PUMPKIN VANILLA PASTRIES

If you love the taste of pumpkin purée, and you love pastries, you will love these. They are fragrant, crispy on the edges, and amazingly soft in the centre. Topped with crème pâtissière, and some chocolate sauce, for good measure, they are so delicious, and perfect for the afternoon tea, or even breakfast. Make sure you serve them as warm as possible, as that is when they taste the best.

Ingredients
For the pumpkin pastries
450 grams plain flour
2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
120 grams pumpkin purée
120 grams unsalted butter
100 grams granulated sugar
1 small egg
2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
small pinch of salt
For the crème pâtissière
250 ml whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
50 grams granulated sugar
3 medium egg yolks
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 tablespoon cornflour (corn starch)
5 tablespoon chocolate sauce, optional

Preparation

Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the yeast, and whisk it very well. Set it aside. Take another large bowl, add in the butter and sugar, and beat with an electric mixer on high, for about 3 minutes, or until lighter in colour and creamy. Add in the egg, and blend it thoroughly. Finally, add in the pumpkin purée, and the spices, and blend for another minute on high. The batter should be smooth and creamy. Add about a third of the flour mixture in the batter, and mix it in on low. Switch to a wooden spoon, add in the salt and the rest of the flour mix, and mix until a dough starts to form. Roll the dough out on a floured surface, and knead it for about 5 minutes, then place it in an oiled bowl, cover it with a tea towel, then let it rise for about an hour and a half, in a warm spot.

While the dough is rising, make the crème pâtissière. Mix together the sugar, vanilla, egg yolks, plain flour and cornflour in a medium bowl, and set it aside. Pour the milk into a heavy-bottomed saucepan, and bring it to the boil over medium high heat, then remove it from the heat. Pour about a third of the warm milk over the egg mixture, and whisk vigorously. This will temper the eggs and prevent the scorching. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the milk, and continue to whisk vigorously, still over medium high heat. Keep cook and whisking until the mixture starts to boil, and starts to thicken. Keep the heat steady, and whisk constantly, to prevent the custard from burning on the bottom. Remove it from the heat, then quickly cover the surface with cling film to prevent a skin forming. Let it cool to at least room temperature, then place it in the refrigerator so it can cool completely.

Once the dough has risen, knead it briefly, then roll it out to about a centimetre in thickness. Cut out 8 neat rectangles, re-rolling the dough scraps as you work. Take a wooden spoon and make an indent in the centre of every rectangle. Place them on a large baking sheet lined with baking paper, and let them rise for another 30 minutes in a warm spot. Just before baking, make another indentation with the wooden spoon, if they lost their shape while resting. Bake them in a preheated oven, at 200°C (400°F), for about 20 minutes. Make sure you do not overbake them. Let them cool down slightly, then top with the crème pâtissière, and the chocolate sauce (if using), and serve immediately. Yields 8 servings.