Timbale Crust

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •5½-inch (14-cm) diameter by 3½-inch (9-cm) high metal Charlotte mould, about 1 quart (1 L)
• •Rolling pin
• •Pastry brush
• •Parchment paper
• •Rimmed baking sheet
• •Small fluted round or oval cutters
• •Paste pincers, optional
• •Thin paring knife
• •Cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the pâte brisée

   Whisk the 4¼ cups (1,005 ml / 510 g) flour with the salt. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips, or cut it in with a pastry blender, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few flat flakes of butter remaining. Beat the 2 eggs with 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 45 g) of the ice water, work this into the flour, and add more ice water a teaspoon at a time only until the dough holds when pressed. Bring it together without kneading, flatten it into a thick disc, wrap, and chill for 45 minutes. If it crumbles after a firm squeeze, add another teaspoon of water; if it feels greasy or slack, stop handling it and chill it. Ça se rattrape.

   Pâte brisée means short pastry: the butter shortens the flour structure, while restrained mixing keeps the baked wall tender rather than leathery.
2. 2

   Mix the decorating paste

   Mix the ½ cup (120 ml / 60 g) flour with the powdered sugar. Add the egg yolk and enough of the 2 teaspoons (10 ml / 10 g) cold water to form a very firm dough, then knead briefly until smooth. This is pâte à nouilles, a stiff egg paste that holds fine relief against the mould. Wrap it and rest it for 20 minutes. If its edges crack when rolled, knead in water one drop at a time; it should become pliable, never sticky.

3. 3

   Decorate the mould

   Coat the base and sides of a 5½-inch (14-cm) wide, 3½-inch (9-cm) high metal Charlotte mould generously with about one-third of the softened butter. Roll the pâte à nouilles about 1⁄16 inch (1.5 mm) thick and cut leaves, diamonds, scrolls, or one simple repeating design. Press the smooth face of each piece against the buttered inner wall, where it will become the timbale's exterior decoration. The powdered sugar encourages deeper colour, but there is too little to make the crust sweet. Chill the decorated mould for 10 minutes so the pattern stays in place.

4. 4

   Shape the skullcap

   Reserve about one-fifth of the pâte brisée for the lid, leaves, and repairs. On a lightly floured surface, roll the larger piece into a disc about 13 inches (33 cm) across and an even ⅓ inch (8 mm) thick. Sprinkle the surface lightly with flour, fold the disc in half without pressing a crease, then draw the two ends gently toward the centre until the dough cups like a loose skullcap. Lower it into the mould and open it carefully against the base and sides. Press it into the shape of the mould without stretching, keeping the wall evenly thick, then trim it level with the rim and add the trimmings to the reserved dough. If a thin place or small tear appears, feather a patch of raw pastry over it with a damp fingertip. Keep one walnut-sized scrap chilled for later repair.

5. 5

   Build the weight dome

   Butter a parchment circle and a strip long enough to line the pastry shell, then fit them inside with the buttered surface against the dough. Fill the shell with the dried split peas or lentils, shaking the mould gently so they settle into the bottom and sides. Continue adding pulses until they rise in a smooth dome about 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the rim. Cover the mound with a buttered round of parchment, buttered side facing upward. The raised weight is structural: it supports the cover and keeps the thick shell pressed firmly against its mould.

6. 6

   Seal the crested lid

   Combine the reserved pâte brisée with the clean trimmings. If it springs back under the pin, rest it in the cold for 10 minutes, then roll it ⅕ inch (5 mm) thick and cut a round about 7½ inches (19 cm) across. Moisten the inner edge of the lined shell sparingly with the sealing water. Lay the round over the parchment-covered mound and press it firmly onto the shell, pinching the joined pastry between your fingers to form a crest extending ½ inch (1.25 cm) beyond the mould all around. Crimp the crest inside and out with paste pincers, or use your thumb and forefinger followed by the blunt back of a small knife. If the lid cracks, patch it with thin pastry rather than stretching the surrounding dough.

