This DiabetesIQ content is fact-checked and expert-reviewed to ensure strict editorial guidelines. Our content is evidence-based and provides objective analysis while maintaining the highest editorial standards in accordance with our integrity policy.
Recipe Details:
A gâteau St. Honoré is a French cake that originated 19th century and was named after Saint Honoré, who was the French patron saint of pastry chefs and bakers. The cake features balls of choux pastry, layers of puff pastry, and pastry cream. There are many different variations of this case. Here we provide the more diabetes-friendly version of it.
Step 1 Make the pâte à choux (cream puffs). In a medium saucepan, bring the butter, sweetener and salt for the cream puffs, and 1 cup of water to a boil over medium heat. Step 2 Remove the saucepan from the heat and add 1 cup and 2 tbsp. of flour. Use a wooden spoon to stir until the dough comes together in a smooth ball. That will take about about 5 minutes. Step 3 Add the 4 eggs one at a time, stirring well after adding each egg. Step 4 Now, make the egg wash. For that, whisk together 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water in a bowl. Step 5 Preheat oven to 400 F. Cover a baking sheet with baking paper. Step 6 Put the ready dough in a pastry bag fitted with a large round piping tip. Then squeeze 2” balls onto the prepared baking sheet lined with baking paper. Step 7 Gently brush the top of each cream puff with the just prepared egg wash using a pastry brush. After that, save about 2 tbsp. of the dough in the piping bag, and set it aside in the fridge. Step 8 Bake the cream puffs until they are puffed up, which will take about 10 minutes. Then, reduce the heat in the oven to 325 F and keep baking the cream puffs until they become golden brown. That may take about 20 more minutes. When the cream puffs are ready, put them on a wire rack to cool completely. Step 9 Now, let’s make the puff pastry. Combine 2.5 cups of flour and 1 tsp. of salt in a large bowl. Add the chilled cubes of butter (2 tbsp.) and mix them into the flour mixture with your hands, until the butter gets crumbly and there are no remaining large chunks left (similarly to making pie dough). Step 10 Carefully add in some cold water, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture forms a shaggy dough. Step 11 Cover your work surface with flour and put the dough on it, then roll the dough into a rectangle. Step 12 Grate one half of the frozen stick of butter over the bottom two-thirds of the dough rectangle. Then, fold down the top third of the dough rectangle. After that, fold the bottom third up over it, as if you are making an envelope. Step 13 Rotate your dough envelope 90 degrees so the spine of the dough envelop is on your left (resembling a book). After that, roll the dough out into another rectangle. Step 14 Grate the rest of the butter over the bottom two-thirds again, and repeat the folding as you just did. Then, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Step 15 When you’re ready to make the cake (gateau), preheat the oven to 400 F and cover a baking sheet with baking paper. Step 16 Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it into a ⅛” thick round disk. Puncture the surface of the dough with a fork several times. Step 17 Place the puff pastry dough on the baking sheet. Remove the piping bag with the remaining cream puffs dough (choux pastry) from the fridge, and pipe a line of the cream puffs dough around the outer edge of the top of the puff pastry to create an edge. Step 18 Bake the puff pastry until it is golden brown. That may take around 25 minutes. Then, take the ready pastry out of the oven, and set it aside to cool. Step 19 Now, it’s time to fill the cream puff balls with the sugar-free whipped cream. To do that, as soon as your cream puffs are cool, slice each cream puff shell in half and pipe the whipped cream into each half of the cream puff shells. After that, put the cream puff halves together. Step 20 Now, let’s make the pastry cream. Bring the milk and half of the sweetener for pastry cream to a boil in a large pot, over medium heat. Slowly stir the mixture to avoid scorching the bottom of the pot. Step 21 In a large bowl, combine together and whisk the other half of the sweetener for pastry cream with the 9 egg yolks. (Do this step straightaway to prevent the yolks from “burning” on contact with the sweetener.) Stir in the potato starch until smooth, then slowly whisk in a half a cup of the warm milk and sweetener mixture, stirring until combined evenly. Step 22 While stirring, pour the egg and milk mixture back into the pot of milk. While stirring constantly, heat the mixture until it thickens on low-medium heat. It may take approx. 3 minutes to thicken the mixture. After that, cook for 2 extra minutes. Step 23 Remove the mixture from the heat before too much water evaporates. (It will continue to thicken as it cools.) Look for the foam on the top of the cream to start disappearing. – That shows that the cream is almost ready. Step 24 Allow the cream to cool to room temperature, whisking it once in a while. Then, add in the 8 tbsp. of cubed butter for pastry cream and whisk until everything is combined evenly. The pastry cream should be smooth and rich, with a pale yellow color and a glossy texture. Step 25 Cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap pressed up against the surface of the pastry cream to prevent skin from forming, and place it in the fridge to chill for half an hour. Step 26 Now, let’s assemble the cake. In a small saucepan, warm the sugar-free caramel. Then dip the bottom of each cream puff ball in caramel and put the balls on top of the puff pastry, forming a ring of cream puff balls around the edge. Step 27 Fill a piping bag with the pastry cream and squeeze the pastry cream onto the puff pastry base, filling the spaces between the cream puff balls. Step 28 Drizzle the cream puff balls with extra caramel. Your Gâteau St. Honoré is ready. Now, slice it, serve, and enjoy!
Do you have any questions about your diabetes condition or general questions about diabetes? You can now post those questions in DiabetesIQ Forum and have our diabetes experts answer your questions for FREE! Yes, there is absolutely no catch! - Registration only takes a few seconds and it's FREE. No credit card needed. You can ask any number of diabetes questions, all for FREE! Register today and join the conversation!
3,907
