Fruit Baluchons

Another recipe clipped from our local newspaper - waiting on my desk until I found the perfect fruit to use. Today, in the grocery store, there they were - fresh peaches just in from Idaho. I love Washington peaches but these must be the next best thing (Please don't hate me, my Georgia peach friends)! The recipe is from a charming new French cafe and patisserie in town they we enjoy, called Le Rêve (The Dream). I love that name!

The Idaho peaches were so sweet and good! It was all I could do to save enough slices for the recipe. This will make a wonderful weekend breakfast treat also!

The crème pâtissière is placed first on a square of thawed puff pastry followed by slices of fresh fruit.

All bundled up, brushed with egg and milk, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and into the oven they go.

The crème pâtissière was such a delightful surprise. These will be great for breakfast tomorrow!

Fruit Baluchons

Recipe Courtesy of Le Rêve Patisserie & Café

Makes 8 servings
Printable Recipe

Crème pâtissière (see recipe) or vanilla pudding made per box instructions
1 package (2 sheets) puff pastry, thawed
Stone fruit (plums, peaches, apricots), pits removed, and fruit cut into wedges
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk or whipping cream
4 tablespoon sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Make pastry cream and chill.

Using cold puff pastry, cut each sheet into four (4½-inch) squares, 1/8 inch thick. In center of each square, place 2 to 3 tablespoons chilled pastry cream and about ¼ cup plums or other seasonal fruit. Bring the four corners into the middle and gently press together (no need to seal tightly). Refrigerate at least 10 minutes.

Remove from refrigerator and brush with egg wash made of 1 yolk mixed with the 2 tablespoons milk or cream. Sprinkle baluchons with cinnamon-sugar and bake in preheated oven 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream, or use as breakfast pastry the next morning.

Crème pâtissière (I would highly recommend using this recipe instead of vanilla pudding – it’s wonderful!)

1 cup whole milk
1 vanilla bean (or 1 tablespoon extract)
¼ cup sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon butter

Place milk in medium saucepan over medium heat. Split and scrape the vanilla bean, and add bean to pan along with scrapings. Bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, in separate bowl, beat together sugar, cornstarch and yolks until mixture turns pale yellow. Gradually pour milk into yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Return mixture to medium heat and whisk continually until mixture thickens and just comes to a boil being careful not to let it get too thick. Remove from heat, and whisk in butter. Remove vanilla bean. Pour cream into a bowl, and place plastic wrap directly over the cream. This will prevent a skin from forming while the cream cools. Place in refrigerator to cool.

Note: These freeze well, so you can make them when fruit is at the peak of its season and enjoy them in the middle of winter.