Martha Stewart’s Pithivier
Here’s the video: http://www.marthastewart.com/335503/pithiviers
Part of what I am doing with this little blog is using it as a vehicle of enhanced self-discovery – the fun kind. One of the biggest things I have learned about myself is that on the days that I do bake I am a much happier person. I can’t really explain this except to say that there is something about the selection or creation of a recipe and its execution that gives me great pleasure and satisfaction. On the days I talk myself out of baking – mostly due to dietary goals or the absence of readily available “giftees”, I find myself cranky and restless. I can divert myself with other activities but the baking process just does something wonderful to my brain chemicals and my soul.
Anyone who knows this blog knows that I had SO much fun in pastry school. If I hadn’t been going off to Italy with the kids a few weeks after I finished at the end of June 2011 I would have just begged to stay – forever or sabotaged myself into the failure category so I’d have to do a repeat! Every day I wish they had a part 2. Our class was especially fun, the personalities big and often hysterical. Our chefs were amazing people all with great stories to tell while giving us some heady instruction. I met some really great people there and I will never forget the experience.
One of my very most favorite pastries we made was the Pithivier. Honestly, it is the only thing we made that I would have devoured in one sitting – right there in the classroom, shortly after it came out of the oven – like a gluttonous maniac. Ahhh – the marriage of puff pastry and frangipane — a work of genius and one made in heaven. I got onto this today because Epicurious posted an apple one (via Joanne Chang via François Payard) on facebook this morning. I have had my antenna up the past few weeks over pastries and breads – just one of the signs that Fall is coming, I guess.
The Gateaux Pithivier originated in the town of Pithivier in the Orleans section of France. I haven’t yet found the date upon which the idea was conceived and by whom, but I’ll keep looking. The town of Pithivier has a notorious history as it was apparently a staging point for French Jews who were being sent off to Auschwitz, notably with the assistance of the French military. That fact is so unfortunate as it is so disturbingly at conflict with the origin of this much happiness-inducing pastry creation.
Frangipane/frangipani is derived from frangere il pane (Italian for “break the bread”), from which the noble Frangipani family of Rome derived its name in the 11th century. Ahhhh, just one more reason that I love that the Italians were so amazingly brilliant. Actually frangipane apparently did not originate until the 16th century – it was the name that’s circa 11th century. It can be traced to an Italian nobelman named Marquis Muzio Frangipani, who created a perfume for scenting gloves. Calling the almond cream Frangipane or Frangipani, may actually be of French origin. Another great detective story to investigate and find the real details.
How can something as simple as Frangipane be so overwhelmingly memorable – and delicious and addictive? I don’t know, but it is. Who thinks of these things anyway? I am bound and determined to seek this fact out. Honestly, who was just sitting around in their kitchen in the 16th century and said to themselves, “let’s mix up a bunch of ground almonds, eggs, butter, vanilla and flour and see what happens” – I would love to retro back to that place and time and be a witness to this incident – and then, whoever’s little experiment becomes something so enduring and treasured down through the ages???? I find these little incidents of invention so fascinating They lend so much fun to this little thing that I do. I have found so many great food items which originated way back when and honestly have a great curiosity about the process of invention in the culinary sense in the “early days”.
Anyway, the almond crop, which I interestingly just read is in fact the most valuable crop in the state of California, way more than the grape crop, is now right up there with my most favorite little growing gems of the culinary world. I obviously missed the almond blossom season in Sicily this year but I have that on my bucket list for my next trip there. I’d love to experience the California one, too. What a fragrant and beautiful site it must be to behold! I picture myself surrounded by an oasis of white fragrant blossoms – like in a dream…….
We made a wide variety of frangipanes in school – with lots of different nuts. All yielded good results but I’d have to say the classic almond is my favorite. And, I am most especially enamored about the classic Gateaux Pithivier. There is just something about biting into the crunchy layers of that buttery, flaky puff pastry and then the contrast of the decadent sweet almond custardy unctousnes of the frangipane which is the perfect foil and, um, yummy treat.
Of course, the concept of the Pithivier can be much-arrayed into great savory concoctions as well as sweet, and has been – there are ham and cheese varieties, vegetables and cheese and all sorts of herbs and then the fruit iterations as well as the “plain”. There are single serving Pithiviers and the “big” one to enjoy. You could spend a good amount of time experimenting with these recipes and all would be a great hors deuvres for a party, holiday meal or just a special treat for cocktails and, breakfasts, snacks or desserts.
But for today I’m focusing on the sweets-variety. Most recipes for Frangipane, also known as Almond Cream, are basically the same. Here are some excellent recipes for frangipane and/or Pithivier:
Here, for instance is Wolfgang Puck’s”:
www.wolfgangpuck.com/recipes/view/8797/Pithiviers
Here is the recipe for Joanne Chang’s (Flour – Boston) Apple Pithivier: food/views/Apple-Pithivier-51189050
The BBC’s Apricot Gateaux: www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2389/apricot-gteau-pithiviers
In the sans puff pastry category but featuring frangipane:
Just in case you should desire two peach frangipane tarts like I do (do I hoard peach recipes? YES), here is MadBaker’s Poached Peach and Frangipane Tart:
http://www.madbaker.net/2006/12/mad-about-poached-peach-frangipane-tart/
And a plum tart from Passionate about Baking: http://www.passionateaboutbaking.com/2011/07/baking-vanilla-almond-frangipane-plum-tart-the-last-of-the-plums-well-almost.html
Also, I highly recommend you buy Will Torrent’s Påtisserie at Home. It is a fabulous book. Friend him on fb and make his Plum Pithiviers!!!!
Hope you have fun with these – and try not to eat them all at one sitting like I would! Enjoy!
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Peach-Frangipane-Tart-2102