french kiss

An antidote to chocolate brownies. Gateau Breton; a traditional cake from Brittany. I haven't yet made it in the original form - with buckwheat or sarrasin, a nutty low-gluten grain - but i shall. With such few ingredients it is best to use the best .. the flavour of good butter with shine. 

Vanilla and sweet butter, with a dense bite (imagine a soft shortbread) and a sophisticated melt in the mouth texture. I can't eat this version (made with the softest 00 wheat flour) but i kiss him deeply straight after he has eaten the second piece and it is as if his tongue is butterscotch filling my mouth. 

I like Nigella Lawson's version (of course) but there are many more versions on the 'net. 

25cm spring form cake tin, well greased.

225g plain flour - ideally 00 grade pasta flour - sieved
250g caster sugar - preferably from your store of vanilla sugar.
250g unsalted butter
6 large egg yolks
A glaze of a teaspoon of egg yolk from the 6, and a tablespoon of water (or milk)

Preheat oven to 190C.

If you have a mixer; add the sieved flour, sugar, butter and eggs and mix with a dough hook until combined into a bright yellow dough. 

If you have no mixer; Make a mound of the sieved flour on a worktop, make a well in it and add the sugar, butter and eggs. Knead to mix.

Scoop the dough into the tin and smooth the top with a floured hand. Expect the dough to be very sticky. Brush the gateau with the glaze and mark a lattice design on top.

Bake for 15 mins, then turn the oven down to 180C (350f) and give it another 25 minutes or so until it's golden on top and firm to the touch. Let cool completely before turning out and slicing randomly into diamond shaped tokens.