Vanilla Saint-Honoré-Style Tart

Vanilla, vanilla, and more vanilla, that's the plan for this Saint-Honoré tart: you'll find it in pastry cream, namelaka, and gel to fill a sweet pastry as well as little cream puffs 😊 This recipe is to be made over two days: the namelaka the day before, and if possible the start of the vanilla gel (inspired by Cédric Grolet) and the sweet pastry the day before as well (if needed you can also prepare the choux pastry to only have to bake it the next day). Get your rolling pins ready!
 
Material:
Whisk
Rolling pin
Mini offset spatula
Perforated baking sheet
Piping bags
18mm nozzle
12mm nozzle
20cm Perforated tart ring by Buyer

Ingredients:
I used Norony vanilla & Waina chocolate from Valrhona: code ILETAITUNGATEAU for 20% off the entire site (affiliate).
I used almond powder from Koro: code ILETAITUNGATEAU for 5% off the entire site (non-affiliate).

Preparation time: 1h40 + rest + 50 minutes of baking
For a 20cm diameter tart / 6 to 8 people:

 Namelaka waina:

 100g of milk
 200g of cream
 1 vanilla pod
 2g of gelatin
 170g of waina chocolate
 
 Rehydrate the gelatin in cold water.
 Bring the milk to a boil with the vanilla pod seeds. Add the rehydrated and wrung gelatin.
 Pour it over the previously melted chocolate.
 Add the cold cream and blend with an immersion blender to obtain a smooth cream.
 
 

 
 Let crystallize overnight in the refrigerator.
 
 Vanilla gel:

 80g of water
 100g of sugar
 3.5g of pectin
 Minimum 2 spent vanilla pods
 
 Put the water, 80g of sugar, and the spent vanilla pods in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Let infuse for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight if you have the time.
 
 

 
 Then bring back to a boil, and add the pectin and the rest of the sugar previously mixed, mixing well. Let cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
 
 

 
 Off the heat, blend the mixture with an immersion blender, then pass it through a sieve to remove the remaining pod pieces and let cool.
 
 

 

 
 Sweet pastry:

 60g of softened butter
 90g of icing sugar
 30g of almond powder
 1 egg
 160g of T55 flour
 50g of cornstarch
 
 Mix the well-softened butter with the icing sugar and almond powder.
 
 

 
 When the mixture is homogeneous, add the egg then the flour and cornstarch.
 
 

 
 Mix quickly to have a homogeneous ball, then wrap the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
 
 

 
 Then, roll out the dough to a thickness of 2mm. Line a 20cm diameter tart ring.
 
 

 
 Refrigerate it for at least 1 hour, or freeze for at least 30 minutes, then bake in a preheated oven at 170°C for about 20 minutes, the tart should be well golden when removed from the oven.
 
 Choux pastry:

 65g of water
 85g whole milk
 2g of salt
 2g caster sugar
 60g of butter
 80g of flour
 125g of whole eggs
 
 Bring the milk, water, salt, sugar, and butter cut into pieces to a boil.
 
 

 
 Off the heat, add the flour all at once and mix well.
 
 

 
 Place back on the heat and dry out the dough by mixing constantly, a thin film should form on the bottom of the saucepan.
 
 

 
 Pour the dough into the mixer, or into a bowl, and mix with the mixer paddle (or spatula) until the steam has finished escaping from the dough. Then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each, to have a smooth and supple dough.
 
 

 
 Pipe small puffs of about 2cm in diameter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then lightly sprinkle with icing sugar (they will keep a rounder shape this way).
 
 

 
 Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 20 to 25 minutes, then let cool.
 
 Vanilla pastry cream:

 250g whole milk
 100g full liquid cream
 1 vanilla pod
 55g egg yolks
 65g sugar
 30g cornstarch 
 10g butter
 
 Heat the milk and cream with the vanilla pod seeds.
 Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and cornstarch, then pour the hot liquid on top. Pour everything back into the saucepan.
 
 

 

 
 Thicken over medium heat, stirring constantly.
 
 

 
 Wrap with contact film and let cool completely in the refrigerator.
 
 Assembly:

 I used a bit of white fondant and vanilla powder to glaze the puffs, you can also make dry caramel or leave them as they are according to your preferences.

 Spread some pastry cream at the bottom of the tart.
 
 

 
 Insert a few puffs previously filled with pastry cream, then add vanilla gel and pastry cream before smoothing the surface.
 
 

 

 

 
 Fill a few puffs with cream and glaze them before placing them on the tart. Finally, pipe the vanilla namelaka over the tart before indulging yourself!