"xuxo" of pastry cream

 

This sweet consists of a dough filled with pastry cream that is fried in abundant oil and finally covered in sugar. It was created in Gerona, north east of Spain,  in the twenties of the last century, apparently derived from a similar French product, and since then it has been traditional in the city, as in other Spanish regions of Levante. In Catalonia (Gerona is a province of this region) it is usually purchased in churrerías and very rarely in confectioneries because it is a perishable product that must be consumed almost freshly made or else the paste softens and becomes too oily, as is the case with churros. Churrerias are street stalls where you can purchase chips, churros and other fried sweet and salty products.

I am going to give you the official recipe, that is, the one made by churrerías and then the "unofficial" one to have pooches in a matter of minutes using puff pastry.

INGREDIENTS (for the "official" recipe):

For the dough :

• 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of pastry flour
• 300 ml (1 cup and a half) of whole milk
• 150 grams (5.3 oz) of sugar
• 5 eggs
• 200 grams (7 oz)  of butter
• 50 grams (1.8 oz) of fresh yeast (which should be stored in the refrigerator)
• One teaspoon of salt (5 grams)
• Sunflower oil, corn, canola etc.

For the pastry cream filling:

• Half a liter (2 cups and a half) of whole milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 100 grams (3.5 oz) of sugar
• 40 grams (1.4 oz) of cornstarch or other thickener

To make the pastry cream, the first thing we have to do is heat the milk over very low heat. While we beat the yolks with the sugar and the cornstarch until it is very homogeneous. Then we pour the mixture into the milk little by little, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Remove and let cool. Once the cream is cold, we put it in a pastry bag.

We mix and knead all the ingredients listed in the dough except the butter. If you don't have a stand mixer or a food processor, I recommend that you mix the liquids first and then gradually add the flour.

Once the dough is homogeneous, gradually pour in the softened butter (that is, neither liquid nor solid, very soft but not melted).

When the dough is thin, cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 8 hours.

After the time has elapsed, we cut a portion of the dough and spread it with the rolling pin on a flat floured surface. Before spreading it, weigh the amount. If it is 100 grams (3.5 oz), we must have at least 30 grams (1 oz)  of butter or margarine. The butter, still cold, we extend it with the rolling pin so that it occupies half of the dough that we have previously stretched. We place it on top of it and fold the dough to enclose it. We work with the rolling pin this kind of "sandwich" so that by folding and stretching we integrate the butter into the dough.

We let it rest for 1 hour and we can now remove a 10 x 10 cm (4 x 4 inches) square. We cut the sides so that it is in the shape of a triangle. At the base of the triangle we put the pastry cream and carefully roll it up to make a package closed on the sides. The peak of the triangle is the closure and so that it does not open we wet it a little in water.

The sides of the square are removed so that a triangle remains. The cream is put on the base (the yellow strip at the bottom).

Now it should be left to rest in a dry, warm place without light so that the ferment makes it grow.

After an hour, fry the pooch in plenty of sunflower oil - it should float in it - until it is well browned. We remove it from the pan, put it on a grid or absorbent paper, and then coat it in white granulated sugar.

INGREDIENTS (for the "easy" recipe):

• 1 sheet of puff pastry
• 1 egg
• Pastry cream (see above)
• White granulated sugar (normal)
• Sunflower oil, corn, canola etc.

We cut squares in the puff pastry plate about 10 cm (4 inches) on each side.

Inside the square we draw an equilateral triangle and at the base of it we have pastry cream.

We roll up the puff pastry and seal the peak of the triangle by painting with the egg.

Fry in abundant oil and then leave on absorbent paper. Coated in sugar and ready to eat, warm or cold.

These last xuxos, made in the simple way, are usually called puff pastry xuxos.