Anat Neta-Kepten, pastry chef at Talpiot restaurant in Haifa, strives to adapt desserts to the climate she cooks in. “Here too, with the Bavarian cream project, I wanted to stick to the traditional recipe as well as the visual childhood memory, but adjust it to our warm climate. I made it less sweet and heavy (the cream itself is mostly made with the lighter almond milk) and it contains a lot less gelatin than the original wobbly dessert.”
The separate components of this recipe can be made a day in advance. Wait to assemble the final dish until just before serving.
Asif asked chefs around the country for their modern interpretation of the nostalgic Bavarian cream dessert that was popular in Israel in the 1980s. Explore all of the recipes here.
1⅔ cup (400 grams) high quality almond milk (or rice-almond milk)
¾ cup (200 ml) heavy cream, 38-42% fat
5 (125 grams) egg yolks
½ cup + 1 tablespoon (110 grams) sugar
1½ cups (375 ml) cold heavy cream
2 teaspoons bitter almond extract (available online and at select spice shops)
For the Orange Base:
120 grams raw whole almonds, unpeeled
2 cups (480 ml) blood orange juice
For the Mixed Nuts Praline Sauce:
1 cup (70 grams) walnuts
½ cup (50 grams) pecans
1⅓ cup (180 grams) hazelnuts
½ cup (90 grams) sugar
½ vanilla pod
1 teaspoon Atlantic sea salt
To serve:
4 blood oranges, cut into supremes (peeled segments)
¼ cup (60 ml) strawberry balsamic glaze (available at selected delis)
Preparation
Prepare the Bavarian cream: Mix the water and gelatin in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove and cut into large cubes.
Place the almond milk and ¾ cup (200ml) heavy cream in a pot over a medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Simultaneously, beat the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl.
Gradually and while continuously mixing, pour the hot milk into the yolks (make sure to do this slowly otherwise the yolks will cook). Return the mixture to the pot and cook over a medium-low heat, stirring continuously until the cream thickens (it’s best to use a spatula that can reach all parts of the pot). The mixture is thick enough when running a finger on its surface leaves a “path.” (You can test this by coating the back of a spoon with the mixture and running your finger across it, if it leaves a path behind, it is ready.) Alternatively, if you have a candy thermometer, the cream is ready when it reaches a temperature of 180°F / 82°C. Remove immediately from the heat and strain through a sieve into a clean bowl.
Add the gelatin and mix until smooth. Cool, occasionally stirring, until the mixture reaches body temperature (when inserting a finger, the mixture should not feel hot).
Place the 1½ cups (375ml) heavy cream and almond extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip at medium speed until the cream is the texture of thick yogurt. Fold a quarter of the cream to the yolk mixture and mix until incorporated. Repeat this step with the remaining cream, one quarter at a time.
Pour into a pan or a plastic container, cover the surface of the cream with cling film and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Prepare the blood orange soup: Cook the orange juice in a small pot over a medium heat for about 10 minutes. Cool.
Prepare the almond crumbs: Preheat the oven to 325°F / 160°C. Spread the almonds in an even layer on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes. Cool and chop coarsely. Set aside.
Meanwhile, prepare the mixed nuts praline sauce: Preheat the oven to 325°F / 160°C. Spread the nuts in an even layer on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes. Cool
Place the sugar in a pot over a medium heat and cook until the sugar melts and caramelizes. Remove from the heat, add vanilla and salt, mix lightly and pour over the roasted nuts. Cool. When the caramel hardens completely, break into pieces, place in a food processor and grind to a runny paste.
To serve: Place a large spoonful of Bavarian cream in serving bowls. Pour about 2 tablespoons of the blood orange soup on top. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar and praline sauce, then garnish with orange supremes and toasted almond crumbs.
