I’ve always wanted to make a St Honore, but I always found them a bit daunting. I mean look at it! Two kinds of pastry and hot caramel – which I did burn my fingers on twice! That’s a lot of work, not to mention the traditional filling, which should be a creme chiboust, which is a pastry cream, folded with french meringue.
I wanted to feature salted caramel somewhere in this tart, so I didn’t want too sweet a cream to fill the centre with, also it was quite a lot of work to make this gateau, so to fill it with whipped cream was a nice little cheat. Not to mention my local waitrose was selling double cream for 10p a carton, even though it still had 6 days left on the use by.
The St Honore is steeped in tradition, it’s named after the patron saint of pastry chefs and nearly every patisserie has their own version of this delicious gateau. It is commonly served as a large gateau like this or it can be made into individual gateaux.
Two years on from starting this blog, I felt ready to tackle the mighty St Honore, I’ve got better at making choux and I quite like making puff pastry and caramel is one of the most fun things to work with, despite how hot it gets. So I took this recipe on, in what has become my usual way of working, the piecemeal approach.
The puff pastry was made a month or so ago, I always make a full recipe, cut it into three and freeze it in labelled freezer bags, that way I always have homemade puff pastry in the freezer for pies etc. The salted caramel I made about a week ago, it keeps really well and I always make the full recipe and keep the extra jar for anything I might be making.
Finally on the evening I made this, I just had to make the choux pastry and fill and assemble everything at the end. Fitting in blogging around a full-time job and looking after our new puppy, means that I have to really choose recipes that I can make over a few evenings. Something like this Salted Caramel St Honore is perfect for this.
As of January, I’ve been blogging for two years now, the time has gone so quickly. I’ve made some new friends, learnt lots of things in the kitchen and generally had a lovely time, doing something I really enjoy and watching my readership grow.
This Salted Caramel St Honore pulls together a lot of recipes I’ve made before on the blog, including puff pastry, choux pastry and salted caramel. Although this takes a bit of work, as you can see from the recipe, this is so delicious.
I had to give some of it away, just so I would stop eating it, it really is that good!
Salted Caramel St Honore
Ingredients
- ***Craquelin***
- 60 g Plain Flour
- 60 g Light Brown Sugar
- 50 g Unsalted Butter
- 350 g Puff Pastry
- 1 Quantity of Choux Pastry
- 1 Quantity of Salted Caramel
- ***Creme Chantilly***
- 450 ml Double Cream
- 1 Heaped Tbsp Icing Sugar
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- 400 g Granulated Sugar for the caramel
Instructions
- To make the craquelin, mix the flour, sugar and butter together in a bowl, using your fingertips rub the ingredients together until they resemble breadcrumbs.
- Then press the breadcrumbs together until they form a dough. Place the dough between two sheets of greaseproof paper and roll out the dough until it's 2mm thick. Place the dough on a baking tray, still covered in the greaseproof paper and put it in the freezer.
- After about 30 minutes, remove the craquelin from the freezer and cut out as many 2.5cm circles as you can fit on the whole sheet. Return the circles to the freezer.
- Take the puff pastry and roll it out to around 5mm thickness, cut out a 23cm circle using a plate or a cake tin as a guide. Transfer the pastry circle to a baking tray, prick the base with a fork and transfer to the fridge.
- Make the choux pastry according to the recipe, take the puff pastry out of the fridge and pipe a circle of choux pastry 1cm in from the edge of the puff pastry base. Then pipe another circle 2cm in from the first circle, so that you have two rings on the puff pastry base.
- Preheat the oven to 180C (160C Fan) Gas 4, prepare two baking sheets and draw 2.5cm circles on the reverse of some baking parchment, use all of the choux pastry and pipe blobs (you will have more than you need, but choux can't really be made in quantities smaller than this and there is enough salted caramel and creme chantilly left over for you to fill the choux puffs).
- Top each blob with a circle of the craqulin and bake the puff pastry base and the choux buns for 35 mins. Then turn the oven off and leave them to cool in the oven for a further 15 mins.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- While the choux is cooking, make the creme chantilly, add the cream to a large bowl, add the vanilla extract and sift in the icing sugar. Whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks. Place a third of the cream in a piping bag fitted with a St Honore piping tip. Place the rest of the cream in a piping bag fitted with a 1cm straight piping nozzle. Return to the fridge.
