Green tea custard scrolls
What is it they say about April showers that seems to apply to Sydney at the moment? We are awash with neverending rain and gloomy skies that make me want to stay rugged up all day, nibbling pastries and sipping tea.
April is usually one of my favourite times of the year, what with the many hot cross buns I have already put away (straight onto my hips). At school, April was the time we exchanged Easter eggs, made plans to meet up during the holidays, and talked endlessly about the showbags we were going to get at the Royal Easter Show. This year is made even more exciting by the impending visit of my sister and her family from New Zealand. It’s been awhile since I last saw my little nieces. We are planning to take them (and B) to their first ever Show, and I expect I’ll be sharing pictures of our day spent there, in the near future.
In the meantime, this weather has put me in the mood for a little baking. These brioche scrolls were inspired by a delicious matcha and adzuki bean danish we had at Sadaharu Aoki’s patisserie when we were last in Tokyo. I spread a very generous layer of green tea custard on the brioche dough, scattered some chopped candied ginger and white chocolate on top, then rolled up the dough and portioned it into 12 pieces. These scrolls are incredibly good, straight from the oven, when the custard is still warm and slightly oozy. I had two just while standing there, supervising them as they cooled the rack.
Raquel of Growing Up Green recently passed on an award to me. As thanks, I am dedicating these green tea custard scrolls to her.
Green Tea Custard Scrolls :
(makes 12)
Brioche :
(based on a recipe in Gourmet Traveller Sept 2006)
80ml milk
5g dried yeast
300g plain flour
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
100g unsalted butter, softened
250 – 300g green tea custard (recipe below)
optional extras : sweetened adzuki beans, chopped candied ginger or white chocolate buttons etc
Warm the milk in a saucepan (to about blood temperature), add the yeast and whisk until yeast dissolves. Stir in 30g flour and stand for 10 minutes or until foamy.
Combine remaining flour, sugar and 1/2 teaspoons sea salt in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix for 2 minutes on lowest setting. Pour in yeast mixture and egg, mixing until it just comes together [Note: Add a splash more milk if the dough is looking too dry]. Increase speed to medium, add butter a little at a time, then increase speed to high and mix for 5 minutes or until smooth. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, cover with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place for 1 hour.
Turn brioche dough onto a lightly floured surface, knock back, then knead lightly until smooth. Roll out a 20cm x 55cm rectangle, then, with the long side facing you, spread evenly with green tea custard, leaving a 2cm border on the far long side. Scatter any optional extras you want on top of the custard. Roll into a cylinder, then cut into 12 even pieces and place, cut-side down, closely on a baking paper-lined oven tray and stand for 10 minutes or until risen. Bake at 180’C for 30 minutes or until light golden.
While still warm, brush lightly with a little apricot glaze. When cooled, dust with more green tea powder or icing sugar.
Green tea custard :
(based on a recipe from Pastry : Savory and Sweet by Michel Roux)
[Note: This recipe yields more custard than you need for the scrolls. You can cut the recipe by half, or make the full recipe and use the custard in other ways – as a filling for crepes, for example]
6 yolks
125g sugar
20g plain flour
20g custard powder
500ml milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons green tea (maccha/matcha) powder (or more, if you like it stronger)
In an electric mixer, whisk yolks and a third of the sugar until very thick and pale. Whisk in flour, custard powder and green tea powder.
Heat the milk with the remaining sugar and vanilla. When it boils, pour it onto the egg yolk mixture. Mix well, then return to the stove. Bring to boil, stirring continuously with a whisk. Let it simmer for two minutes, stirring, then strain the custard into a bowl. Place some cling film over the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Allow to cool completely before using.
(The best way to rapidly chill down the custard is by placing the bowl in an iced water bath. This custard can be made ahead, and kept in the fridge for several days before using.)
Lorraine @NotQuiteNigella said,
April 1, 2009 @ 1:39 pm
I remember the Easter Show although it has been so many years since I visited. My favourite ever showbag was the Wonder Woman showbag. I still remember what was in it!
Y said,
April 1, 2009 @ 1:47 pm
Wonder Woman? hehe.. I remember getting the Smarties showbag. Haven’t decided what bag to get this year.
chocolatesuze said,
April 1, 2009 @ 2:21 pm
for me the easter show is all about the deep fried cheese on a stick. CHEESE! on a stick! and fairy floss in a BUCKET!
Y said,
April 1, 2009 @ 2:28 pm
Yes, I still haven’t been able to erase from my memory, those pictures of you and your food stash from last year’s Show! ;P
Howard said,
April 1, 2009 @ 6:23 pm
Very nice combo of the brioche and custard! I have not been to the Easter Show in so long, ever since it moved to the new premises. But when I was kid, I use to always go for the Magic showbag and pluto pops!
Arwen from Hoglet K said,
April 1, 2009 @ 10:02 pm
I can see why you ate them straight off the cooling rack. Warm custard sounds too good to miss!
Raquel said,
April 1, 2009 @ 10:48 pm
Thanks for the virtual treat – loved it! As for the Easter Show, I’m with Howard, pluto pops for me please ..
Caitlin said,
April 1, 2009 @ 10:52 pm
You almost had me at green tea, and then you threw ginger in there – I’m sold! Those sound wonderful and comforting during these April showers.
