Pastry
Description
Making sliced pastries “Red and White” is easy for any homemaker. They look festive and elegant, and they taste delicious too. If you are preparing them for a buffet table, you can keep the slices quite minimalist—sweet-toothed ladies watching their figures will surely appreciate that. In fact, you can use any cream for these pastries that is stable and holds its shape well.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare the ingredients.
- 2
Step 2
Beat softened butter, a pinch of salt, and granulated sugar (or powdered sugar) until light and fluffy.
- 3
Step 3
Add the two eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- 4
Step 4
Mix the flour, baking powder and cocoa; add one third of the mixture to the batter and whisk.
- 5
Step 5
Pour kefir into the dough (or ryazhenka, plain Greek yogurt), then whisk again.
- 6
Step 6
Add the flour again, whisk, then add the remaining kefir.
- 7
Step 7
Pour in the vegetable oil, add the remaining flour, and whisk again until smooth.
- 8
Step 8
Add food coloring and whisk until the dough is an even color.
- 9
Step 9
Prepare 2 sheets of parchment paper for baking two layers. On the reverse side of the parchment, draw an outline the size of an A4 sheet. Divide the dough into 2 parts. Transfer the dough (approximately 340 grams) into a disposable piping bag and pipe thick stripes onto the outline marked on the parchment.
- 10
Step 10
Using a spatula or silicone spatula, spread the dough evenly. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees and bake on the top-and-bottom setting for 12 minutes. While the first layer is baking, prepare the second layer for baking in the same way.
- 11
Step 11
Using a ruler, trim the uneven edges of each cake layer, then split each layer into two parts. Cool completely.
- 12
Step 12
Place the trimmings from two cake layers in the blender.
- 13
Step 13
Grind until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
- 14
Step 14
To make the cream, whip chilled cream until light and fluffy.
- 15
Step 15
Add the powdered sugar and beat again.
- 16
Step 16
Add cream cheese and beat until thick and creamy. You may chill it in the refrigerator for 1 hour to stabilize.
- 17
Step 17
Spread the cake layer with strawberry purée.
- 18
Step 18
Apply the frosting. You can do this with a silicone spatula, but it is better to use the same technique as when baking the cake layers—that is, transfer the frosting into a piping bag, pipe it onto the layer in stripes, and smooth it out.
- 19
Step 19
If you like, sprinkle the cream layer with freeze-dried strawberries.
- 20
Step 20
Repeat the procedure with each cake layer; the top layer should be cream.
- 21
Step 21
Sprinkle the top with prepared sponge cake crumbs and refrigerate for 3–4 hours, or overnight. That way the layers absorb better and the cream sets.
- 22
Step 22
With a sharp knife, cut into serving-sized pieces of whatever size you prefer. Each time after making a cut, wipe the knife with a napkin; the cut should be even and clean.
- 23
Step 23
Pour tea and coffee and enjoy a very tasty and lovely strawberry-flavored pastry, thanks to soaking in strawberry purée.