SAINT HONORE

PIE CRUST FOR THE BASE
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons cold water

In a food processor, Process on pulse, flour, salt, butter, and sugar to mix. Add water. pulse to blend.
Roll out dough 10 inches in diameter and transfer to a baking sheet. Refrigerate.

CREAM PUFF DOUGH
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat water and butter to a rolling boil in a saucepan. Stir in flour all at once.
Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture no longer sticks to pan and forms into a ball. Remove from heat. Beat eggs in thoroughly, one by one.
Beat mixture until smooth. Spoon cream puff mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain tube.
Brush the prepared pastry with egg glaze and pipe a circle of cream puff dough around the edge of pastry. Pipe a second circle inside and touching the first.
Then pipe a 1-inch mound of the cream puff in the center of the base. Bake until puffed, golden brown and dry. Let cool on rack. On a second sheet pan, pipe the remaining cream puff dough into 1-inch mounds about 2 inches apart. Brush with egg glaze. Bake until puffs have doubled and are golden brown and firm to touch. Transfer puffs to rack and let cool.
CARAMEL
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup water

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over low heat.
Boil until mixture turns into a golden caramel color.

TO ASSEMBLE CAKE:
Dip the top of each pastry puffs into caramel. Let cool on rack, then dip the bottom sides and attach them to the edge of the pastry ring base about ¾ inch apart.

THE FILLING:
Originally, it was filled with Chantilly cream, or a pastry cream with italian meringue. Below is a filling of pastry cream with gelatin and egg whites, called

CHIBOUST PASTRY CREAM
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk
4 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Dissolve the gelatin in water and let stand for 5 minutes. In a mixing bowl, whisk sugar and egg yolks till thick and creamy. Mix in the flour. Boil the milk and gradually pour over the egg mixture. Pour mixture in a heavy-bottom sauce pan.
Whisk over medium heat until thick. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the softened gelatin.
Beat the egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Stir 1/3 of the egg whites into the hot pastry cream with a whisk, then fold in the rest.
Fit a pastry tube with a medium star tip and fill with the pastry cream. Pipe the cream decoratively over the bottom of pastry ring. Then pipe a large rosette of cream between each cream puffs. Chill before serving.