Kremowka Papieska- Poland #94

Kremowka Papieska-Poland #94

This Polish cream cake dessert was renamed papal cream cake or kremowka papieska when it was learned St. Pope John Paul II loved it.  Kremoka Papieska has a creamy custard filing sandwiched between two pieces of puff pastry. It is topped with confectioners' sugar. To make your life easier use store bought puff pastry. It's similar to the French Napoleon. It is pretty easy and quick to make.

Pastry:

2 sheets puff pastry thawed. Store bought.

Pastry cream:

2 c. milk
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt
5 T. cornstarch
6 egg yolks, beaten
Garnish: confectioners' sugar

1.  Heat oven 400F.
2. Pastry:Roll out each piece of puff pastry slightly to blend the seam lines, keeping it 1/4 inch thick, try not to wrap the shape when rolling.
3. Without cutting all the way through, lightly score each pastry sheet into 9 even sections.  This is just a guide to be used when cutting and serving.
4. Sandwich each puff pastry sheet between 2 pieces of parchment paper and 2 cooling racks.  This will keep the pastry flat but still flaky.  
5.  Bake 15 minutes, remove top rack and top sheet of parchment paper.
6. Replace rack and continue to bake until golden and crispy throughout, about 15 more minutes.  Cool completely.
7. Pastry Cream:  In a medium saucepan, bring milk, sugar, vanilla, salt, cornstarch, and egg yolks to a boil, stirring constantly with a wire whisk.
8. Reduce heat slightly and continue to boil 1 minute, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to get in the corners.
9. Take the pan off the heat and plunge it into an ice-water bath or, if you have lumps, strain it through a sieve into a pan or heatproof bowl set in ice water.
10. Do not chill the pastry cream, it will be poured hot over the baked puff pastry.
11. Assemble:  Using a 13 X 9 inch pan as a mold, place one layer of cooked puff pastry in the bottom of the pan.
12. Pour hot pastry cream over it, and place the second layer of cooked puff pastry with the cutting-guide marks on top.
13. Refrigerate until set.  When ready to serve, using the pre-scored marks as guides, cut into 9 pieces.
14. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

Results: This was so easy to make, especially since I used store bought puff pastry. The cream filling was overcooked and lumpy, my fault.  I wasn't paying close enough attention.  I tried to strain it but it was so thick it wouldn't go through the sieve easily. I just spread it on the pastry the best I could. The cake didn't have a lot of flavor. I tried melting Nutello to drizzle on. I couldn't get the Nutello to melt at all. Has anyone every tried that before? That just ended up being a mess. So, I scratched that idea. I should have used chocolate. It definitely needed something. 

Bottom Line: Everyone liked it, lumps and all. Maybe I'll make it again. It's not off my list but it's hanging by a thread.  

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