Chinois
"Chinese" - what a strange name for this cake! A kind of brioche, filled with confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière) which can be decorated with fondant icing.
Last modified on: September 10th 2018
Keywords for this recipe:For 1 Chinois, you will need:
- 1
500 g Brioche dough - 2
300 g Confectioner's custard (Crème pâtissière, or French pastry cream) - 3
20 g beaten egg - 4
100 g fondant icing (optional) - Total weight: 820 grams
How long does it take?
Time required for this recipe:
| Preparation | Resting | Cooking | Start to finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 49 min. | 4 hours | 40 min. | 5 hours 29 min. |
At what time:
- When will I finish if I start the recipe at ... ?
When should I start for the recipe to be ready at ... ? - Work this out...
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 10 min.
After preparing 500 g Brioche dough, refridgerate for 1 or 2 hours or overnight, so that the dough becomes firm.
Then roll out dough (sprinkle generously with flour) into a large rectangle about 1 cm or 0.5 inch thick.
Then roll out dough (sprinkle generously with flour) into a large rectangle about 1 cm or 0.5 inch thick.
Stage 2 - 3 min.
Put this rectangle on a bigger sheet of cooking parchment. If necessary, reshape your rectangle after this transfer operation.
Stage 3 - 5 min.
Spread a layer of 300 g Confectioner's custard (Crème pâtissière, or French pastry cream) all over dough rectangle, 0.5 cm or 0.25 inch thick (add more if you wish).
Stage 4 - 5 min.
Now your goal is to roll up the dough to form a cylinder.
It looks difficult, but in fact it's quite easy, thanks to the paper sheet. Use it to start rolling, without touching the dough, and so form the roll.
It looks difficult, but in fact it's quite easy, thanks to the paper sheet. Use it to start rolling, without touching the dough, and so form the roll.
Stage 5
Continue until completely rolled up.
Stage 6 - 2 hours
Put roll on a baking sheet, and refrigerate for about 2 hours, until the roll becomes quite firm.
Stage 7 - 3 min.
After this time, remove roll from the fridge and with a large sharp knife, trimm off the ends to neaten.
Note: you can cook these bits later.
Note: you can cook these bits later.
Stage 8 - 10 min.
Then cut the roll into slices about 3 cm or 1.5 inches thick, and arrange them in a round mould or tray, touching one touching another.
That's why firm dough is absolutely essential, otherwise the slices will squash during cutting.
That's why firm dough is absolutely essential, otherwise the slices will squash during cutting.
Stage 9 - 2 hours
Cover mould with a plastic sheet, and leave in a warm place for 2 hours.
Stage 10 - 3 min.
After this time, preheat oven to 180°C or 356°F. Glaze top of cake.
Stage 11 - 40 min.
Put in the oven for about 30 minutes.
Stage 12 - 10 min.
Turn out on a wire rack.
When cake is cool, you can decorate it with 100 g fondant icing, melted in bain-marie or microwave oven.
When cake is cool, you can decorate it with 100 g fondant icing, melted in bain-marie or microwave oven.
Remarks
You can also put on the custard before rolling up: raisins, small pieces of dried apricot, chocolates chips, etc.
Keeping
1 or 2 days in the fridge, folded in a plastic film.
Nutritional information
| Whole recipe | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Energetic value | Proteins | Carbohydrates | Fats |
| 668 Kcal or 2,797 Kj | 66 gr | 377 gr | 132 gr |
| 33 % | 25 % | 36 % | 20 % |
| Per 100 g | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Energetic value | Proteins | Carbohydrates | Fats |
| 81 Kcal or 339 Kj | 8 gr | 46 gr | 16 gr |
| 4 % | 3 % | 4 % | 2 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 1 Chinois : 3.13 €
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
Source
Home made.
This recipe uses (among others)
 | Brioche dough: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: St Tropez tart, Brioche galette, Brioche Tatin, Agen prune cake, 3-fruit brioche loaf, ... All |
 | Confectioner's custard (Crème pâtissière, or French pastry cream): You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: St Tropez tart, Pistachio cream, Almond cream or frangipane, Saint Honoré cake, Peach and green tea tart, ... All |
 | Beaten egg: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Mouna, Chouquettes, Rustic chicken and mushroom pie, Avocado mousse with sorrel, Sesame cookies, ... All |
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Your 2 comments or questions on this recipe
- Quite strange, problem with the brioche dough maybe?Posted by jh december 3rd 2015 at 15:26 (n° 2)
- I actually baked this recipe and followed directions. I also used your Brioche and Custard recipes also. My results looked exactly like yours in the picture, except for one thing, when my Chinois cooled, the bread inside the "Rolls" shrank to almost nothing! I am not sure why, but that was disappointing.Posted by Anonymous december 2nd 2015 at 11:43 (n° 1)
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