- Take the salted caramel, if it's too thick or too cold, warm it in the microwave on a low heat for 30 seconds, you want it to be piping consistency, but not too runny. Place the caramel in a piping bag fitted with a 1cm straight piping nozzle.
- Take the choux puffs and with a sharp knife, pierce a hole in the bottom of each puff, making sure it's big enough for the piping nozzle to fit in.
- Fill each choux puff with some salted caramel and then fill completely with the chantilly cream in the piping bag with the straight nozzle.
- Take the remaining salted caramel and pipe it in the centre of the pastry base and in between two two bands of choux pastry.
- Before you make the caramel, make sure you have everything you need to hand. Place the puff pastry base on a wire rack with some greaseproof paper underneath, line up the choux puffs which you want to use on the gateau.
- Next make the caramel, this will be the glue that keeps the whole gateau together. To make caramel, put half the sugar in a heavy based pan and melt it over a gentle heat. Add the rest of the sugar and melt until it becomes an amber caramel colour.
- Dip the top of the choux puff in the caramel, you can place it in a silicone semi-sphere mould to set the caramel evenly. When cool, dip the bottom of the choux puff in the caramel and stick this to the ring of choux pastry, keep going until you have a complete ring of choux buns.
- Then take the creme chantilly with the St Honore nozzle and pipe stripes in the centre of the St Honore.
Notes
*This is the puff pastry recipe you will need.
*This is the salted caramel recipe you will need.
To celebrate the 2nd Birthday of Patisserie Makes Perfect, I’ve spoken with a lot of the brands and people that have supported me over the last two years and I’ve managed to secure some great prizes for all of my readers.
Kings Fine Foods have provided me with lots of fantastic ingredients to use on the site over the past two years, they’ve kindly donated a luxury bake-off hamper with a signed copy of Edd Kimber’s Book Say It With Cake.
The second prize is a signed copy of Patisserie by William & Suzue Curley, I adore this book and I recommend it to anyone wanting to learn patisserie, it is a fantastic book. The other part of this prize is a Jing Tea set and Jing Teas as featured in my Religieuse blog post.
Patisserie Makes Perfect 2nd Birthday Giveaway
I really hope you like these prizes I have managed to secure and that you continue to follow Patisserie Makes Perfect over the years to come.
Thanks for reading.
Angela
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Thanks so much for your lovely words – you have a beautiful blog too! x
debsj50
Oh my goodness, that looks gorgeous, I love anything with salted caramel
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Thank you! It does taste amazing – I love salted caramel too!
Lynsey Buchanan
Salted caramel praline macarons
anneka hulse
Galette des Rois
jokow
Baileys Cheesecake
Hayley Mulgrove
Baileys cheesecake mmmmmm
Catherine Hodges
The chocolate banana bread, I could almost pretend it was healthy/good for me because it has banana in it!
Kirsty Caffrey
Baileys Cheesecake with Salter Caramel Sauce ….. its a definite on my too do list!
Elspeth McMillan
The Toffee Apple Cake
Tammy Neal
Baileys Cheesecake is my absolute favourite xxx
Victoria Prince
I think mine was your Peanut Butter Oreo Mousse Bars! So many amazing recipes though 🙂 and this Salted Caramel St Honore looks amazing!
spicers1976
Baileys cheesecake sounds amazing
Susan Race
Lemon meringue pie!! 🙂
Michelle Stokes
I loved the Bailey’s cheesecake, I’ve not made it as I tend to drink the Bailey’s before it get’s anywhere near a cheesecake!! but my daughter made it and bought a slice home for me and it was delicious X I love the look of the Salted Caramel St Honore, what patience you have!
Amanda Greensmith
citrus posset nice and tangy x
Mary Lennon
Chocolate Banana bread. Great competition with fab prizes. Thank you
Jacqueline Roberts
Chocolate & Praline Dacquoise look amazing
Aimee
Salted caramel praline macarons sound amazing, but I doubt I’d ever do them justice!
