miguelitos
A Miguelito is a simple custard filled pastry, which looks and tastes like it took hours to produce. This dreamy custard-filled puffed pastry is finished with a dusting of powdered sugar or drizzle of melted chocolate. It was invented in the mid-twentieth century around La Mancha in central Spain and only takes 20-30 minutes to make. This recipe is even easier if you buy your favorite pre-made curd or custard. (recipe by Shawnie Kelley)
- Serves
- 8
Directions
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Prepare the Pastry
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Heat oven to 400 F.
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Thaw frozen puff pastry for approximately 20 minutes. Be sure that you do not allow the pastry to warm up or it will become sticky and difficult to work with. It should remain cold.
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Sprinkle a few tablespoons of flour on a board or marble.
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Using a rolling pin, roll it out to extend the pastry to about 1/8” thickness.
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Using a very sharp knife, cut the pastry into evenly sized squares about 2x2 inches.
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Place pastry squares on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
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Whisk the egg and wash each square using a pastry brush.
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Bake on the center rack for 10 minutes or until pastry is lightly browned on top and crisped up.
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Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack.
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Prepare the Custard
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Heat milk in a large saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not boiling.
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While milk heats, whisk together yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heatproof bowl until smooth.
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Temper the eggs by adding 1 cup hot milk to yolk mixture in a stream, whisking, then add remaining milk, whisking constantly.
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Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and registers 170°F on thermometer, 6 to 10 minutes (do not boil).
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Using the back of a spatula, press custard through a fine wire-mesh sieve into a clean bowl and stir in butter and vanilla until smooth.
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Chill custard (its surface covered with wax paper or cling wrap) until cold and thickened.
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Assemble the Miguelitos
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Place a dollop of the custard in the center of one pastry square and sandwich another on top.
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Dust with powdered sugar or a drizzle ganache
From Shawnie's class “Tapas: spanish Small bites”
