Terbo Treats #3: Festive Spiced Espresso Custard Christmas Tree

18 - December - 2017 Michael Macaskill

Terbo Treats #3 has landed with Santa vibes. Check out our Festive Spiced Espresso Custard Christmas Tree.

Makes 1 large pastry tree

Ingredients:

2 x 400g ready to roll puff pastry

For the espresso custard filling:

1 cup milk 1 double espresso (60ml)
1 teaspoon ground coffee
2 tablespoons custard powder
3 tablespoons soft brown sugar

For the spiced sugar (mix together):

2 tablespoons soft brown sugar
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 egg, beaten, to brush the pastry before baking

Method:

To make the espresso pastry cream:

Place the custard powder and sugar in a small pot on medium heat
Gradually add the milk while whisking
Add the espresso and ground coffee
Whisk the custard on medium heat until smooth and thick
Transfer the custard into a bowl and cover, allow to cool completely

To assemble:

Roll out each sheet of puff pastry into rectangles of about 28x36cm
Place one of the puff pastry rectangles onto a large sheet of baking paper
Gently trace a large triangle in the middle of your puff pastry as a guide line, leaving a border to seal the edges
Spread the espresso custard onto the triangle, staying in the lines
Sprinkle over the spiced sugar mix
Brush the border of the triangle with the egg wash and carefully sandwich the filling with the second rectangle of puff pastry
Rest in the fridge for a few minutes to make handling easier
With the short end of the pastry facing you, cut around the sealed border to create a big triangle with a custard filling
Cut a small strip out of each side of the bottom of the triangle for your tree trunk
Maintaining a straight centre line, cut strips up each side of the triangle, 2cm apart, to make the branches
Twist each branch of pastry, away from yourself, all the way to the top
Brush the tree with egg wash
For an extra touch, cut a star out of the scrap pastry and place it at the top of your tree
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 190’C for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown
Serve warm, dusted with icing sugar