Today I'm bringing you a bespoken secret that is changing the Melbourne pastry scene. My friend Cristina, along with her family, has opened a traditional Spanish 'pasteleria' in Prahran Market, South Yarra, that is setting a really high bar of what traditional Spanish sweets and pastries are. 'La Colmena' is the name of the business and if you haven't heard about it, well let me tell you that you soon will. In the same way that cronuts came like a bomb and you could find them everywhere,  or that the trendy matcha was in every single cafe in Australia,  well I believe today's recipe is going to be the NEXT BIG THING in this country!  

We are talking about traditional pastries that you can find all over  Spain from 'ensaimadas' in Mallorca, the 'piononos' from Granada, the 'flores manchegas' from La Mancha, and today's recipe: the 'Miguelitos' from La Roda, Albacete. 

And how lucky we are that now all these traditional pastries are trending and Melbournians are getting crazy about them. Hats off to the pioneers from La Colmena for their vision and their hard work to make this possible.

So, if you are lucky enough to visit Melbourne during your school holidays, go and say “Hi” from me. But if you are like me and staying at home, today I'm giving you the home cook version of this sweet treat that’s about to get super popular in town (you'll see all the cafe owners googling these names and recipes). 

So what is a Miguelito, you may be thinking? Well, they are made with two ingredients we all get crazy about it: flaky puff pastry and delicious Creme patissiere. Last time I went back to Spain my friend Marcos brought me a box of them as a gastronomic experience, and I can tell you that my Aussie family was very, very happy with them!  Why not try something different this holiday, roll your sleeves up and let's cook together!

Now, when it comes to making puff pastry from scratch you really need time and skills to make a good one (let me be honest). So, unless you have amazing pastry chef skills, my advice is to get already-made puff pastry from the shops that will make this recipe much easier and more enjoyable (let's not complicate our lives unnecessarily here right?). So grab a couple of packets of puff pastry and follow the steps at the back of the packet to cook it properly. The idea is to cut rectangles of pastry and put two layers one on top of the other one, creating a sandwich of puff pastry. Then we will fill it up with the yummy creme patisserie.

For the creme patissiere, remember to sift the flour before using it and follow the steps below carefully. Trust me, the more you make it the better you'll get at it. By the way, a quick note before I give you the recipe, if you feel comfortable enough after making this sweet you'll also be able to make the Portuguese ‘Pasteis de Nata’ also known as ‘Pasteis de Belem.’ Same ingredients guys, so today's recipe is basically two in one, winning!

CREME PATISSIERE RECIPE

30 g flour, shifted 

80 g sugar

2 egg yolks

300 ml Milk

Flavour options: lemon and orange peel with cinnamon or vanilla (whatever you have at home)

1. Sift flour into a bowl, add the egg yolk, sugar and a bit of milk to combine. Whisk well.

2. Bring the rest of the milk to a boil in a saucepan with your flavour chosen. Turn it off and rest.

3. Pour the milk onto the flour, egg and sugar mixture, mix well and pour it back into the saucepan (if you have citrus peel or cinnamon remove them now).

4. Return to the stove and cook well stirring constantly to cook the flour (make sure you check those corners of your saucepan when stirring)

5. When thick and doesn't taste like flour. Get a bowl, pour the mixture in and add a layer of cling film on top to prevent skin forming. Let it cool down before using it.

TO ASSEMBLE THE MIGUELITOS

1. Cut the puff into rectangles.

2. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

3. On a baking tray add a piece of baking paper and add your 1st layer of puff. Whisk an egg and brush the 1st layer. Then add the second one on top.

4. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes until the sandwich puff has risen and got a bit of colour.

5. Let them cool down for a bit.

6. Cut them in half and add the creme patissiere, either with a piping bag if you have or with a plastic bag cutting a corner. Put the other layer of puff, 'the lid', on top. 

7. Sprinkle icing sugar on top and serve. 

 

Extra note: You can also make a chocolate version if you prefer. But the traditional creme patissiere is definitely my favourite! Don't hesitate to tag me on your socials with your creations.

Happy school holidays everyone!