♫ Alison M ♪
Chocolate Banana bread looks lush. That St Honores is amazing
Sam Freeman
Baileys Cheesecake
Sandy Ralph
The Baileys Cheesecake with Baileys Salted Caramel Sauce definitely
Karl Borowy
Baileys cheescake
DMAC
Your Lemon Meringue Pie!! Oh my goodnessssssss.
Louise Payne
The Chocolate Banana bread
Katie Skeoch
Baileys Cheesecakes with Baileys Salted Caramel Sauce
Alice B
Ooh toffee apple cake for me!
Emma Perry
The Baileys cheescake looked amazing! I love Baileys and I love cheescake so for me this is a win win!!
Annette Oliver
Baileys Cheesecake
sharon martin
The Toffee Apple Cake
Gemma Massey
Baileys cheesecake sounds yummy x
Karen Laing
I loved the mini lime meringues,so very delicious and also so very moreish x
Natalie Crossan
The Chocolate Banana bread
Adrian Bold
Spiced Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Jenny Jones
Baileys cheesecake is my fav
Sheri Darby
Baileys cheesecake was delicious
Danielle Vedmore
Chocolate orange ganache brownies ♥
Romana Richards
Chocolate and Raspberry Entremet I made it a couple of times with great results for family celebrations. It llooks impressive, not OTT, and I will make it again.
madminx1
Baileys Cheesecake
Lisa Wilkinson
The Salted Caramel Praline Macarons
Barbara Handley
Hard to choose but probably the Chocolate Banana Bread
Kirsten Barthy
Has to be the Baileys cheesecake
Julie Davies
Baileys Cheesecake is my absolute favourite
Danielle Louise Cresswell
The Chocolate Banana bread x
sallycollingwood
ECLAIRS – so lovely and pink!!
Johanne currie
Nice prize x
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Thank you so much Summer!
Kimberley Ryan
The Baileys cheesecake, I made this and can confirm it was delicious x
PatisserieMakesPerfect
I’m so pleased you enjoyed the cheesecake Kimberley. x
Sheila Reeves
I loved the Spiced Chocolate Chunk Cookies – I like the chocolate with spices in it (like Maya gold) but can find them a bit too much to just eat as chocolate, so this is a great way to use the remainder of the bar!
And your St Honore brought back lovely memories of my Mum, who made me one of these for my 11th Birthday cake!
PatisserieMakesPerfect
I agree with you about the spiced chocolate Sheila, they can sometimes be quite pungent. I’m so pleased you like the St honore as well! Perhaps you should make one for your birthday this year 🙂
Valerie
Your St Honore is really nice Angela ! I’m French and I don’t even have one on my blog 😉 As for the burnt fingers, it’s tooootally normal. I just discovered your blog but I really love it !
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Thank you Valerie! Where can I find your blog? I’m so pleased a French woman likes my St Honore, it’s ultimate seal of approval. I’m so pleased you like my blog and that my burnt fingers don’t make me look too amateur! x
Jane Willis
This looks so elegant and perfect! My favourite is the Citrus Posset, it looks lovely and fresh and zingy, a perfect finish to a meal
Tanya Bryant
lovely yummys on this page
Nickie
Peanut butter oreo mousse bars!
Kelly law
Baileys cheesecake!
