Chinois


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.
270 K 3.9/5 (34 reviews)
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Last modified on: September 10th 2018
For 2 Chinois, you will need:

Change these quantities to make:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 50 min.
Resting: 4 hours
Cooking: 40 min.
All in all: 5 hours 30 min.
When should you start or finish this recipe?
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time

Step by step recipe


Stage 1 - 10 min.
Chinois
After preparing 1 kg 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.

Stage 2 - 3 min.
Chinois
Put this rectangle on a bigger sheet of cooking parchment. If necessary, reshape your rectangle after this transfer operation.

Stage 3 - 5 min.
Chinois
Spread a layer of 600 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.
Chinois
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.

Stage 5
Chinois
Continue until completely rolled up.

Stage 6 - 2 hours
Chinois
Put roll on a baking sheet, and refrigerate for about 2 hours, until the roll becomes quite firm.

Stage 7 - 3 min.
Chinois
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.

Stage 8 - 10 min.
Chinois
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.

Stage 9 - 2 hours
Chinois
Cover mould with a plastic sheet, and leave in a warm place for 2 hours.

Stage 10 - 3 min.
Chinois
After this time, preheat oven to 180°C or 356°F. Glaze top of cake.

Stage 11 - 40 min.
Chinois
Put in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Stage 12 - 10 min.
Chinois
Turn out on a wire rack.

When cake is cool, you can decorate it with 200 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.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
Proteins (gr)Carbohydrates (gr)Fats (gr)Energy value (in k-calories)Energy value (in k-joules)
Whole recipe1,340 RDI=510 %6,140 RDI=580 %2,770 RDI=420 %5,970 RDI=300 %25,010 RDI: 300 %
Per 100 g80 RDI=30 %370 RDI=40 %170 RDI=30 %360 RDI=20 %1,530 RDI: 20 %
The % figures are calculated in relation to the Recommended Dietary Intake , or RDI of 2,000 k-calories (or 8,400 k-joules) per day for a woman Change to a man
Possible allergens in this recipe: Milk, egg, Gluten, leaven
How much will it cost?
  • For 2 Chinois : 6.40 €
  • Per Chinois : 3.20 €

Change currency:

Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Brioche dough
Brioche dough

You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: St Tropez tart, Galette de Fougerolles, Flaky chocolate brioche, Agen prune cake, Mini apricot and pistachio brioches, ... See them all 13

Confectioner's custard (Crème pâtissière, or French pastry cream)
Confectioner's custard (Crème pâtissière, or French pastry cream)

You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Diplomat cream, Pear and lime meringue pie, Millefeuille, Paris-Brest, Raisin breads (pains aux raisins), ... See them all 19

Beaten egg
Beaten egg

You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Wiener Schnitzel, Agen prune cake, Vol-au-vent cases, Pains briochés aux raisins, Kouign-amann brioche, ... See them all 79

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The 2 comments already posted 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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