7. 7

   Dress the leafed cover

   Roll the remaining short pastry very thin, about 1⁄16 inch (1.5 mm). Cut small leaves with a fluted oval or round cutter, or cut triangles and pinch them into leaf shapes. Mark veins with the back of a knife and arrange the leaves in overlapping, superposed rows across the dome. Cut 3 fluted roundels with a second round cutter, pierce a neat hole through the centre of each, and arrange them at the crown. The exact ornament is pâtisserie scaffolding, so a few orderly rows are enough; the thinness and secure overlap matter more than flourishes. Chill the assembled timbale for 20 minutes while the oven heats to 350°F (180°C), or 325°F (165°C) with a fan.

8. 8

   Gild and bake

   Set the mould on a rimmed baking sheet. Gild the visible lid, leaves, roundels, and crest with a thin, even coating of beaten egg. To gild is to brush with beaten egg so the pastry takes a golden sheen under heat. Keep the brush out of the crevices, because pooled egg blurs the leaf veins and glues delicate edges together. Bake on the lower-middle rack for 55 to 65 minutes, turning once if the oven colours unevenly, until the leafed dome and crest are deep butter-gold and firm. If the leaf tips darken too quickly, lay a loose sheet of foil over the dome after the first 40 minutes.

9. 9

   Empty and dry

   Reduce the oven to 300°F (150°C). With the timbale still in its mould, trace the inner edge of the crest with a thin knife and lift off the leafed cover in one piece. Save it for service. Spoon the hot pulses carefully into a heatproof bowl, then remove every piece of parchment. Brush the bare interior with a thin coat of beaten egg, taking it fully into the corners without leaving a puddle on the base. If emptying reveals a hairline crack, soften the reserved raw pastry with a drop of water, press a thin smear into the crack, and gild over it. Ça se rattrape. Return the uncovered shell to the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the interior is firm, dry, and evenly golden. This low oven is the home equivalent of the drying box, and this second gilding is what keeps a later filling from immediately softening the crust.

10. 10

    Unmould and cool

    Rest the timbale in its mould for 10 minutes, then loosen only the projecting crest with a thin knife. Place a board over the opening, invert the mould, and lift it away slowly. Use a second board to turn the shell upright without gripping its decorated sides. Cool it completely on a rack before filling, and keep the leafed cover separate until the moment it returns to the table. A warm shell traps moisture and loses the crisp interior you worked to build. Fill it shortly before serving, replace the cover, and carry it whole to the table. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use a metal Charlotte mould if you can. Its slight flare and quick heat give the timbale its proper upright shape and browned relief. A 1-quart (1-L) straight-sided ovenproof metal bowl is the honest home equivalent, though the silhouette will be rounder.
• •Butter, not margarine. The fat must release the fine side decorations cleanly and give the pâte brisée its short, tender bite. We don't apologize for butter.
• •Dried split peas or lentils settle into the corners more evenly than large ceramic weights and form the raised dome the source requires. Cool them completely after baking, label them as pastry weights, and reuse them; they will no longer cook evenly for eating.
• •The powdered sugar belongs only in the pâte à nouilles decoration, exactly where the source places it. It deepens the relief against the hot metal without turning the savory crust into sweet pastry.
• •This formula deliberately stops at the empty shell, as the source entry does. Whatever prepared filling follows should be cohesive rather than watery, and it should go into the cooled crust close to serving so the gilded interior remains crisp.

Advance Preparation

• •The pâte brisée can be mixed up to 24 hours ahead and kept wrapped in the refrigerator. Let it stand just until it bends under the rolling pin without cracking.
• •The pâte à nouilles decoration paste can also be made a day ahead. Wrap it tightly, since even a small exposed edge dries hard enough to spoil the fine pattern.
• •The fully baked, empty timbale may be made one day ahead. Cool it completely, store it airtight at room temperature, then dry it for 8 to 10 minutes in a 300°F (150°C) oven and cool again before filling.
• •Keep the removable leafed cover beside the shell rather than on it during storage. This protects the crest and prevents trapped humidity from softening the interior.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 240g)