Deborah Rainford-Thompson
Congrats on two years Angela! And you’re right a St. Honore is totally worth the effort. You did a fabulous job. Really well done! 😘
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Thank you Deborah and for such lovely comments – I think the reason this tastes so good is to force you to make it again and again! It’s a bit of work, but so worth it. Thanks for following the blog! x
Jodie Dodd
Wow, two years! Congrats Angela! The blog and your expertise sure has come a long way and how exciting that you’ve made such fantastic connections! So happy for you! 🙂 xx
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Thank you Jodie – you’ve been here from the start and you’ve diligently commented on every single one of my posts! You’re a true friend and I really wish there wasn’t such distance between us! I hope your daughter’s baking is going well. x
Jodie Dodd
Aww, that’s sweet! Wish I wasn’t so far either. Having a pint with you at the pub is at the top of my bucket list! 😀 And I’ll definitely stick around! I love keeping in touch and I’ve learned so much from this blog! Lol, if Trump becomes our next president I may need to share Dylan’s doggy bed! 😀 xx
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Thank you Louise! I hope to make more macarons – there are so many different combinations, perhaps some different shaped ones? I still have so much patisserie to make too and it’s been forever since I made a decent entremet! x
Solange
Bailey’s cheesecake
Carrie Truckle
Baileys cheesecake, absolutely delicious
kat walsh
Peanut Butter Oreo Mousse Bars
Hannah Rowley
Peanut Butter Oreo Mousse Bars
Hannah Hossack-Lodge
Happy blog birthday! The St Honore looks amazing 🙂 I’ve been meaning to attempt one for years and haven’t gotten round to trying it yet; good plan to make various elements in advance and your explanation of how to make/assemble it is very clear. Now I just need to find an occasion to make it where there are plenty of other people so I don’t end up eating the whole thing…. x
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Thanks so much Hannah. I was so pleased with how this turned out and you’re right, as soon as I’d tasted it I knew I had to give it away or I’d eat the whole thing with a spoon!
I’m glad the explanation is helpful – so many patisserie recipes look daunting, but as long as you read the recipes through before you start and break them down into chunks, they’re relatively easy. x
Maxine
Your biscotti! Delicious!
Samantha Loughlin
Bialys cheese cake was mine
nicole (thespicetrain.com)
What a gorgeous work of art you created here! It looks to die for, so beautiful and I really love the lighting in the photos too. Happy second blog birthday, Angela! 🙂
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Oh thank you Nicole, it means so much when a photographer as wonderful as you, say you like my pictures. I have a set of French Doors that I photographed this in front of and the Winter sunlight was kind to me that day.
Thanks for the birthday wishes. x
Emma (SitS)
Hi *waves* I’m new here! Stumbled across you via Domestic Gothess 🙂 Your blog is amazing!
I’ve spent ages trawling through your archives I’m in awe of your work.
My favourite recipe from 2015 is probably the blackberry tartlets you posted on 20th Feb. They are adorable. I love the sugar spiral you’ve done here and there!!! So clever!
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Hi Emma – thanks for visiting, Domestic Gothess has a lovely blog.
I’m so pleased you like the recipes on here, the sugar spirals are a favourite of mine, but they disintegrate so quickly 🙁
Megan {Country Cleaver}
Positively beautiful!!
Sarah Tilley
Easy No-Churn Muscovado Caramel Ice Cream
Ruth Harwood
Bailey’s Cheesecake! oh yes please!!
windowmouse
mini lime meringue pies were yum!
Lucy Parissi
Happy birthday to you!! Well, to your blog… And here’s to many more. This looks amazing and it was my favourite dessert as a child – we had such an amazing Patisserie in Athens near a friend’s house. Everytime we visited we brought a St Honore gateau or mille feuilles…. this brings back many wonderful memories. I would love to try yours!
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Thank you Lucy! I’ve never had a St Honore before I made this and it tastes delicious. I need to find somewhere that makes them so I can eat it again without having to make it myself.
rebecca beesley
that St Honore looks PHENOMENAL!!! My fave 2015 recipe was the marbled mocha madeleines as it inspired me to get a madeleine tray and experiment with making madeleines!
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Madeleines are just perfect and I love how light they are! Enjoy your madeleine pan.
SARAH LAMBERT
Baileys cheesecake yum yum 🙂
Viv Baird
Hazelnut, Cranberry & Chocolate Biscotti
Andrew Hindley
Chocolate Banana Bread
Debbie Skerten
My favourite is the Fraisier.Fabulous x
Coriander Queen
Chocolate Raspberry Entremet!
Alica
Toffee Apple Cake!
Jodie Crossley
mini lime meringue pies!
missielizzie
I’ve just made your salted caramel sauce. I’m in love. I also feel a bit sick now as I didn’t prep enough jars and had to eat a fair bit of it out the pan!!!!
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Yeah it’s addictive, but heavy on the stomach 🙂 So glad you like it, I have a jar in the cupboard at all times for emergencies!
