Great Scott: RECIPE #75: Sunny Side Up Apricot Pastries

As my cousin Levi said, "Those are some weird looking eggs!"

These are fun to make as well as to look at.

We loved eating them!

This comes out of one of my favorite cookbooks called Artisan Bread in 5 min a day

SUNNY SIDE UP APRICOT PASTRIES

makes 16 - 2" pastries

Pastry cream:

2 C milk

1/2 C sugar

2 T unsalted butter

pinch of salt

1 t vanilla

3 T cornstarch

1 egg

3 egg yolks

Pastries:

1 1/2 lbs Brioche dough

http://kimbersgreatscott.blogspot.com/2011/02/whats-for-dinner-pulled-pork-with-mango.html

1 C pastry cream (above)

8 ripe apricots halved (I used jarred halved apricots)

1/2 C apricot jam, melted

2 C sugar (I only needed 1 C)

Pastry Cream:

Bring milk, 1/4 C sugar, butter, salt and vanilla to gentle boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat. Whisk together cornstarch and remaining 1/4 C sugar.

Add egg and yolks to cornstarch and mix into a smooth paste.

Slowly and in small amounts whisk a little of the hot milk into the egg mixture. Once the egg mixture is warm to the touch, pour it back into the milk in the pan. Return custard to stove and bring to boil whisking continuously for 2 to 3 min until thickened.

Strain pastry cream into shallow container

and cover with plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface to keep a skin from forming. Put in freezer for 15 min then refrigerate.

Pastries:

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat or use a pizza stone. Dust surface of refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a cantaloupe size piece. Dust piece with more flour and quickly shape into a rough ball by stretching the surface of the dough around the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter turn as you go.

Roll the dough to a 1/8 to 1/2" thick rectangle, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.

TIP: If you don't have a rolling pin, spray a drinking glass with cooking spray and roll. You can even use it to cut out 2" circle pieces like biscuits.

Cut out 16 2" circles.

Freeze scraps to make Cinnamon Twists or turns (coming soon to a blog near you).

Cover work surface with generous coating of sugar. Take one of the rounds and lay it on the sugar.

Using a rolling pin (or drinking glass), roll back and forth over center, stopping 1/2" from the two ends to create an oval.

If the dough sticks to the rolling pin, dust with a bit of flour. Lay the oval, sugar side up on the lined cookie sheet or pizza stone. Repeat with the rest of the dough, keeping the ovals at least 1" apart on the sheet.