Baskets with Coffee Cream

The baskets with coffee cream are a delicious dessert that combines the crispiness of shortcrust pastry baskets with the softness of a coffee-flavored cream. Here is the Italian recipe to prepare them:

Ingredients

• For the shortcrust pastry baskets:

  • 250 g of type 00 flour
  • 125 g of room temperature butter
  • 100 g of icing sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 pinch of salt

• For the coffee cream:

  • 250 ml of milk
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 70 g of sugar
  • 20 g of type 00 flour or cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons of instant coffee or a small cup of strong espresso coffee
  • 1 tablespoon of coffee liqueur (optional)

Preparation

1. Start with the shortcrust pastry: cream the softened butter with icing sugar until you get a creamy mixture. Add the egg and salt, then gradually incorporate the flour, working the dough until it becomes smooth and homogeneous.
2. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
3. In the meantime, prepare the coffee cream: Mix the yolks with the sugar until you get a frothy mixture. Add the sifted flour and mix well. Heat the milk until it almost boils and then pour it slowly over the yolk, sugar, and flour mixture, continuing to stir.
4. Put everything back on the fire and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously until the cream thickens. Dissolve the instant coffee in a tablespoon of hot water and incorporate it into the cream. If you are using coffee liqueur, add it now. Let the cream cool, covering it with cling film to touch to prevent a “skin” from forming.
5. Heat the oven to 180 °C. Roll out the shortcrust pastry into a thin layer and line the basket (or muffin) molds previously buttered and floured.
6. Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
7. Once cool, fill the shortcrust pastry baskets with the coffee cream and serve.

Curiosity

The shortcrust pastry baskets are a versatile dessert that can be filled with various types of cream. The coffee cream makes them particularly suitable as the end of a meal or to accompany a good afternoon coffee. Their elegant presentation also makes them perfect for a buffet or a formal dinner.