Hayley Lynch
Summer Fruit tarts
Jo Hutchinson
Chocolate Viennese Whirls
Lorraine Duff
mini lime meringue pies 😀
Charlotte Qualter
chocolate orange ganache brownies xxx
jojones
Baileys Cheesecakes with Baileys Salted Caramel Sauce is my favourite
Bean Daniels
Omg Baileys Cheesecake, definitely! Lots of leftovers from Xmas to use too…
Christine Lockley
My favourite recipe is Baileys Cheesecake with Baileys Salted Caramel Sauce
Mary Hutton
Loved the pistachio and raspberry macaron cake xx
Becky John
Chocolate banana bread
Emily
The Hazelnut, Cranberry & Chocolate Biscotti
Barbara Knight
Has to be the biscotti.
geow480
PISTACHIO & RASPBERRY MACARON
Teresa Lee
The Peanut Butter Oreo Mousse Bars
gfa01
The Biscotti.
juliebooth
Hazelnut, Cranberry & Chocolate Biscotti
Ali Thorpe
The Pistachio & Raspberry Macaron Cake.
susan surgeoner
the Biscotti
debbie
definitely the Pistachio & Raspberry Macaron Cake
ashleigh allan
peanut butter oreo mousse bars!
Angela Wilcox
Hazelnut, Cranberry & Chocolate Biscotti
Laura Corrigan
This one-Salted Caramel St Honore because it looks delicious and I love caramel!
Sarah Morris
Coffee Almond Brownies sound yummy.
kate
Peanut Butter Oreo Mousse Bars
emma walters
Pistachio & Raspberry Macaron Cake
Maria Richards
Peanut butter oreo mousse bars yum
Pete Cleasby
Chocolate Banana Bread
Anna Grant
The biscotti, I only discovered it after Christmas but have bookmarked it for next year, for edible gifts!
laura banks
The Mini Lime Meringue Pies
lyn
White Russian Eclairs, yum.
Laura Harris
This looks an amazing dessert….mind you, quite a few of your recipes look fabulous!
Michelle O'neill
Peanut Butter Oreo Mousse Bars
Julia Frey@Vikalinka
Angela, this looks like a killer dessert. I’ve never had St.Honore but judging by your gorgeous photos and your mouthwatering description of it I would LOVE it. Also, caramel burns are brutal, I’ve had a 2nd degree burn on my fingertips like Christmas because I stupidly touched it after reminding myself out loud not to do it a dozen times! I hope yours heals quickly! xx
PatisserieMakesPerfect
Thank you Julia! I was so pleased when I finished this – I never expected it to turn out this well.
You’re so right about caramel burns, they’re evil and it is healing. x
maci234
Peanut Butter Oreo Mousse Bars
Emma Nixon
Spiced chocolate chunk cookies
Lisa Parker
My favourite recipe is the Peanut Butter Oreo Mousse Bars x
Tracey Peach
The Mini Lime Meringue Pies
Tara Jayne Moverley
Looks Yummy!
Laura K
Hazelnut, Cranberry & Chocolate Biscotti
Karis
The Hazelnut, Cranberry & Chocolate Biscotti are delicious
Sam McKean
The Salted Caramel Praline Macaroons, I love salted caramel!
darren hay
Hazelnut, Cranberry & Chocolate Biscotti
Heather Haigh
White Russian Eclairs.
Emily Knight
Definitely the Peanut Butter Oreo Mousse Bars for me – so decadent!
Rachel Bustin
Baileys Cheesecake with Baileys Salted Caramel Sauce looks yummy! xx
debbie
i also loved the rasberry and rose desert such a conversation picker uppper lol xxx fab x
Anna
Hazelnut, Cranberry & Chocolate Biscotti – yum, I love Biscotti
Suzanne
The raspberry and rose dessert is a lovely combination.
Tracy K Nixon
Your Baileys Cheesecakes with Baileys Salted Caramel Sauce was my favourite! I made them on New Year’s day when I had family round for tea! Delicious!
rena plumridge
Grea blog
Angie McDonald
My favourite recipe was the one for Dauphinoise Potato Pies! It is so innovative and I want to try these out on my family at Easter!