How to bake the nostalgic postwar Leningradsky Pastry with rich cream (RECIPE)

In the Soviet era, people in Moscow longed for cakes made by the “Praga” confectionery; but in the city of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) people set their eyes on the assortment of sweet and delicious desserts made by "Sever” (or “North” in English).

While "Sever” didn’t operate as a business during the 872-day Nazi siege, it rose from the ashes in 1944-1946. This rebirth was led by Victoria Tatarskaya, a brilliant food production engineer who put her knowledge and expertise to good use to help with the confectionery’s rise in a new, peaceful era.

Under Tatarskaya's leadership and extraordinary ability, legendary cakes such as "Leningradsky," "White Night," "Lunar," "Nord," "Slavic," and "Aurora" first appeared. There were also the “Leningradsky Pastry”, as well as “Sever” and “Nevskoye”, both of which are also a type of pastry. All of the above made their debut in the postwar era, hoping to inspire the people of Leningrad with prospects for a happier future and quick recovery after the end of the Nazi siege. 

So, what makes the Leningradsky Pastry especially interesting for sweet tooths? First of all, it is completely different from the famous Leningradsky Cake - a shortbread cake with chocolate and hazelnuts. The Leningradsky Pastry is a complex combination of two types of dough - puff pastry dough and custard dough. When combined with rich cream inside it almost resembles ice cream. As a result, we get a sophisticated pastry, much like a profiterole, with an ice-creamy filling in the heart. Let’s try to recreate this delicate and delightful dessert at home! We will make a batch of 18 pastries. 

Ingredients for 18 Leningradsky pastries:

For the custard dough:

• Milk - 125 ml 
• Water - 125 ml 
• Wheat flour - 150 g 
• Eggs - 4-5 pieces
• Butter - 100 g 
• Pinch of salt

For the lower layer:

• Puff pastry without yeast - 500 g 

For the cream:

• Heavy cream (33% fat) - 250 ml 
• Eggs - 2 pieces
• Milk - 500 ml 
• Sugar - 170 g 
• Wheat flour - 40 g 
• Vanilla sugar - 8 g 
• Powdered sugar - 1/2 tbsp 

Preparation:

1. We’ll start with the custard base for the cream. Heat milk in a saucepan, almost bringing it to a boil.

2. In a separate bowl whisk eggs, sugar, and vanilla sugar in a bowl.

3. Add flour, making sure that there are no lumps. 

4. Pour the hot milk slowly into the egg mixture, stirring constantly.

5. Return the mixture to the saucepan, increase the heat to medium, and stir until it reaches a boiling point; then boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

6. Cool the hot cream by placing the saucepan in cold water. Once warm, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate.

7. Now we’ll continue by cooking the custard dough. In a saucepan, combine milk, water, salt, and butter. Bring to a boil.

8. Quickly add all the flour, stirring until smooth.

9. Reduce the heat, and remove when the dough forms a lump with a film at the bottom. Cool for 5 minutes.

10. Gradually add eggs one by one, achieving a glossy, shiny dough.

11. Let’s prepare the puff pastry base. Roll out puff pastry into a 30 cm square. Trim the edges and divide into 10 x 10 cm squares.

12. Place them on a baking sheet. Add a tablespoon of custard dough in the center of each square.

13. Lift the ends of the puff pastry, pressing lightly to the custard. Bake at 180°C for 40-50 minutes without opening the oven. Cool the baked cakes.

14. Let’s prepare the cream. Whip well-cooled heavy cream. During this process, add powdered sugar for a fluffier texture.

15. Gradually add the custard base in portions, mixing well at low speed. The result is a velvety, ice-cream-like cream.

16. Let’s put together the pastries. Cut a small hole in the center of each.

Fill it with cream using a pastry bag or improvised method. 

17. Sprinkle the pastries with powdered sugar for the finishing touch. 

18. Enjoy your Leningradsky Pastries!

READ MORE: Nevsky pie: Master the art of baking a forgotten Soviet cake