George Brown’s senior leadership team leads with heart to spread holiday cheer

Ingredients:

• 185 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 350 grams mashed ripe bananas
• 86 grams melted unsalted butter
• 130 grams light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 30 ml milk
• 200 grams chocolate chips

Yield: 12 large muffins

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F
2. Sift all of the dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon) in a bowl
3. In a separate bowl, use a fork to mash the ripe bananas. To this, add the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract and milk. Whisk this together
4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a spatula
5. Lastly, fold in the chocolate chips
6. Line a 12-cavity muffin tin with muffin cups
7. Scoop the muffin batter evenly into the 12 muffin cups
8. Bake at 350°F for approximately 20 minutes, until the muffins are a light golden brown, and if you insert a toothpick into the centre of the muffin, it comes out clean

Ingredients:

• 300 grams pastry flour
• 300 grams all-purpose flour
• 10 grams salt
• 500 grams cold butter
• 300 grams cold water
• 1 large egg

Yield: 4 Bands

METHOD

1. Sift the two flours together in a large bowl
2. Cut the cold butter into 2” cubes. Toss the butter with the flour so each piece is coated in flour, then break up the butter just a little bit using your fingers, but keeping the butter in fairly large chunks (this method is similar to how you would cut butter into flour for a pie dough)
3. Dissolve the salt in the cold water
4. Add the salted water to the flour/butter mixture, and mix by hand to achieve a shaggy dough
5. Wrap the dough in cling film, and refrigerate for 20 minutes
6. After 20 minutes, dust your table with a bit of all purpose flour. Begin to roll out your dough to 22 x 50 cm. Give the dough a double fold (see below) and then wrap and refrigerate for 25 minutes
7.  
8. After resting, roll the dough out again to the same dimensions (roll the dough in the opposite direction from how you last folded it) and give it another double fold (just like in Step 6). Rest again, covered and in the refrigerator.
9. Roll out the dough one last time to 22 x 50 cm (roll dough in the opposite direction of how you last folded it), and give it a single fold (see below), then wrap the dough in cling film and chill overnight.
10. After chilling, roll out the dough to 60 cm x 38 cm. Chill the rolled dough in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to firm up
11. Measure and cut 4 bands of dough that are 12 cm x 38 cm. Then cut 8 thin bands that are 1.5 cm x 38 cm
12. Whisk one egg well in a bowl to create an eggwash
13. On each side of the 4 wider pastry bands (the pieces that are 12 cm x 38 cm) you will brush some eggwash. Use this to attach 2 of the smaller pastry bands (1.5 cm x 38 cm). Brush some more egg wash on top of the thinner bands
14. Now you are ready to make the almond cream to fill the pastry bands

 Almond Cream and Apricots

Ingredients:

• 112 grams unsalted butter, soft
• 112 grams sugar
• ½ scraped vanilla bean
• 90 grams egg
• 112 grams ground almonds
• 38 grams cake flour
• Canned apricot halves, as needed

METHOD:

1. In a stand mixer, cream together butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy with the paddle attachment
2. Scrape down the bowl, and start adding eggs a little at a time
3. Add almonds and flour, and mix to combine

ASSEMBLY OF THE APRICOT ALMOND PUFF PASTRY BANDS

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Divide the almond cream into 4 equal amounts, and spread it in a thin layer over each of the 4 puff pastry bands you prepared (bands should be placed on a parchment-lined sheet tray before assembly, and should be COLD)
3. Take the canned apricots, strain them out of the packing syrup and place on a paper towel to dry. Cut ¼” slices of apricots
4. Place the apricots on top of the puff pastry bands one overlapping the other slightly
5. Bake the puff pastry apricot bands in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the almond cream is fully baked, and the puff pastry is a flaky golden brown
6. Cool for at least 10-15 minutes, then slice and enjoy!

Choux Paste

Ingredients:

• 320 grams water
• 15 grams milk powder
• 140 grams butter
• 6 grams salt
• 6 grams sugar
• 180 grams all-purpose flour
• 250 grams egg​​​​​​

Yield: Will make about 18 eclairs or Paris brest shapes

METHOD:

1. In a pot, bring the water, milk powder, butter and salt to a boil on high heat

2. Once this comes to a boil, turn down the heat and add the all-purpose flour. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or heat-proof spatula.

3. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, on low heat for at least 3 minutes

4. Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer, and mix on low speed with the paddle attachment until the mixture reaches about 50 °C.

5. Start to add the eggs gradually. The mixture is ready when it runs in a steady stream from the paddle

6. Transfer the choux paste to a bowl and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes

7. Put some choux paste into a pastry bag fitted with a star nozzle

8. Pipe the choux into 6” long eclair shapes, or pipe in 3” diameter circles to create “Paris Brest” shapes

9. Bake at about 400°F for 20 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for approximately 25 minutes longer, until the choux paste is a deep golden brown and has a crisp crust

Caramel Diplomat Cream

Ingredients:

• 200 grams brown sugar
• 68 grams butter
• 450 grams butter (separate into 70 grams and 380 grams)
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 whole egg
• 40 grams cornstarch
• 2 sheets gold gelatine leaves
• 8 grams (1.5 teaspoon) vanilla extract
• 30 grams unsalted butter
• 100 grams 35% heavy whipping cream

Method:

1. Rehydrate the gelatine sheets in a bit of cold water (no need to measure the water). Once the gelatine sheets are soft (takes about 30 seconds), remove them from the water. Squeeze out the water from the gelatine and set aside
2. Combine the brown sugar and the first quantity of butter in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until they become a homogenous mixture and caramelize slightly. Take off the heat and set aside
3. Heat up 380 gram of milk in a saucepan to just below a simmer. While this is heating, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, cornstarch and 70 gr of milk in a bowl
4. Once the milk is warmed, pour ⅓ of this into the egg/cornstarch mixture to temper it. Pour this back into the pot with the remainder of the milk
5. Return the pot to the stove and cook everything over medium heat, whisking constantly
6. When the mixture is hot, whisk in the brown sugar/butter mixture and keep to a boil. Keep whisking until it has boiled for 1 minute
7. Remove from the heat and add in the 30 gr butter, gelatine and vanilla extract
8. Pour the pastry cream into a shallow vessel, cover with saran directly on the surface, and refrigerate until completely cold
9. Once cold, put the pastry cream into a bowl and soften it very gently with a spatula
10. Whip the 100 gr of 35% cream to medium peaks, and gently fold the whipped cream and the pastry cream together