CREMESCHNITTEN

Ingredients

1 1 1pound POUNDWeightpuff pastry, homemade (see Bakery) or store-bought
4 4 4gelatin leaves soaked
2 2 2cups CUP_USVolumecold water
2 2 2cups CUP_USVolumeheavy cream, chilled
2 2 2eggs
¹/₃ .33 .33cup CUP_USVolumegranulated sugar
1 1 1vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
²/₃ .66 .66cup CUP_USVolumeraspberry jam
Powdered sugar, for decoration

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the puff pastry to a 12-inch square about ¼ inch thick. With a sharp knife, cut the square into four 3-by-12-inch rectangles. Transfer to a baking sheet. With a pair of forks, prick the dough all over to “dock” it, keeping it from rising too high. Bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool. Reserve 2 puff pastry strips whole. Cut each of the remaining two crosswise into 6 equal pieces. Set aside.
Put the cold water in a mixing bowl. Add the gelatin leaves and soak them until softened, 10 to 30 minutes depending on the brand. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, use a wire whisk or hand-held mixer to whip the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks. Set aside.
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil; reduce the heat to a simmer. In a medium heatproof bowl large enough to fit inside the saucepan’s rim without touching the water, combine the eggs and sugar. With the tip of a small, sharp knife, scrape in the seeds from inside the vanilla bean. Rest the bowl on top of the saucepan and, whisking continuously, cook the mixture until it begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat. Remove the softened gelatin leaves from the water and stir them in until dissolved. Gently fold the whipped cream into the egg mixture. Cover and refrigerate the mixture to cool and thicken for 15 minutes.
To assemble the Cremeschnitten: Spread 1/3 cup of raspberry jam on top of each of the two 12-inch puff pastry pieces. Spread the cream mixture evenly on top of the jam. Carefully arrange the cut pieces of puff pastry side by side on top of each filled long piece. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour before service.
To serve, use a sharp knife to cut between the top pieces of pastry, down through the filling and the bottom pastry to make individual portions. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and serve immediately.

ABOUT THIS RECIPE

Sometimes it seems that the Viennese eat whipped cream with everything, especially when you see incredible desserts like these cream-filled puff pastries. To reduce the amount of work, you can use puff pastry bought from the refrigerator or freezer case of your supermarket.