream
Unroll the puff pastry and place it directly with its paper on the baking tray.
Moisten it with the help of a brush with a little water and sprinkle the surface with granulated sugar.
Bake the puff pastry at 338°F for about 12 minutes. It should be golden brown, not too cooked otherwise it becomes somewhat bitter. Let it cool completely.
Put the milk in a small saucepan with the vanilla pod cut in half. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat.
Mix the yolks with the sugar and cornstarch in a glass bowl, using a whisk. Once you have a smooth mixture without lumps, slowly pour in the hot milk and mix carefully. If there are small lumps, you can strain the mixture. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and put everything on the heat.
Cook the pastry cream over low heat until it thickens.
Transfer the pastry cream into a bowl and cover with cling wrap in contact. Let it cool.
Whip the fresh cream to stiff peaks. Once the cream is well chilled, fold in the whipped cream gently.
Take the cooked puff pastry and break it into not too large pieces, don’t worry if crumbs form, you’ll use them as a garnish.
Arrange some puff pastry pieces on the plate or individual bowl, pour a little Chantilly cream and add more puff pastry pieces.
Garnish with the fruit pieces you’ve chosen, I used strawberries and finished with powdered sugar and pastry crumbs.
Serve immediately.
Follow me on social media
my Facebook page my Instagram profile my Pinterest page
FAQ
Why is the cream not whipping?
The fresh cream must be very cold to whip well, and my advice is to also cool the bowl and beaters before whipping.
What kind of cream should I use? Is cooking cream suitable?
Cooking cream is not suitable; it is thick and meant for savory dishes. To make a good Chantilly cream, you need to buy fresh cream with a fat content of around 35%, which allows it to whip perfectly.
