Tulipes aux Trois Fruits Rouges

Biscuit Tulips with Fresh Red Berries

image of tulipes aux trois fruits rouge



SERVES 6

No, the French don't eat tulips for dessert. The "tulips" referred to in the title of this recipe are delicious wafer-like cups made by moulding thin round biscuits as soon as they come from the oven. They can be filled simply with fresh fruit and Chantilly cream or with a mixture of ice cream, sorbet and fresh fruit.

Making the tulips requires a certain amount of dexterity, and the chef must work quickly, otherwise the pastry becomes brittle and can no longer be shaped into a cup as described. Once they are made, however, they keep well if protected from humidity. The most difficult part of this dessert, the tulips, can therefore be prepared in advance and simply filled and served at the very last minute.

TULIP MIXTURE
60 g (2 oz) butter, softened
90 ml (6 tbsp) icing sugar
2 egg whites at room temperature
45 g (1.5 oz) flour, sifted
Few drops vanilla essence

CHANTILLY CREAM
150 ml (5 fl oz) double cream
15 ml (I tbsp) icing sugar
Few drops vanilla essence

225 g (8 oz) stvawberries
225 g (8 oz) redcurrants
225 g (8 oz) raspberries
45 g (1.5z oz) sugar

Butter, softened, for baking sheet

EQUIPMENT: 4 small brioche moulds or ramekins, piping bag, small star icing tube

Preheat the oven to 200'C (400'F) mark 6. Brush a baking sheet with the softened butter.

Prepare the tulip mixture: beat the softened butter with a whisk or electric mixer until creamy. Add the icing sugar and beat until well blended. Lightly whisk the egg whites in a bowl and then whisk them gradually into the butter and sugar mixture. Add the sifted flour and vanilla and whisk just until blended; do not overmix. Leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Have ready the 4 brioche moulds or ramekins for shaping the tulips.

Spoon 15 ml (1 tbsp) of mixture onto the baking sheet. Dip a spoon into cold water and use the back of the spoon to spread the mound of mixture into a round about 12.5 cm (5 inches) in diameter. Repeat to make another tulip on the baking sheet (see technique photograph 1).

Reduce the oven temperature to 180 C (350 F) mark 4 and bake the tulips for about 5 minutes, until golden brown. Shape the tulips: (they must be shaped while still hot, before hardening) open the oven door and pull the baking sheet halfway out. Starting with the more coloured, remove the tulips one at a time with a palette knife and press each into a mould to form a neat "dish" with a flat bottom. Then place a second mould over the "dish", inside the first, and press gently to shape (see technique photograph 2). If the tulips cool and become too brittle to shape, return to the oven for 30 seconds. Leave to cool in the moulds for 2 minutes. Then remove from the moulds and set aside. Increase the oven temperature to 200 C (400 F) mark 6 and repeat until the batter is finished. Scrape and butter the baking sheet in between each batch. Reduce the oven temperature to 180 C (350 F) mark 4 immediately after a new batch is put in the oven.

Chill a mixing bowl for the Chantilly cream.

Not more than 1 hour before serving prepare the Chantilly cream: combine the cream and vanilla in the chilled bowl and beat with a whisk or electric beater until the cream begins to stiffen. Add the icing sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form and the cream clings to the whisk or beater. Fit the piping bag with the star tube and fill with the cream; refrigerate until serving time.

To serve, rinse, dry and hull the strawberries. Rinse, dry and stem the redcurrants. Combine the strawberries, redcurrants and raspberries in a bowl and toss with sugar. Place a tulip on each serving plate. Divide the fruit evenly among the tulips and decorate with rosettes of Chantilly cream.







copyright (c) 1991 Le Cordon Blue