Shortbread cookies topped with Champagne pastry cream and garnished with almond crumbs and fruit. This was the dessert course of my Viking Cruise Ship Dinner Menu. And we all know how delicious cruise food! Now you can make it too.
Full disclosure -I streamlined this recipe substantially. The original recipe was called Strawberry Tart and used a cookie base, champagne pastry cream, basic pastry cream with a bit of caramel, a bit of mascarpone and a bit of Kirsch liqueur. If you are making cruise ship quantities that would be okay but for 4 servings I didn't want a couple of cups of caramel, a whole bottle of Kirsch and a whole tub of mascarpone.
The original recipe had just plain vanilla wafers that I switched out for shortbread to up the flavour since I was not adding the caramel flavouring.
I used fresh cherries for garnish since local strawberries were no longer in season. But I think strawberries here would go really well with the champagne pastry cream so I have this recipe tucked away in my mind to make again during strawberry season.
You make a Basic Pastry Cream and then add more flavouring to make Champagne Pastry Cream. Skip the Champagne Mascarpone. To be honest - there isn't much different taste or texture-wise between the Champagne Pastry Cream and the Champagne Mascarpone. And - you end up with a lot of each one left over. You won't miss it.
You can substitute the liqueur of your choice or fruit juice for the Kirsch. For the garnishes - again use a bit of whatever is easy for you - sliced almonds, crushed nuts, more fruit and/or shaved chocolate. You just want to add a bit of a contrasting flavour.
Another useful tip perhaps - this recipe uses 2 egg yolks and the Tomato Feta Basil Macarons from the first course of the menu uses 2 egg whites so the recipes balance each other out nicely!
Wine Pairing
See the Viking Cruise Ship Dinner Menu for detailed suggestions. In short -first choice is the Sparkling wine you used in the Pastry Cream. Second - an Amaretto liqueur or the liqueur you used in the pastry cream.
Viking Cruise Recipe: Shortbread Cookies With Champagne Pastry Cream
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Save Print Pin FacebookIngredients
- 6 Shortbread cookies rectangular, about 4" long
- 6 strawberries, sliced thinly I substituted cherry slices
- crushed pistachios, additional crushed cookies crumbs for garnish I substituted ground almonds, cookie crumbs, fruit and a square of chocolate for garnishes.
Basic Pastry Cream
- ¾ cup milk divided ½ + ¼ cup
- 2 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup sugar divided 2 tablespoon + 2 Tbsps
- 5 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Champagne Pastry Cream
- ¾ cup Basic Pastry Cream you will have some left over to reserve for another use.
- 2 ½ tsps Sparkling wine
- 2 ½ tsps Kirsch liqueur or liqueur of you choice. I used juice from Drunken Cherries.
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Basic Pastry Cream
- Whisk ¼ cup milk, the egg yolks, 2 Tbsps sugar and the cornstarch in a medium bowl. Whisk vigorously to combine without lumps.
- Mix ½ cup milk, 2 Tbsps sugar and vanilla in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat to a simmer without stirring. Remove from heat and whisk vigorously to combine.
- Slowly pour hot mixture into the cold mixture, whisking constantly. Return mixture to the saucepan and heat. Whisk constantly until mixture bubbles and thickens. This only takes a couple of minutes.
- Remove from the heat, continue whisking until it is smooth and pudding consistency. Transfer to a bowl, cover surface of the pudding with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about 4 hours.
- Pastry cream can be made a few days ahead if kept covered and refrigerated.
Champagne Pastry Cream
- Combine all ingredients and transfer to a piping bag.
Assembly
- Place a cookie on each of 6 serving plates. Pipe a line of the Champagne Pastry Cream on top, the length of the cookie. Position fruit slices on top of the Champagne Pastry Cream.
- Pipe 2 more lines of Champagne Pastry Cream on the plate beside the cookie. Garnish with topppings of your choice. I used ground almonds, shortbread cookie crumbs and a square of chocolate.
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