The final part of the trilogy “samali pasteli kok” is here! A new recipe for irresistible kok! This beloved retro pastry, which, just between us, is the best of the trilogy!
I have never managed to eat just one kok; usually the number was three or four.
My most vivid memory of kok is after Sunday lunch, when we were usually already stuffed, and then we would open the box with the kok and éclairs from Schizas in Patissia, as if we had been hungry and dessert would be what finally filled us.
“Save room for dessert” was always someone’s suggestion at the table. Of course, whoever said it was never listened to, nor did they follow it themselves, after all.
Schizas’ kok were magical! Fresh, slightly sweet, without you even realizing they had syrup. They were airy and fluffy, with a delicate cream and a glaze that shone.
That is exactly why I set out to make them at home, and I did not regret it at all!
They turned out very fluffy, with just enough syrup to give them a light sweetness, the pastry cream was velvety, and the glaze soft and shiny!
I honored them properly! Again, I stopped at three or four each time I opened the fridge to get—just—one!
For the Dough
- 6 eggs
- 120 g sugar
- 120 g all-purpose flour
- 60 g cornstarch
- 1 vanilla packet
- ⅓ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
For the Pastry Cream
- 300 ml fresh whole milk
- 300 ml full-fat cream
- 80 g cornstarch
- 100 g sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 vanilla packet
For the Chocolate Glaze
- 200 g couverture chocolate
- 150 ml full-fat cream
- 1 tsp cow’s butter
- 1 tsp honey
- a tiny pinch of salt
For the Syrup
- 120 g sugar
- 120 ml water
- a few drops of lemon juice
- 1 tbsp cognac
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Instructions
How to Make Fluffy Dough for Kok
Separate the eggs into yolks and whites.
In one bowl, pour in the egg whites and beat them with the mixer together with one-third of the sugar.
We want a stiff meringue. Transfer it to a bowl and set it aside.
In the same bowl where we beat the meringue, add the egg yolks together with the remaining sugar. Add the salt and vanilla.
Beat until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy.
Meanwhile, place the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder into a sieve.
The Importance of Folding the Meringue into the Mixture
At this point, fold the meringue and the flour mixture into the egg mixture alternately.
First add some meringue and fold with a spatula, then add a little flour and fold again. Continue this process until all the meringue and flour mixture are used up. Do not stir the batter; fold it so that it keeps the air inside.
We want a very airy mixture so that it rises properly during baking.
Take a piping bag and fill it with the mixture.
Pipe rosettes onto a shallow baking tray lined with baking paper.
Leave space between them so they do not join during baking.
Bake in a preheated oven with fan at 170°C for 12–15 minutes, depending on the size of the rosettes.
Once baked, place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
Prepare the Pastry Cream
Place a small saucepan on the heat. Add two-thirds of the milk and keep the rest aside.
Pour in all the cream.
Add half the sugar to the saucepan with the milk. Let everything heat well.
In a bowl, add the remaining sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and egg yolks and mix. Finally, pour in the milk that you had kept aside. Mix well so that all the ingredients dissolve and combine fully.
With a ladle, take a little of the hot milk and pour it gradually into the egg mixture while whisking vigorously.
Pour about half of the hot milk into the egg mixture, following a process similar to egg-lemon sauce.
In this way, the temperatures of the two different mixtures—the one in the bowl and the one in the saucepan—become balanced.
Pour the bowl mixture into the saucepan, passing it through a fine strainer.
Continue stirring the mixture in the saucepan until it thickens.
Pour the pastry cream into a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and leave it to cool completely.
Prepare the Syrup
In a small saucepan, add the water and sugar and boil for 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice and cognac.
Let the syrup cool.
Prepare the Chocolate Glaze
In a small saucepan, add the couverture chocolate in pieces, the cream, the butter, and the honey.
Stir the ingredients over medium to low heat until they melt completely and you have a smooth glaze.
Pour the glaze into a bowl and let it cool slightly.
Syrup the Kok
Dip a pastry brush into the syrup and lightly moisten the inside surface of each kok.
We do not want it soaked, only lightly syrupy.
Assemble the Kok
Put the pastry cream into a piping bag with a wide tip.
Fill half of the rosettes with the pastry cream.
Cover them with the remaining rosettes.
Arrange the kok on a platter and place them in the freezer for 20–30 minutes.
We do this so that the kok set and can be dipped more easily into the chocolate glaze.
Take the kok one by one and dip them into the glaze, then place them on a tray.
Alternatively, you can spoon the chocolate glaze over the kok.
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