“To me, Bavarian cream is a comforting dessert with subtle, fun flavors,” says Ranam Barhom, the chef at Reshta in Ein Rafa. “It may be a classic, but if it is to continue on its journey within the new Israeli cuisine, I believe the addition of local ingredients give it an edgy interpretation. So, I seasoned it with cardamom and anise, added almond crumble with warm spices and substituted the chocolate syrup with carob sauce.”
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.
Prepare the Bavarian cream: Place the milk and ground cardamom in a pot and bring to a gentle boil. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla. In another small bowl, mix the gelatin with 1 tablespoon of water and set aside.
Gradually and while continuously stirring, pour the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture. Return the mixture 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 begins to thicken. 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. Add the gelatin, mix until it dissolves into the mixture then cool to body temperature (when inserting a finger, the mixture should not feel hot).
Place the heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until the cream is the texture of a thick yogurt. Start at a low speed, gradually increasing to medium speed, until the cream is the desired thickness. Add the egg yolk mixture and mix well.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and a pinch of salt to stiff peaks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, starting at a low speed, gradually increasing to medium speed. Gently fold the meringue into the egg yolk mixture. Pour into a baking pan (or divide into individual bowls), cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Prepare the crumble: Preheat the oven to 350°F / 170°C degrees, and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Grind the almonds, cashews and flour in a food processor to a powder, taking care not to over-process the mixture. Add the remaining ingredients and process to a crumbly mixture. Evenly spread on the baking tray and bake until nicely golden, about 30 minutes. Cool.
Prepare the carob sauce: Heat the heavy cream and spices in a small pot over a low heat, occasionally stirring, for about 10 minutes. Take care not to burn the cream, it should only absorb the spice aromas. Add the sugar and stir until fully dissolved. Strain and return to the pot.
Increase the heat and gradually stir in the carob molasses and melted butter, taking care not to boil the sauce. Cool.
To serve: Spoon the cream into serving bowls, drizzle the carob molasses on top and sprinkle the crumble.
