The Laminated Luxury Series — No. 7 of 8

The crown. Laminated dough twisted, shaped into a ring, and baked until the layers spiral outward like a wreath. The interior is filled with pistachio frangipane — dense, buttery, deeply nutty — and finished with a sharp raspberry coulis that cuts through the richness with precision. Fresh raspberries and silver dust crown the top.

This is the most visually commanding pastry in the series. The contrast of the green pistachio, the vivid red raspberry, and the golden laminated layers makes it unmissable on a table or a screen.

Chef’s Note

Pistachio frangipane is made from blanched, peeled pistachios — not roasted, not salted. The raw nut has a delicate sweetness and a vivid green colour that survives the oven. Source Iranian or Sicilian pistachios if possible — their colour and flavour are in a different league.

The raspberry coulis should be tart — almost aggressively so. Use fresh or frozen raspberries without added sugar, and add lemon juice generously. The acidity is what makes this pastry work.

Ingredients

The Dough

• 500g strong bread flour, 10g salt, 80g sugar, 10g yeast, 300ml cold milk, 30g softened butter
• 280g European-style butter (84% fat), cold — for lamination

Pistachio Frangipane

• 150g blanched peeled pistachios (Iranian or Sicilian)
• 120g softened butter, 120g caster sugar, 2 eggs, 20g plain flour, 1 tsp almond extract

Raspberry Coulis & Finish

• 300g raspberries, 2 tbsp icing sugar, juice of 1 lemon
• 150g fresh raspberries, 30g chopped pistachios, edible silver dust, icing sugar

Method

Laminate the dough over two days. Roll to 3mm × 25cm wide. Spread cold pistachio frangipane across the surface leaving a 2cm border. Roll into a log, cut lengthways to expose layers, twist the two halves together keeping cut sides up, form into a ring and seal ends. Proof at 24°C for 1.5–2 hours. Brush with egg wash and bake at 185°C (fan) for 22–25 minutes. Cool completely. Spoon raspberry coulis into the crevices, arrange fresh raspberries and pistachios on top, dust with icing sugar and silver dust.

The Interior

The Laminated Luxury Series — No. 6 of 8

The cruffin — a muffin-shaped croissant spiral — is the series’ most dramatic format. Laminated dough is rolled tightly, cut into spirals, and baked upright in a muffin tin until the layers fan outward like a bloom. This version fills each spiral with cardamom custard and finishes with a burnt caramel that sets to a glassy, amber shell.

The result is extraordinary: a pastry that shatters on the outside, yields a warm spiced custard within, and carries the deep bittersweet note of properly burnt caramel throughout.

Chef’s Note

Cardamom must be freshly ground. Pre-ground cardamom is a shadow of the real thing — the volatile oils dissipate within days of grinding. Buy green pods, crack them, remove the seeds, and grind immediately before use.

Burnt caramel is not a mistake — it is a technique. Take the sugar 30 seconds past the point of comfort. The bitterness that develops is the counterweight to the sweetness of the custard and the richness of the laminated dough.

Ingredients

The Dough

• 500g strong bread flour, 10g salt, 80g sugar, 10g yeast, 300ml cold milk, 30g softened butter
• 280g European-style butter (84% fat), cold — for lamination

Cardamom Custard

• 500ml whole milk
• 1.5 tsp freshly ground green cardamom (from ~12 pods)
• 5 egg yolks, 120g caster sugar, 40g cornflour, 30g cold butter

Burnt Caramel & Finish

• 200g caster sugar, 60ml warm double cream, 30g butter, 1 tsp fleur de sel
• Fleur de sel and crushed cardamom pods to garnish

Method

Laminate the dough over two days. Roll to 3mm × 30cm wide, spread cold cardamom custard across the surface, roll into a log, cut into 6cm rounds and place cut-side up in a buttered muffin tin. Proof 1.5–2 hours at 24°C. Brush with egg wash and bake at 190°C (fan) 20–22 minutes. Once cool, pipe additional custard into each spiral. Cook sugar to dark mahogany caramel, add warm cream, butter, and fleur de sel. Spoon over each cruffin. Garnish with crushed cardamom and fleur de sel.

The Interior

The Laminated Luxury Series — No. 3 of 8

The Kouign-Amann is Brittany’s greatest contribution to laminated pastry. Butter, dough, sugar — caramelised together under fierce heat until the base is lacquered amber and the interior yields like a cloud. This version elevates it with Persian saffron steeped into the dough itself, and finishes with raw honeycomb and a veil of edible gold.

The result is something between a tarte tatin and a croissant — with a fragrance unlike anything else in the series.

Chef’s Note

Saffron must be bloomed before use. Crush the threads lightly between your fingers, then steep in 2 tablespoons of warm water for 20 minutes minimum. This unlocks the full depth of colour and flavour — a dull orange water means under-steeped saffron. The liquid should run deep gold, almost amber. Add it to the milk before mixing the dough.

The honeycomb goes on last, just before serving. It will begin to dissolve on contact with the caramelised surface — this is intentional. The melting honeycomb becomes part of the glaze.

Ingredients

The Dough

• 500g strong bread flour
• 10g fine sea salt
• 60g caster sugar
• 10g instant yeast
• 280ml whole milk, warm
• 0.5g Persian saffron threads, bloomed in 2 tbsp warm water
• 30g unsalted butter, softened

The Butter Block (Beurrage)

• 280g European-style unsalted butter (84% fat), cold

The Caramel Layer

• 150g caster sugar
• 1 tsp fleur de sel
• 40g unsalted butter, softened

To Finish

• 80g raw honeycomb, broken into shards
• Edible gold leaf or gold dust
• Fleur de sel

Method

Day 1 — The Détrempe

Combine the bloomed saffron water with the warm milk. Dissolve the yeast in this mixture. Combine with the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the softened butter and knead for 8 minutes until smooth. Wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight. Shape the butter block into a 20cm square and refrigerate alongside.

Day 2 — Lamination

Perform three double folds with 30-minute refrigerator rests between each, keeping everything below 18°C. After the final fold, rest for 1 hour.

Shaping, Baking & Finishing

Butter a 23cm round tin, dust with half the caster sugar. Roll dough to fit, sprinkle remaining sugar, fleur de sel, and dot with butter. Fold loosely into tin. Proof 45 minutes. Bake at 200°C (fan) for 25–30 minutes until deeply caramelised. Rest 5 minutes in tin, then invert. Cool 15 minutes. Top with honeycomb shards, gold, and fleur de sel just before serving.