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Bienenstich
Several months ago-(or maybe a year? Who knows where
the time goes, as Judy Collins once asked)-a reader
sent us an old family recipe for Bienenstich ("bee
sting"), a yeasted pastry dough, German in origin,
filled with custard and topped with honey-glazed
sliced almonds. We tried the recipe, but never could
get it quite right; so we set it aside, figuring
we’d get back to it eventually.
Just recently one of our favorite professional
baking magazines, Modern Baking, printed a recipe
for Bienenstich, so we picked up the gauntlet again,
and this time succeeded (thanks to some tips we
learned in the magazine). This tender, buttery dough
layered with a rich (though unconventional) vanilla
pastry cream, and topped with sticky, sweet almonds
is a fitting end to a light early-summer dinner. Or
enjoy a sliver with your afternoon coffee; no
seconds if you’re counting calories!
Dough
2 1/3 cups (9 3/4 ounces) Mellow Pastry Blend or 2
1/4 cups (9 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached
All-Purpose Flour
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick, 2 ounces) butter
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/4 cup (2 ounces) water
Topping
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick, 3 ounces) butter
1/3 cup (2 1/2 ounces) sugar
3 tablespoons (2 ounces) honey
2 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) heavy cream
1 1/2 cups (4 3/4 ounces) sliced almonds
Filling
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin (about 2/3 of a
packet, or 3 to 4 sheets)
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) water
1 cup (8 ounces) heavy cream, whipped to very soft
peaks
3-ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Manual/Mixer Method: Combine all of the dough
ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl, stirring
till the mixture becomes cohesive. Transfer the
dough to a lightly oiled or lightly floured work
surface, and knead it for 5 to 8 minutes, till it’s
smooth. Or knead it in an electric mixer, using the
dough hook, for 4 to 7 minutes at medium speed.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to
grease all sides, cover the bowl with a proof cover
or plastic wrap, and let it rise for 60 minutes,
till it’s puffy.
Bread Machine Method: Place all of the dough
ingredients into the pan of your bread machine in
the order recommended by the manufacturer (usually,
liquids first, yeast last). Program the machine for
dough or manual, and press Start. After about 10
minutes of kneading, check the dough’s consistency;
it should be fairly smooth, slightly sticky, not dry
and "gnarly." Adjust its consistency with additional
flour or water, if necessary, and allow the machine
to complete its cycle.
Shaping: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work
surface, fold it over to expel any excess gas, then
divide it in half. Roll each piece into a ball, then
pat and stretch each ball into an 8-inch circle.
Place the circles into two lightly greased 8-inch
cake pans; don’t worry if the dough shrinks away
from the edges of the pans. Allow it to rise/rest
for 30 minutes-the gluten will relax, making the
dough easier to work with-then gently stretch and
pat it to reach the edge. Make the topping while the
dough is rising.
Topping: Melt the butter in a small saucepan set
over medium heat. Add the sugar, honey and cream.
Bring the mixture to a boil, and boil it for 3 to 5
minutes, until it’s taken on a very light gold
color. Stir in the almonds, let cool slightly, then
spread over the dough in the pans.
Baking: Bake the Bienenstich in a preheated 350°F
oven for 25 to 28 minutes, until the edges are
golden brown and the topping is bubbling. Remove it
from the oven, and cool in the pan for 30 minutes,
to allow the topping to firm up. Run a knife around
the edges of the pans to loosen any stuck-on dough,
and flip each cake over onto a plate, then flip back
onto a rack so the almond topping is up. Cool
completely before filling.
Assembly: Carefully split each of the cakes in half
horizontally, so that you have four thin, round
cakes. This is best done using a serrated knife; cut
slowly and check as you go to make sure you’re
staying on a straight line. Set the cakes aside.
Soften the gelatin in the 2 tablespoons water, then
heat the mixture (in a microwave set on low, or over
low heat in a saucepan) until the gelatin has melted
and the mixture is clear. Let it cool slightly.
Fold a bit of the whipped cream into the gelatin,
then fold that back into the remaining whipped
cream.
Mix the instant pudding with the milk and vanilla,
stirring for 2 minutes as the box directs.
Immediately fold the whipped cream/gelatin mixture
into the pudding (the pudding will begin to set up,
so work quickly). Use this faux pastry cream to fill
the cakes. Serve immediately, or refrigerate till
you’re ready to serve. Yield: 2 cakes, 16 servings.
Note: We really like this method of making pastry
cream; both the ease of preparation, and the
delicious final product. The whipped cream makes the
filling very rich, while the gelatin stabilizes it,
so it’ll stay firm (and not "weep") in your pastry
for days, if necessary. When we’re in a hurry, and
know we’re making a pastry that doesn’t have to keep
for a long time, we simply prepare instant vanilla
pudding mix using heavy cream instead of milk,
spiking it with an extra shot (a teaspoon or two) of
vanilla extract. Either of these two methods
produces a filling that’s wonderful for cream puffs,
éclairs, napoleons (if you ever make those at home),
cakes, or other filled confections.
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