A-Z: B is for Bostini

I'm finally back on track with my Baking Challenge. It's been a long time since I started with Apple Pie Cupcakes. I want to challenge myself on the variety and difficulty of the desserts I make. So for my 'B' dessert, I made Bostinis. They're a take on the classic Boston Cream Pie, but much more difficult. Oh, and the recipe is appalling. It's a good thing you're only eating a small portion because no part of this is good for you. All the elements turned out well, but it made way more than the stated 8 servings. I had a lot of leftover chiffon cake and quite a bit of custard. If you care to recreate Bostinis on your own, I provide you with the recipe. You may faint after reading it. There's enough cream and eggs in it to start your own dairy.

Bostinis
Custard:
3/4 cup whole milk

2 3/4 Tbl cornstarch

1 whole egg, beaten

9 egg yolks, beaten

3 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)

1/2 cup + 1 Tbl sugar

Combine the milk and cornstarch in a bowl, blend until smooth. Whisk in the whole egg and yolks, beating until smooth. Combine the cream, vanilla bean and sugar in a saucepan and carefully bring to a boil. When the mixture just boils, whisk a ladleful into the egg mixture to temper it (this prevents the eggs from cooking when you add the hot cream). Whisk all the egg mixture back into the cream. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain the custard and pour into small custard cups or dessert dishes. Chill until ready to assemble.
Chiffon Cake:

1 1/2 cups cake flour

3/4 cup superfine (caster) sugar

1 1/3 tsp baking powder

1/3 tsp salt

1/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup beaten egg yolks (3-4 yolks)

3/4 cup fresh orange juice

1 1/2 Tbl grated orange zest

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup egg whites (about 8 large)

1 tsp cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 325. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. You may also use custard cups or small molds. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Add the oil, egg yolks, orange juice, zest and vanilla. Stir until smooth, but do not overbeat. Beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whites into the cake batter. Pour the batter into the pan or molds. Bake 25 minutes, until the cake bounces back when lightly pressed. Do not overbake. Place pans on wire rack to cool completely. Remove cake from pans, cover to keep moist until ready to assemble.
Chocolate Glaze:

6 oz semi-sweet chocolate

2 oz bittersweet chocolate

1 stick unsalted butter

Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Place the butter into a saucepan and heat until it is just about to bubble. Remove from the heat; add the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Keep warm until ready to assemble.
To assemble:

Cut cake into rounds the same size as the custard cups. Place a round of cake flat side up on top of the custard in each dish. Pour warm chocolate glaze on top. Serve immediately.

As you can see in the photo, I used champagne flutes to serve the Bostinis. It was the perfect serving size, but makes it a little more difficult to assemble.