Fondants au Chester

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •2-inch (5 cm) round pastry cutter
• •Two rimmed baking sheets
• •Pastry brush
• •Small heavy-bottomed saucepan
• •Flexible heatproof spatula
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Digital instant-read thermometer
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the cold paste

   Whisk the flour with the salt and cayenne. Cut in the cold butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until the mixture holds small flakes and coarse crumbs, then toss through the grated cheese. Add 1 tablespoon of cold water and press the mixture together; if dry flour remains, add the rest a teaspoon at a time. Stop as soon as a soft paste forms. Flatten it into a disc, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.

   The equal weights of flour, butter, and cheese make a rich, delicate paste. If it becomes shiny or sticky, chill it for 10 minutes before continuing. Cold butter gives the galettes their short, crisp bite.
2. 2

   Cut, gild, and streak

   Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C), or 330°F (165°C) with a fan. Roll the chilled paste between two sheets of parchment to 1/6 inch (4 mm) thick. Cut about 40 galettes with a 2-inch (5 cm) round cutter, rerolling the scraps once. Arrange them on parchment-lined sheets. Gild each round with the thinnest film of beaten egg, then streak the tops with parallel fork marks without cutting through. Chill the trays for 10 minutes.

3. 3

   Bake the galettes

   Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, turning the trays front to back and exchanging their positions halfway through, until the galettes are evenly golden with bronzed rims. Pale pastry will taste floury, but dark brown cheese turns bitter, so watch the final minutes. Leave them on the trays for 5 minutes, then transfer them carefully to a rack and cool completely.

4. 4

   Cook the fondant cream

   Set a fine-mesh sieve over a cool bowl. Whisk the yolks, cream, salt, and cayenne together in a small heavy saucepan. Cook over low to medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a flexible spatula and sweeping the corners, until the cream lightly coats the spatula and reaches 175 to 180°F (79 to 82°C). Remove it before the first bubble. If fine grains begin to appear, scrape the custard immediately into the cool bowl, whisk vigorously or blend briefly, then pass it through the sieve. Ça se rattrape. A custard allowed to boil into firm curds cannot return to silk, so don't wait for bubbling as your signal.

   Test without a thermometer by drawing a finger through the custard on the back of the spatula. The path should remain clean while the cream still flows softly around it.
5. 5

   Finish almost cold

   Let the strained custard cool, stirring occasionally, until barely lukewarm at 95 to 100°F (35 to 38°C). Beat in the softened butter a spoonful at a time, waiting for each addition to disappear before adding the next, then work in the very finely grated cheese until the fondant cream is smooth and thick. If it looks greasy, chill it for 10 minutes and whisk again; if it becomes too stiff to combine, set the bowl over barely warm water for a few seconds. Chill for 20 to 30 minutes, just until a spoonful holds a soft mound.

6. 6

   Pair the galettes

   Match the cold galettes into pairs of similar size. Turn one from each pair over, place a level tablespoonful of fondant cream in its center, and press its partner gently on top until the filling reaches close to the edge. Keep the fork-streaked faces outward. Chill the assembled Fondants au Chester for 20 minutes to settle them, then let them stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving so the butter-rich center is cool and yielding rather than hard. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose a mature, firm Cheshire with a clean salty tang, not a blue Cheshire. Grate it while cold so it stays separate. If Cheshire cannot be found, mature sharp cheddar is the honest home equivalent; it makes the filling smoother and less crumbly, but keeps the intended English-cheese character.
• •Brush the egg on thinly. A heavy coat runs down the sides and glues the pastry layers to the tray, while a light gild gives the galettes their burnished face. The fork streaks belong to the source preparation and make the little tops unmistakable.
• •A thermometer earns its place here. The useful window between thickened custard and grain is narrow, and the pan retains heat after leaving the stove, so transfer the cream to its cool bowl promptly.
• •Serve with a dry Champagne or a taut white Burgundy. The acidity clears the butter and cheese from the palate without competing with the quiet cayenne.

Advance Preparation

• •Bake the unfilled galettes up to 2 days ahead. Cool them completely and keep them airtight at room temperature; if they soften, refresh them for 3 minutes in a 325°F (165°C) oven and cool again.
• •Prepare the fondant cream up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate it with parchment pressed directly against its surface. Let it soften briefly, then whisk before filling.
• •Assemble the Fondants au Chester up to 4 hours before serving and keep them covered in the refrigerator. Bring them out 10 to 15 minutes before the tray goes to the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 120g)