Best Pithiviers Recipes

PITHIVIERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine butter and sugar in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Add almond flour, 2 egg yolks, and rum; mix until frangipane is smooth.
• Roll out puff pastry sheets and cut into 2 equal circles. Place the first circle on the baking sheet and pierce several times with a fork. Spread frangipane on the circle, leaving a 1/2 inch border.
• Brush uncovered puff pastry edge with a little water and lay the second puff pastry circle on top. Seal the edges by pressing together.
• Using a sharp knife, cut a decorative pattern around the rim. Trace decorative lines onto the surface without cutting all the way through. Beat remaining egg yolk with a fork; brush over the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake until pastry is puffed up and lightly browned, about 20 minutes more.
• Remove from the oven and dust with confectioners' sugar.
• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Place pithiviers under the broiler and broil until a golden, shiny crust forms, 1 to 2 minutes. Watch carefully to make sure it doesn't burn.

PITHIVIERS

Steps:

• Make the frangipane: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process almonds and sugar until mixture is very fine crumbs. With the machine running, add 2 egg yolks, butter, and rum; continue processing until mixture is smooth and combined.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out pastry dough into a rectangle at least 9 1/4 by 18 1/2 inches and about 1/8 inch thick. Using a 9-inch round cake pan as a guide, cut out two 9-inch rounds.
• In a small bowl, whisk together remaining egg yolk and cream for the egg wash. Place one round on a baking sheet, and spread almond mixture on top, leaving a 1-inch border all around; brush border with egg wash. Using an aspic or cookie cutter, cut a 1/2-inch hole in the center of remaining round; place cut round on top of other round, pressing lightly around filling to seal rounds together. Place in refrigerator 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove tart from refrigerator; using a small paring knife, score the top by making curved lines from the center to the edges like a pinwheel. Brush top of tart with the egg wash, being careful not to let any excess drip down over cut edge of dough, as it will inhibit proper rising. Return to refrigerator to chill again, if needed.
• Place baking sheet in oven, and bake 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees; loosely cover tart with aluminum foil, and continue cooking 30 minutes more.
• Transfer to a wire rack, and let sit 20 minutes. Remove tart from pan by sliding it onto a serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.

APRICOT GâTEAU PITHIVIERS

Steps:

• Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl, then beat in the egg and egg yolk. Stir in the almonds, flour and liqueur, and mix well to a spreadable paste.
• Roll out half the pastry and, using a sharp knife, cut out a circle approximately 25cm in diameter (use a dinner plate as a guide). It should be about the thickness of 2 x £1 coins. Roll out the remaining pastry and cut out another circle, slightly larger than the first. If you're using ready-rolled pastry, cut a circle from each sheet and freeze what's left.
• Place the smaller circle on a baking tray and top with half the almond filling, leaving a 2.5cm border round the edge. Spread the apricots over, then put the rest of the filling on top. Brush the border with beaten egg and set the remaining pastry circle on top, pressing the edges firmly together.
• With the back of a knife, score lines round the outer edge of the pastry. Now press the back of the knife 1cm into the pastry edge at regular intervals to give a scalloped appearance. Brush the top with more beaten egg and score curved lines radiating from the centre of the circle. Take care not to cut through the pastry. Chill for 20 mins. The tart can be made ahead and frozen at this point or kept in the fridge for 2 days.
• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Bake for 30-35 mins until puffed and golden. Leave to cool on a baking tray. To glaze, melt the jam in a small pan and pass through a sieve. Then brush over the pastry.

