Back in Black - Blackberry Millefeuille with Maple Crème Fraîche

Muscovado....  The word sounds like a breed of duck, but it's really much more sexy than that.  (though I must admit that a Muscovy duck dinner IS pretty sexy)  Especially when one finds said sexy sugar for a miniscule amount of cash.  Yes, I found "my find" the other day at Whole Foods (or should I say Whole Paycheck?) on sale for a paltry sum that seriously had me doing a double take in the isle before grabbing my prize and heading with great haste for the check out before someone decided it was mis-marked, thus bursting my excitement bubble and sending me careening down a depression spiral that could only result in my utter devastation as I sat, cold and alone in my muscovado-lessness...  a hem..  Yeah.. OK, moving on....  ;)

Muscovado sugar is one of those odd ingredients that professional pastry chefs have ready access to, but is seldom within the reach of us common folk.  Or if it is, it's exorbitantly priced.   So what is this "oh so special" sugar?  Well, in essence it's really nothing more than a form of brown sugar; it even comes in light and dark varieties.  But looks can be deceiving.  Muscovado is a little more grainy than "normal" brown sugar.  It is also minimally processed so it retains more moisture and more trace minerals along with the natural molasses.  All these factors mean that it tastes slightly different from your "run of the mill" brown sugar which is refined white sugar with molasses added back in in varying amounts.

The refining process for Muscovado is different too.  Once the juice has been wrested from the cane by pressing, the slurry is cooked slightly, then impurities are removed in a strange process that utilizes Coconut milk and Lime juice...  evidently these react with the impurities and form a foam that can be skimmed off, leaving the rich delicious cane elixir behind.  (See what I mean about he sugar being kind of sexy?)

So in honor of this sexified sugar product from Barbados,  I decided on an equally sexy dessert that I saw Laura Calder make on her show, French Food at Home. I have mentioned Laura Calder's show before.  French Cooking at Home (Food Network Canada) is currently shown on the Cooking Channel. In her recipe for Blackberry Millefeuille she makes use of Maple sugar. Sadly, I live on the West Coast and there are no Sugar Maples here.  I mean, I know one place that carries it on a seasonal basis, but I can't afford it.  It's like Beluga Caviar, nice to dream about having, but more than likely will never happen.  OK, I did have some once, (Maple sugar, not Beluga) but only through a similar pricing fluke like my Muscovado "find".  Alas it has been gone for years now.

SO, armed with Muscovado as a substitute as well as some homemade Crème Fraîche, I embarked upon a super sexy dessert.  Oh, and in case you were wondering about the Browned Butter, I thought it's inherent nuttiness would pair well with the hazelnuts.

 Blackberry Millefeuille with Maple Crème Fraîche

Adapted from Laura Calder's French Food at Home
4 sheets Filo pastry (or 2, cut in half, depending on the size of your sheets)
3 TB Beurre Noisette (browned butter)
4 tsp light Muscovado Sugar
3 TB finely chopped Blanched Hazelnuts
1 1/4 cups Crème Fraîche
Maple syrup, just enough to lightly sweeten (preferably Grade B, but Grade A is fine)
1 lb Blackberries

Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C and grab 2 baking sheets and two pieces of parchment paper.

Chop the Hazelnuts finely.....

And make some Beurre Noisette and allow it to cool slightly.

Lay 1 sheet of filo on your work surface and brush gently with Beurre Noisette.

Sprinkle with some of the Muscovado sugar.

Top that with a scattering of chopped Hazelnuts.

Place the second filo sheet over the nuts and repeat (Butter, Muscovado, Nuts, Filo) until you have 4 layers of filo.

Grab a SHARP knife or pizza cutter, slice the sheet into 12 rectangles.(about 2 inch by 4 1/5 inch)

Arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet,

cover with another layer of parchment,

Nest an additional baking sheet over that (this will keep the filo flat)

Bake until golden and crisp, about 7 - 10 minutes.

Move to a wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes.

Spoon the Crème Fraîche into a medium bowl. (store bought or homemade, your choice)

Whip the Crème Fraîche with 1-2 tsp Grade B Maple Syrup until soft peaks begin to form.

On a dessert plate, place 1 rectangle of filo.

Spoon a small amount of Mapled Crème Fraîche over.

Nestle the Blackberries into the Crème Fraîche.

Spoon a small amount of Crème Fraîche over the berries (this will make the top piece of filo stay in place).

Place another rectangle on top of the Crème Fraîche and press gently to adhere.

Serve within 1 hour of assembly, as the filo will begin to absorb moisture from the Crème Fraîche and become soggy.

Mangia!!
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Wheel Made of Pie Keeps on Turnin - Maple Cinnamon Spirals

So what do you do with left over pastry dough from your Coconut Pecan Pie? Yeah, it happened to me. This is what I get for not paying attention while in the kitchen. I only needed half a batch of Pâte Brisée and I accidentally made enough for a covered pie. Since I didn't really have anything to make a second open faced pie from I decided on my little "Crust" thing with the Sugar and Cinnamon that my mom use to make. Then while reaching for the sugar, I found something I had forgotten I had.....

MAPLE SUGAR

I think I bought it about 3 years ago at the Le Gourmet Chef outlet in Cabazon, out near Palm Springs. It's been sitting in a sealed stainless steel container just biding it's time until I rediscovered it. Well, rediscover it I did, I did. It's kind of powdery, being made from boiled down maple syrup and all. Not quite as sweet as granulated sugar, but with a delicious maple-y flavor. Like those sugary pressed maple candies (since it's pretty much the same thing, just ground up)

The wheels in my head started turning, and turning, and turning, and turning, and turning.... Did I mention they were turning?
Then, just about the time the burning tire smell started making me nauseous, it hit me.... Thanks to comments left by Spryte and Patti on my Cherry Pie post regarding left over Pastry Crust.....

Maple Sugar Pâte Brisée Pinwheels or rather Spirals. Just like a cinnamon roll....oh yeah.... cinnamon would be good with maple sugar... Right on!

Super Simple, Super Easy and Super Delicious....

Maple Cinnamon Spirals

1/2 recipe Pâte Brisée
Room Temperature Butter
Maple Sugar (Although I am sure Brown or Granulated would work just fine)
Cinnamon
Optional - Egg white

Preheat your oven to about 400-425
Roll out your left over pastry dough into a square (As close as you can get it)

Schmear it with room temperature butter then sprinkle it with maple sugar (or equivalent) and cinnamon. (Leave a strip on one edge, so you can seal it)

Roll it up. (you can seal the edge with egg white if you wish)

Slice about 1/4 inch thick and place on a parchment lines baking sheet. (don't worry so much about spacing, they are not going to puff or spread like regular cookie dough)

Bake for 20 -25 minutes.

Enjoy with a big cup of coffee.

Mangia!!
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