Orange Cream and Black Licorice Toaster Pastries

Black licorice can often be a divisive flavour, but when it’s paired with a creamy, orangey custard encased in a flaky pastry, it will have your tastebuds singing!

Loïc’s Orange Cream and Black Licorice Toaster Pastries gave him the edge to win Star Baker for Old School Week in Season 7 of The Great Canadian Baking Show.

Orange Cream and Black Licorice Toaster Pastries

By Loïc Fauteux-Goulet

Ingredients

Orange Cream Custard:

• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup 35% cream
• ½ cup (100 g) sugar
• 1½ tbsp cornstarch
• 3 egg yolks
• Zest of 2 oranges
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cold
• ½ tsp orange extract
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Orange gel food colouring

Pie Dough:

• 2¼ cups (320 g) all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ cup plus 7 tbsp (213 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• ⅓ cup (76 g) cream cheese, cold and cubed
• ¼ cup water, cold
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Marshmallow Fondant:

• 3 cups (130 g) mini marshmallows
• 2 tbsp water
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• ⅛ tsp black liquorice flavouring
• Black gel food colouring
• 2 cups (226 g) icing sugar, plus more for dusting

Decoration:

• Black edible marker

Royal Icing:

• 1 egg white
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1½ tbsp icing sugar
• ⅛ tbsp orange extract
• Orange gel food colouring

Preparation

Orange Cream Custard:

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, cook the milk and cream until it’s steaming and small bubbles appear around the edge of the mixture. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in the egg yolks and orange zest. Slowly drizzle in the milk mixture to temper the eggs, then add the mixture back into the saucepan and return to the heat, stirring continuously until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, extracts and food colouring. Transfer the custard to a small sheet pan and cover the surface with plastic wrap. Set aside to cool completely.

Pie Dough:

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour and baking powder. Add the butter and cream cheese, and pulse until the butter and cream cheese pieces are the size of peas. Add the water in small increments until the dough comes together. 

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 13-by-26-inch rectangle. Trim about ½-inch from each edge. Cut the shorter edge in half and the long edge into five equal strips; this will give you 10 5-by-6-inch rectangles. Place the rectangles on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill in the fridge until ready to use.

Once the orange cream custard has cooled, heat your oven to 350 F.

Brush each rectangle of pie dough with beaten egg. Add 2 tablespoons of custard to half of each rectangle. Fold the 6-inch edges in half over the filling to create 3-by-5-inch pastries. Seal the edges firmly with a fork. Cut small vent holes with the tip of a paring knife in the centre of each pastry; this will keep the pastries from bursting while baking (the vent hole will be covered later).

Place the pastries back on the prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until lightly golden, about 22 to 28 minutes. Cool completely.

Marshmallow Fondant:

While the pastries are baking and cooling, combine the mini marshmallows and water in a large microwave-safe bowl. Melt in the microwave, about 30 seconds. Add the coconut oil and stir to combine. Remove one-quarter of the mixture and set aside in a small bowl. Add the flavouring and food colouring to the remaining mixture.

Add ½ cup of the icing sugar to the white mixture and the remaining 1½ cups to the black mixture. Knead each until a smooth fondant is formed. 

On a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar, roll the black fondant very thin and cut into 10 2½-by-4 inch rectangles, rerolling scraps as needed. Use a large round piping tip to cut two holes into each rectangle to resemble a cassette.

On a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar, roll the white fondant very thin and cut out 10 rectangular “labels,” rerolling scrapes as needed. Write on each using the edible marker, as desired.

Royal Icing: 

Using a hand mixer, beat the egg white and lemon juice until foamy. Add the icing sugar in small increments. Add the extract and colouring, and stir until smooth. Place the icing into a piping bag fitted with a number two piping tip.

Use the royal icing to stick the cassettes to the pastries and a label onto each cassette. Pipe lines of royal icing, as desired, to complete the design. 

Makes 10 toaster pastries