“We define ourselves as an American [steakhouse], so there are no options for weight watchers on our dessert menu,” laughs Gal Dotan, pastry chef of Tel Aviv’s B12 restaurant. The classic dessert forms the basis, and the addition of a caramel sauce and meringue adds richness and crunch. “We have no desire to over complicate matters, only to serve well-made classic dishes,” he adds. The cream can be prepared a day in advance.
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.
75 grams (5½ tablespoons) butter, softened and cut into cubes
Pinch of salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the meringue:
2 egg whites
Pinch of salt
¼ cup (60 grams) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons (60 grams) powdered sugar
To serve:
¾ cup (65 grams) roughly chopped walnuts
Preparation
Prepare the cream: Place the water in a bowl, sprinkle the gelatin powder, mix well and set aside.
Bring the milk and ½ cup heavy cream to a boil. In a separate bowl, beat the yolks and sugar. Slowly and while continuously stirring, pour a third of the hot milk mixture into the yolks. Add the remaining milk to the mixture, mix well and return to the pot.
Cook over a low-medium heat, stirring continuously with a spatula that can reach all parts of the pot, until the mixture thickens. 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.)
Remove immediately from the heat and strain through a sieve into a clean bowl. Mix in the gelatin until it dissolves in the mixture, then cool to body temperature, about 40 minutes (when inserting a finger, the mixture should not feel hot).
Place the remaining 1 cup heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Start at a low speed, gradually increasing to medium-high speed, until the cream reaches soft peaks. Fold into the cooled egg and milk mixture. Transfer to a baking dish or divide between 8 serving bowls, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Prepare the caramel sauce: Place the sugar, heavy cream, butter and salt in a pot and mix well. Cook over a medium heat, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla extract and refrigerate.
Prepare the meringue: Preheat the oven to 175°F / 80°C. Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting at a low speed, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt, and gradually increase the speed until you reach soft peaks. Gradually and while continuously mixing, add the sugar. Add the vanilla extract and beat to stiff peaks. Add the powdered sugar.
Transfer the meringue to a baking tray lined with parchment paper and smooth to an even layer. Bake until the meringue separates from the paper easily and is completely dry, about 3 hours. Cool and break into pieces.
To serve: Sprinkle meringue crumbs on the Bavarian cream, drizzle caramel sauce on top and sprinkle with walnuts.