PITHIVIERS

Steps:

• Beat the bugger and sugar together until creamy and light in colour.
• Little by little mix in the eggs, beating well, then add the zest of the orange and the rum and beat again.
• Fold in the almonds and flour and pop the mixture in the fridge to chill.
• Meanwhile divide your pastry into two and roll into two 11 inch circles. Place one circle on greaseproof paper on a baking tray.
• Spread the jam on to the circle you've put on the baking tray, leaving a border of approximately an inch round the edge. Pile the almond mixture on top of the jam and spread evenly, taking care to leave the border.
• Beat another egg in a bowl and lightly brush the border of your circle with it. Place the other circle of pastry over the top and press the edges together to seal. Cover and pop in the fridge for an hour.
• Preheat an oven to 425f/220c/gas mark 7. Remove the pithiviers from the fridge and brush the top with the rest of the beaten egg you used to seal the border. Then take a knife and, starting from the centre, lightly score curved lines from the centre to the outside so you end up with a cartwheel pattern.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes until risen and golden brown. Dust with icing sugar and serve hot with a little cream or ice-cream, or allow to cool for a lovely tea-time treat.

PITHIVIERS

Steps:

• In a food processor, grind together the sugar, butter, egg, almonds, extracts and rum until light and fluffy. Line a shallow 6-inch bowl with plastic wrap and spoon in the nut mixture. Smooth the top flat and chill in the freezer 30 minutes to form a disk of firm nut filling.
• Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, roll the puff pastry out a bit thinner just to flatten it and make the sheets square, about 10 inches, then chill them. Using a pizza cutter and a lid or cake pan as your guide, cut the largest disk possible out of both pieces of pastry.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water to make an egg wash. Place one of the pastry disks on a parchment lined sheet pan and paint a 2-inch border on the edge of the pastry with the egg-wash.
• Pop the chilled nut filling out of the bowl, peel off the plastic, and place it in the center of the pastry. Carefully place the second pastry disk on top and ease it over the nut filling smoothing it out on the edges to match up the bottom piece. Brush the whole top surface with egg wash. Using a small sharp knife, score the surface of the pastry decoratively in a spiral pattern.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 400 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes more. Ten minutes before the cake is done, sprinkle it with powdered sugar then finish baking. Cut into wedges to serve.

HAZELNUT AND CHOCOLATE PITHIVIERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut 1 pastry sheet into 9 1/2-inch-diameter round. Transfer to heavy large cookie sheet; chill.
• Using electric mixer, cream butter and sugar in medium bowl until fluffy. Mix in nuts, flour and vanilla. Mix in 1 egg. Spread filling evenly over chilled pastry round, leaving 1/2-inch border at edge. Arrange chocolate pieces over filling, spacing evenly. Chill 15 minutes.
• Beat remaining egg to blend in small bowl. Cut second pastry sheet into 9 1/2-inch-diameter round. Brush border of filled pastry with beaten egg. Top with second pastry round, pressing edges together firmly to seal. Crimp edges decoratively. Brush pastry with beaten egg. Cut small vent hole in center. Using tip of small sharp knife, score half circles 1/2 inch apart in top of pastry, beginning at vent and ending at crimped edge. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Bake pastry until puffed and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on cookie sheet. Transfer pastry to platter. Serve warm or at room temperature, cutting pastry into wedges.

PITHIVIERS

Steps:

• Make the frangipane: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process the almonds and sugar until the mixture is very fine crumbs. With the machine running, add 2 egg yolks, butter, and rum; continue processing until the mixture is smooth and combined.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry dough into a rectangle at least 9 1/4 × 18 1/2 inches and about 1/8 inch thick. Using a 9-inch round cake pan as a guide, cut out 2 9-inch rounds.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg yolk and cream for the egg wash. Place 1 round on a baking sheet, and spread the almond mixture on top, leaving a 1-inch border all around; brush the border with egg wash. Using an aspic or cookie cutter, cut a 1/2-inch hole in the center of the remaining round; place the cut round on top of the other round, pressing lightly around the filling to seal the rounds together. Place in the refrigerator 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Remove the tart from the refrigerator; using a small paring knife, score the top by making curved lines from the center to the edges, like a pinwheel. Brush the top of the tart with the egg wash, being careful not to let any excess drip over the cut edge of dough, as it will inhibit proper rising. Return to the refrigerator to chill again, if needed.
• Place the baking sheet in the oven, and bake 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F; loosely cover the tart with aluminum foil, and continue baking 30 minutes more.
• Transfer to a wire rack, and let sit 20 minutes. Remove the tart from the pan by sliding it onto a serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.