Bake Off’s Gateau St-Honore – how to make Prue Leith’s puff pastry delicacy as seen on this week’s technical challenge
TONIGHT Great British Bake Off returned to our screens for the semi-final which saw the remaining contestants showcase their skills in patisserie week.
For the technical challenge, bakers tried their hand at Prue’s Gateau St-Honore – but could you master it at home?
What is a Gateau St-Honore?
According to host Noel Fielding, the desert is rectangular and comprised of two layers.
“The first layer must be puff pastry followed by choux buns dipped in sweet caramel and then filled with a silky crème” he explains.
Sandi adds: “Repeat that for the second layer and finish with piped Chantilly cream.”
The French recipe is named after the patron saint of bakes and pastry chefs, Saint Honoré or Honoratus, Bishop of Amiens.
What is the recipe for Gateau St-Honore?
Ingredients
For the choux pastry
- 125ml full fat milk
- 100g unsalted butter, cubed
- 125ml water
- 175g plain flour
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 4 medium eggs
For the filling
- 200ml custard
- 300ml double cream
- 50ml orange liqueur
- 100g caster sugar
- Fresh fruit, or another topping of your choice.
Method
- The recommends preheating the oven to 200C and line two baking trays.
- Heat milk, butter, sugar and water in a saucepan over a high heat until the butter has melted, being careful not to boil the mixture.
- Add the flour and beat quickly while keeping the pan on the heat.
- Take the mixture off the heat after one minute, and transfer it to a bowl before beating for two minutes.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time until the mixture is smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a large plain nozzle piping bag and then pipe a large spiral about 24cm in diameter onto one of your baking trays.
- On the other, pipe 28 even sized spheres with the remainder of the pastry mix.
- Bake the pastry for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
- Set aside to cool, and then pierce the spheres to allow steam to escape and then to the same with the spiral.
- For the filling combine the custard and the double cream and whisk until soft peaks begin to form.
- Whisk in the orange liqueur until your mixture is firm. Spoon one third of the filling into a small-nozzle piping bag.
- Pierce the base of each sphere and then using the piping bag, fill each with your creamy mixture.
- Then heat your sugar in a frying pan over a high heat until it begins to caramelise and then dip each of the spheres in the sugar, before it hardens, to give them a caramel coating – but be careful not to touch the sugar as it will be very hot.
- Finish by placing your choux spiral on a plate and cover with the remainder of your filling before arranging your choux spheres on top. Finish with the topping of your choice.
What did Prue Leith say about the Gateau St-Honore?
Prue was eager to warn the bakers that “this is very difficult to make look good.”
What was the theme for this week's episode?
This week was Patisserie week and Noel and Sandi hosted a French-themed round of the baking competition.
The episode kicked off with a signature challenge in which the bakers were challenged to make domed tarts.
The contestants were tasked with making Prue's French dish - the Gateau St-Honore in the technical challenge.
Finally, the Showstopper saw the four bakers pushed to their limits as they produced sugar glass cabinets and cakes.
MOST READ IN FABULOUS
The final of the Great British Bake Off airs next Tuesday.
Last week, we showed you how to make Paul Hollywood's spicy chicken Moroccan pie.
And we showed you how to make Paul's classic fig rolls from Bake Off Biscuit Week.
Plus you can learn how to make Paul's Chocolate and Ricotta Cassatelle from Festival Week, here.