Tropézienne Tart

The origin of this tart is located in Saint-Tropez where, in the 1950s, the Polish pastry chef Alexandre Miccka made and sold a delicate brioche filled with cream. It was so delicious that even Brigitte Bardot fell for it. In fact, it was the actress who suggested the name “Tarte Tropézienne”, which today is recipe and a registered trademark and remains as popular as ever.

The Tarte Tropézienne consists of a light brioche flavored with orange blossom water whose surface is covered with pearl sugar and dusted with powdered sugar. It is filled with a diplomat cream, which is nothing more than pastry cream and chantilly combined. A sublime invention that makes you want to eat it by the spoonful.

It is a laborious preparation that requires time and care, but delicious and well worth the extra effort. We recommend preparing the diplomat cream the day before and keeping it cold until ready to use. The brioche must be completely cold before cutting it in half and filling it. This way we ensure the cream keeps its consistency and volume.

INGREDIENTS (For 8-10 people)

For the dough:

• 220 g flour
• 10 g fresh baker's yeast
• 3 tablespoons of milk, at room temperature
• 4 medium eggs (1 of them to brush the dough)
• 80 g butter, at room temperature
• 30 g sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange blossom water
• Salt
• Pearl sugar and powdered sugar for decoration

For the diplomat cream (pastry cream + chantilly):

• 500 ml milk
• 1 vanilla pod
• 125 g sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 50 g cornstarch
• 500 ml whipping cream, very cold (35% fat)
• 100 g powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

PREPARATION

How to prepare the diplomat cream (pastry cream + chantilly)

1. We start with the pastry cream and, for that, we put the milk in a saucepan.
2. We split the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. We add them to the milk and heat until it reaches a boil.
3. Meanwhile, we put the egg yolks with the sugar in a bowl and whisk with a whisk until they lighten slightly. Then we add the cornstarch and mix again.
4. When the milk reaches boiling point, we remove it from the heat and, little by little, add it to the egg mixture. We stir at the same time and thoroughly so the egg does not curdle.
5. Once almost half of the milk has been added to the yolk mixture, we return it to the saucepan with the rest of the milk. We heat again over low heat until it boils. We stir constantly with the whisk so it doesn't stick to the bottom, until it is thickened to our liking.
6. We pour the cream into a bowl and cover with cling film, in contact with the cream so it doesn't form a skin. Chill before refrigerating.
7. When the pastry cream is well cold, we prepare the chantilly. For this the cream must be very cold. It also helps if the bowl in which we will whip it is cold, so we can leave it in the fridge or freezer for a while.
8. We pour the cream into the container and whisk with a whisk. When it begins to thicken we add the vanilla extract and, little by little, the powdered sugar. We continue whisking during the process until the sugar is finished and we achieve the desired consistency. Be careful not to overwhip or the cream will turn into butter.
9. To finish the diplomat cream we add the pastry cream to the chantilly bowl, little by little. We mix gently with folding motions, using a silicone spatula. If the pastry cream has thickened too much when cooled, we can whisk it a little so it regains a cream-like consistency.
10. We store the diplomat cream in the refrigerator, inside a piping bag with a plain tip, until the time to use. If you have the De Buyer pastry gun, load its reservoir now and keep the refill in the refrigerator.

Preparation of the cake dough

1. We dissolve the yeast in the milk at room temperature.
2. In a large bowl we put the flour, the salt, the sugar and one of the eggs. We stir with a whisk until obtaining a homogeneous mixture.
3. We add two more eggs, one at a time, the orange blossom water and the yeast dissolved in milk. Mix again.
4. We add the butter, in lumps, little by little, stirring first and kneading afterwards. It is a fatty and sticky dough that will become elastic and silky with kneading so avoid the temptation to add more flour and work it as long as needed.
5. When the dough is smooth, we place it in a large bowl, cover with a clean kitchen cloth and let it rest until it doubles in volume. The time will depend on the ambient temperature.
6. Once the dough has risen we degas with the knuckles, pressing the dough gently. Knead again for a few seconds while shaping it into a ball. Place the dough on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and flatten. It should have a height of between 2 and 3 centimeters.
7. Cover again with the kitchen cloth and let ferment for about an hour.
8. When the dough has grown, brush the surface with beaten egg and sprinkle with pearl sugar. Put the tray in the oven, preheated to 180º C with heat up and down, and bake for 20 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Fill the Tarte Tropézienne

1. Before cutting in half it is important that the baked dough has lost its heat and is warm.
2. Fill a piping bag or the De Buyer pastry gun with the very cold diplomat cream, and fill the base of the cake that you have cut.
3. Cover with the top part of the tart.
4. You can dust with powdered sugar when serving.

Revol porcelain plate, Pallarès carbon steel kitchen knife with boxwood handle and De Buyer non-stick oven tray