Our obsession with pandan is almost unparalleled. We love everything about it—the Pandanus amaryllifolius plant it comes from, the green hue it gives to dishes, and the sense of whimsy it inspires in people clearly eating with their eyes. We are but simple subjects of this alluring substitute for vanilla in Southeast Asia. Inspired by a former cook of ours, we decided to make it so we could alliteratively say we served Pandan Profiteroles . . . oh, and also because they’re delish! #pandan4ever
2–4 SERVINGS
2 tablespoons plus 6 tablespoons cold water
2 tablespoons powdered gelatin
2 cups heavy whipping cream
4 large egg yolks
2 cups milk
½ cup sugar
1 pinch kosher salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon pandan extract
BALLS OUT
40–80 SERVINGS
1¼ cups plus 3¾ cups cold water
1¼ cups powdered gelatin
5 quarts heavy whipping cream
40 large egg yolks
5 quarts milk
5 cups sugar
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
3⅓ tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2½ teaspoons pandan extract
1. Add 2 tablespoons cold water to a bowl large enough to hold all the water in this recipe; sprinkle in gelatin and whisk until gelatin dissolves. Let it sit for 5 minutes, or until mixture gels.
2. Next, bring the remainder of the water to a simmer in a pot over medium-high heat. Once it simmers, remove from heat and pour this water into the gelatin mix bowl. Whisk until fully incorporated. Set aside.
3. Pour heavy cream into another bowl and whisk until stiff peaks of whipped cream start to form. Cover and refrigerate.
4. Beat egg yolks in a separate bowl, large enough to hold the eggs and milk. Set aside.
5. Next, heat milk, sugar, and salt in a new pot/pan on medium heat, whisking occasionally, until milk starts to steam. Then slowly combine that milk mix in the bowl of beaten egg yolks and whisk till completely mixed in. Pour back into the pot and bring to a simmer over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
6. Remove from heat. Now stir in the dissolved gelatin, vanilla extract, and pandan extract to start forming the Bavarian cream.
7. Strain Bavarian cream mixture twice through a chinois or fine mesh sieve and pour into a bowl. Next, fill one-third of a large bowl with ice water. (This bowl needs to be large enough to hold the water and the bowl full of the Bavarian cream without spilling over.) Gently nestle the Bavarian cream bowl in the ice water bath, making sure the ice water doesn’t overflow into the cream. With a hand mixer or by hand, beat the cream until it cools and starts to thicken. Then gently fold the refrigerated whipped cream into the Bavarian cream by adding large glops of whipped cream and folding them in, one at a time.
Store, cover, and refrigerate for 3 hours, pipe it into the profiteroles, your favorite pastries, or enjoy however you want.
Starry Kitchen is the Ultimate Move by My Wife to Shut Me the Fuck Up!
—KITCHEN NINJA
