FAB Boston Cream Pie!


Although many early recipes are very simple, they give us a glimpse into another world -- as did Thomas Jefferson's 'Macaroni and Cheese'. You can buy this book or a modern version .	1879 - In the cookbook, Housekeeping in Old Virginia by Marion Cabell Tyree, is a recipe for Boston Cream Cakes: Boston Cream Cakes: 2 cups of flour 1 1/2 cups of water 1 cup butter 5 eggs Boil the butter and water together, stir in the flour while boiling; after it is cool, add the eggs, well beaten. Put a large spoonful in muffin rings, and bake twenty minutes in a hot oven. The cream for them is made as follows: Put over the fire one cup of milk and not quite a cup of sugar, one egg, mixed with three teaspoonfuls of corn starch and one tablespoonful of butter. Boil a few moments only. When cool, add vanilla to the taste. Open the cakes and fill them with this cream.
Family Stories of Boston Cream Pie! Sometimes I am a bit surprised when someone I know well has a special fondness for some culinary marvel that I am completely unaware. Two stories reminded me of how people we know for all of our or their lives can surprise us! My wife Laura related to me that her mother would meet her for lunch at her grade school about once a month. This act of kindness impressed me. Then Laura went on to say that her mother had a great fondness for Boston Cream Pie and that once a month the school's cafeteria served it. Hmmmmm Our West Point Daughter Kristin and her mother were discussing meals while Kristin attended West Point and they were both surprised that they shared a love of this wonderful dessert. Obviously, I had to make it for them! This recipe has few if any shortcuts and made with a yummy white chocolate cake and a cream filling reminiscent of the finest éclairs!
*GLAZE Chocolate Icing* Put into a sugar pan (copper) ¼ lb of milk chocolate and let it soften by the oven and dilute it with 1/2 cup of warm syrup at 16 degrees or water… then add to it some icing sugar (confectioners) until the proper consistency

Setting out some of the ingredients for the Boston Cream Pie (Cake) makes it all the easier in the preparation!	With the 'flexible' recipe at hand.... and the standard 9" pie plate we made a cutout (not of parchment) but from a white bag sprayed with PAM... seems to work better than butter.... hmmmm
The White Chocolate & Amarula Cake Cake ingredients: 7 ounces Lindt white chocolate 1 1/4 cups bread flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons butter softened 2/3 cups sugar 3 large eggs 1 teaspoon Amarula 1/2 cup whole milk

a little Amarula Liquor makes all the difference!	one egg at a time!
For cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 1 9-inch round cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Butter (PAM) 1 9-inch paper rounds and place in pans, buttered side up. Add to flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl 1. Soften white chocolate in microwave. Place into a bowl 2. Mix softened butter and sugar in until well blended and then add the softened chocolate. Add eggs 1 at a time (total of three), beating well. Add in Amarula. Add dry ingredients and milk to white chocolate mixture. (Mix in gradually to avoid clumping) Pour into pan, smoothing top with spatula. Bake cakes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 20 minutes (cakes will fall). Run small sharp knife around cake pan sides. Turn cakes out onto cardboard round … peel off paper. Turn cake right side up and cool completely.
	The white chocolate cake and Amarula cake batter is delicious... but save it for the pan!

Pastry cream with vanilla (Crème Patisserie a la Vanille)

The finished White Chocolate Cake! Smells wondrous! Tastes even better!	Some of the old recipes require weight measurement... don't forget your handy kitchen scale!

Separating the eggs... I guess we'll have some egg whites for an omelet?	Mixing the egg yolks with the sugar & corn starch! A little effort here makes all the difference.
STEP 1) Combine 5 egg yolks and 1 cups Baker's sugar and 1 oz. cornstarch or fecula

Bringing the cream to a boil! See all the vanilla bean flakes?	Pouring the egg mixture into the boiling cream... set aside to mix
Step 2) Mix the ingredients together and dilute with a 2 cups of boiling heavy whipping cream (having infused 1 vanilla stick)* * if you slit the stick three quarters through and open, you will find that much more Vanilla flavor is released as well as a nice speckling of the custard (Ice Cream manufacturers love to do this thing)

On to the second boil! Stirring constantly until thickens!	The custard is done... refrigerate... and use when ready!
Step 3) Stir continually over the fire until it thickens and is ready to boil… then pour into a container, refrigerate to use when needed.
ASSEMBLY

Peal off the paper	Slice the cake in half

place the filling between the layers cover	enrobe your cake with your milk chocolate mixture
*Enjoy!* *Kristin & Laura, I hope you enjoy this as much as I had developing it for you!*

	This is not a low calorie dessert. In fact I would venture that you are investing all of your fat 'shares' for the next year in one small piece of this exquisite treat! However, the question you have to ask.... is it worth it? My answer is YES!!! It does freeze well and if you portion it out accordingly... it can be a delightful finale' to any successful meal! Roger PS. serving size is 1/12th of the pie!
a great time requires a perfect dessert!!!