I love flavours that are on the acidic side. I love lots of vinegar in my salad dressing and squeeze lemon or lime on just about everything. I am always searching out balance of flavour in my baking and that usually means adding a little acidity. Most fruits have acidicidy, so if you are like me, fruit-based baked goods and desserts are probably your favourite. Their flavour is perfect at the end of a meal – refreshing and bright. They balance the sweetness of sugar and the richness of cream. They remind you of exactly where we are in the world and at what time of year. In the UK, while we are waiting for strawberries and then stone fruits to come, spring ushers in passion fruit and mangoes from India and Pakistan.
The colour palette of the seasons provides the inspiration for our buttercreams at Violet Bakery and so much of the baking I do at home. As we move deeper into spring, leaving behind the deep reds of blood oranges and the shocking pink of rhubarb, we get a burst of yellow from our tropical imports just as the daffodils fade and the trees sprout their first green leaves.
Passion fruit makes a beautiful alternative to lemon in a curd. It has a similar acidity and enough flavour to stand up to those rich egg yolks. I love to lighten it with cream as a filling for a cute and slightly different cream puff.
Passion fruit curd
Makes 1 jar
10 egg yolks
150g passion fruit juice, strained (about 10 fruit)
200g caster sugar
⅛ tsp fine sea salt
150g unsalted butter, cut into 1cm dice
1 Combine the egg yolks, passion fruit juice, sugar and salt in a heavy-based saucepan. Set over a gentle heat, then whisk constantly until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
2 Remove from the heat, then immediately add the butter, one piece at a time, stirring until smooth. I like to use a heatproof spatula for this.
3 Strain the curd into a small bowl. Cover the surface with clingfilm and chill for around 2 hours, or until set.
Passion fruit cream puffs
Makes about 12
For the puffs
240g water
120g unsalted butter
½ tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp caster sugar
140g plain flour
4 large eggs, plus one for egg wash
For the filling
300g passion fruit curd (see above)
300g double cream
Icing sugar, for dusting
1 Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Line a large baking sheet, or two smaller ones, with parchment.
2 In a heavy-based saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the eggs. Heat over a medium flame and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for a few minutes until the mixture comes together and makes a film on the bottom of the pot. Transfer to a bowl and let it cool for a couple of minutes.
3 Start adding eggs, one at a time, stirring thoroughly after each addition. The mixture will seem slimy and like the eggs won’t incorporate, but continue stirring and they will.
4 Once all of the eggs have been added, use two spoons to scoop the mixture on to your prepared baking trays. Use one spoon to get a golf-ball size blob of dough, then use the other to scrape it off and on to your baking sheet. Space them about 4cm apart. Brush each one with egg wash and put into the oven.
5 Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden and puffed. Let the puffs cool completely on the sheet. I like to use a bamboo skewer to pierce them as they come out of the oven, releasing steam. When you are ready to use them, make a hole in the bottom with a small paring knife.
6 Put the curd in a large bowl and set aside. Whip the cream to soft peaks (so that it is about the same consistency as the curd) and fold the two together.
7 Fill a piping bag with the passion fruit cream and pipe the puff until it feels heavy. Dust with icing sugar and serve right away.
- Claire Ptak is an author and food stylist and owns Violet Bakery in London. She is the author of the Violet Bakery Cookbook (Square Peg); @violetcakeslondon
