NAVETTES

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Navettes image

Navettes, boat-shaped cakes from Provence, are unassertive pastries that benefit from additional flavoring; orange-flower water is traditionally used to make them.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Cake Recipes

Yield Makes about 2 dozen

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 teaspoon active dry yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons orange-flower water
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Grated zest of 1 orange
Olive oil for bowl and baking sheet
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablspoon water, for glaze
Crystal sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Steps:

  • In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in 2 tablespoons lukewarm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in another bowl, whisk to gether flour and salt. Place butter and sugar in bowl of electric mixer. Beat, using paddle attachment, until soft and crumbly. Add eggs, dissolved yeast, orange-flower water, and grated zest. Add flour, a cup at a time, and beat on low speeduntil just combined.
  • Transfer dough to floured work surface, and knead with hands until smooth and no longer sticky. Form into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, cover, and leave to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.
  • Rub a large baking sheet with olive oil. Turn the dough out onto lightly floured work surface, and cut into three equal portions. Using your hands, roll each portion into a log about 1-inch thick. Cut each log crosswise into pieces about 2 1/2 inches long. Shape the pieces into tapered boat shapes by rounding and somewhat raising the middle portions, and pinching the ends intopoints. Cover baking sheet with a kitchen towel, and leave in a warm place for 2 hours. Boats will rise somewhat but will not double.
  • Heat oven to 375 degrees. Using a razor blade or very sharp knife, make a lengthwise slash sown each boat, about 1/3 of its depth. Using a pastry brush, paint the surface of each boat with egg-yolk glaze. Sprinkle with crystal sugar, if desired. Bake until golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

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