Julia said,
April 1, 2009 @ 11:53 pm
Hey, I just bought some matcha powder last weekend. It’s a sign I need to try these! Delicious.
FFichiban said,
April 2, 2009 @ 12:42 am
Ahh Easter Show… I remember when I went with my friends back in HS we would each cram as much Dragon’s Breath chilli into our mouths and then scream/cry/run to the other side for some frozen cokes or something haha. Much pain haha!
Tasty scroll though mmmm brioche and green tea ^^!
anna said,
April 2, 2009 @ 2:07 am
Oh, that looks so good! I have some extra egg yolks, too, so maybe I’ll try this, or at least the custard. I don’t have any custard powder, though, and I don’t know if I’ve seen it here or not but I’ll check the store today.
cakebrain said,
April 2, 2009 @ 3:21 am
ooh! green tea! I’m all over it! the scroll looks so yummy and it’s nice to have something with antioxidant properties when you’re indulging in something that looks so decadent!
Louise said,
April 2, 2009 @ 5:01 am
Fascinating, quite intriguing. I love the thought of green tea custard. Thank you so much for sharing.
We don’t have a Royal Easter Show here in the states. I suppose I will have to settle for Easter Parade a la Judy Garland & Fred Astair!
Piggy said,
April 2, 2009 @ 5:51 am
Green tea custard buns sound yummy! I would be having more than two if the buns were placed right in front of me!
Anita said,
April 2, 2009 @ 9:12 am
YUM! These look fantastic. I too would have eaten a few while cooling… just to make sure they are ok 🙂
shez said,
April 2, 2009 @ 9:29 am
sounds delicious. (and baked goods straight off the cooling rack taste so much better than their properly cooled-and-stored counterparts, no?)
Y said,
April 2, 2009 @ 9:30 am
Howard : Are you planning on going this year? Someone needs to be there to stop Suze from eating all the cheesesticks! 😀
Arwen : Definitely nothing beats freshly baked goods.
FFichiban : Dragon’s Breath chilli? Interesting flashback..haha..
Raquel : Would you believe, I don’t think I’ve even ever had a pluto pup. My parents were pretty strict when it came to food.
Caitlin : It’s STILL raining here. Hot cross buns are the next stop, I think!
Julia : Matcha is great in macarons! I sandwiched mine with black sesame ice cream, the last time I made them.
cakebrain : I believe the same argument can be made about chocolate 😉
Louise : I think the Easter Show here is quite a big deal for kids, especially since it’s around about the time school is out, so it’s something for them to look forward to also.
Piggy : I’ll swap you for one of your clafoutis 😉
anna : If you don’t have custard powder, just substitute with cornflour. Custard powder is quite handy to have in the house though. I use it quite often for custards/pastry creams, like the one above, and it’s nice in some biscuits too.
Anita : I know! And now I’m very very confident (3-scrolls-confident) that they’re ok!
helen said,
April 2, 2009 @ 1:48 pm
Green tea custard brioche? You’re a genius. I’d be willing to let my hips expand for these!
Christy said,
April 2, 2009 @ 4:19 pm
MMmmm….green tea custard brioche fresh from the oven….hot cross buns filled with plump raisins… is there any way that we’re not going to add on the kilos?? I don’t even stand a chance in a fight of willpower against these sumptuous babies!! Ohhhh I’m going to be fat aren’t I??
PS. I couldn’t find breadfruit in the market today. Kind of wish you had bought it so at least I have a reference point in terms of taste. Maybe they are only available in Sydney??
Y said,
April 3, 2009 @ 9:34 am
Christy : Okay, you send me the money and I’ll buy the darn thing 😛 (But really, I think I WILL buy it if I ever see it again. Curiosity hopefully won’t kill this cat..)
Sophie said,
April 5, 2009 @ 7:52 am
MMMMM…They look so delicious!! Love the green colour too!!
Jude said,
April 5, 2009 @ 1:18 pm
How. do. you. light. your photos?
Sounds so good with the red bean paste.
Y said,
April 5, 2009 @ 5:39 pm
Jude, I could ask the same of you!
food librarian said,
April 6, 2009 @ 4:54 pm
Wow! These look great! I love anything with matcha!
Mandy said,
April 7, 2009 @ 1:17 am
I am eating a french toast made with the stale brioche I made in school when I read this post. I wish I have your green tea custard scroll instead! I bet they are much more delicious. 🙂
Kevin said,
April 8, 2009 @ 11:39 am
I really like the sound of using green tea like this!
Steph said,
April 9, 2009 @ 11:18 pm
Haha it’s not surprising that you ate some while they were still cooling, they look so irresistibly delicious 🙂 Definitely bookmarking this recipe for later!
Monica said,
May 19, 2012 @ 11:57 am
Hi Y,
Just wanted to ask if it would be ok to leave the dough overnight for baking the next morning? Thanks!
Y said,
May 19, 2012 @ 12:36 pm
Hi Monica, I haven’t tried doing that with this particular recipe, but I’m pretty sure it would be fine to let it chill overnight, then take it out the next day, roll it, spread the filling, cut the scrolls and prove and bake them as per usual.
Monica said,
May 21, 2012 @ 7:41 am
Thanks Y, the scrolls were delicious. I also enjoyed my baker’s prerogative of two out of the oven 🙂