SAINT HONORE

Serves: 10

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.

CHOUX PASTRY
1 cup water
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat water and butter to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon over until mixture no longer sticks to pan and forms into a ball. Beat eggs in thoroughly, one by one. Beat mixture until smooth.
Spoon cream puff mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain 1-inch tip.
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:
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.