# Infusing cream with fruits?



## inomthings (Nov 21, 2011)

We have a case of pre-baked sweet tart shells (3.5 in) that was ordered accidentally - a buck a pop, no refunds! - and are trying to figure out a way to use them up.

We've already tried tarte tatins and frangipane tarts, but... They were no bueno. My sous chef and I are thinking something like an apple infused pastry cream with apple compote, since the tart shells are incredibly dry. 

Other options I've already tried but were no-gos:
1) pastry cream with Sour Apple Pucker. Good but not apple-y enough.

2) custard cream made with milk infused with rum-soaked apples. Gross, and again, not apple-y enough. 

Just trying to rack up some ideas on how to go about this...

1) chop up apples and let them simmer in cream (and make a pastry cream out of that)? We do this often with our flavored creamstuffs (e.g., cereal milk ice cream), but I'm not sure if it would work with fruits.

2) make apple compote and whip it into pastry cream? (would that even hold?)

3) make an apple juice agar, puree it, and then whip into pastry cream? (which would lead to the concern in option 2...)

Thoughts? Sage advice for a fledgling pastry cook?


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

Though these are phyllo based, http://athensfoods.com/consumers/recipes.aspx might give you some ideas, the Pepperidge Farm Puff pastry website kept giving me a server error though, if it works, might have some additional ideas



inomthings said:


> We have a case of pre-baked sweet tart shells (3.5 in) that was ordered accidentally - a buck a pop, no refunds! - and are trying to figure out a way to use them up.''


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## jcakes (Feb 18, 2007)

I did the same thing; they were Hafner shells and I ended up making an apple filling (IQF and fresh apples baked with cinnamon and sugar), putting it the tart shell and sprinkling with streusel.  You can also make apple snow, a very old dessert which is basically applesauce mixed into meringue and use that to fill the shells, with an apple compote on the side...


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## inomthings (Nov 21, 2011)

JCakes said:


> You can also make apple snow, a very old dessert which is basically applesauce mixed into meringue and use that to fill the shells, with an apple compote on the side...


sounds eeeeenteresting...


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## nightscotsman (Sep 23, 2011)

I would try reducing good quality apple cider by 3/4 and using that to flavor a custard or pastry cream. Some cinnamon and nutmeg would be nice, too.


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## jesticfood (Nov 29, 2011)

The apple snow sounds lovely - a bit like filling the shells with Eton Mess or a broken Pavlova.

I've been researching ice cream making and infusing fruits into the base for ice cream - making an egg custard and then straining fruit pulp into it seems to be the common thought on the matter, although I haven't personally tried it yet. The custard could then be whipped and piped into the shells and left to set or even freeze? You could serve with a compote on the side/streaked through the middle to prevent dryness.


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