French Prune Custard & Basque Cake

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Stacie Wheeler says that a male friend sent her this:

I belong to Bridegrooms Anonymous. Whenever I feel like getting married,
they send over a lady in a housecoat and hair curlers to yell at me and
burn my toast.

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            TODAY'S RECIPES
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This custard is usually made with prunes or raisins in Bretagne,
but you can use any dried fruit that suits your fancy.

Prune Custard (Far Breton)

4 cups (1 L) milk
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 ml) sugar
4 eggs
1/2 lb (225 g) pitted prunes, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes

Bring the milk to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Meanwhile,
combine the flour and sugar in a bowl. Add the eggs one at a
time, mixing the mixture well after each addition. Slowly pour
the milk over the flour mixture, stirring constantly with a wooden
spoon. Pour the mixture into a buttered 13x9x2-inch (32x22x5
cm) baking dish and bake in a preheated 350F (180C) oven
for 10 minutes. Sprinkle the prunes over the top and return to
the oven to cook until the top is golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Cut into squares before serving warm chilled, or at room
temperature. Serves 6 to 8.

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This is a classic cake from the Bordelais region of France, just
over the Pyrenees from Spain.

Basque Cake (Gateau Basque)

For the dough:
3/4 cup (180 ml) sugar
1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt
1 egg
1 egg yolk
The grated zest of 1 lemon
10 Tbs (150 ml) butter at room temperature
2 cups (500 ml) all-purpose flour

For the filling:
1 cup (250 ml) milk
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
1/4 cup (60 ml) sugar
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup (60 ml) all-purpose flour
1 Tbs (15 ml) rum (optional)
1 Tbs (15 ml) butter
1 egg, beaten

To make the dough, combine the sugar, salt, egg, egg yolk, and lemon
zest in a bowl. Beat with a whisk until the mixture is fluffy and light
yellow. Add the butter gradually while whisking. Stir in the flour a
little at a time until the mixture forms a dough. Roll into a ball, wrap
in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

To make the filling, bring the milk and vanilla extract to a boil in a
pot over high heat. Combine the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl and whisk
until fluffy and light yellow. Stir in the flour and optional rum.
Gradually add the hot milk, stirring constantly. Pour the mixture back
into the pot and bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat as soon as it boils and float the butter on the
surface.

To make the cake, divide the dough into unequal portions of about 1/3
and 2/3. Roll the larger portion to fit the bottom and sides of a
buttered 8-inch (20 cm) cake pan. Pour in the filling. Roll the
remaining dough into an 8-inch (20 cm) circle and place on top of the
cake and filling, pressing them together around the edges to seal. Brush
with the beaten egg and make a decorative crosshatch pattern with the
tines of a fork. Prick the top several times with the point of a small
knife and bake in a preheated 400F (200C) oven until golden brown, about
45 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from the cake pan. Serves 8.
Received on Fri Feb 2 06:43:30 2007