Gateau Basque (French Pastry Cream Version) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

FOR DOUGH
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter (unsalted & softened)
3/4 cup flour
1/8 ounce yeast (5 gm)
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon rum
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
FOR PASTRY CREAM
1 cup milk
1/2 vanilla bean
2 1/4 cups flour
6 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon rum
2 egg yolks
1 egg yolk (beaten, for glaze)
powdered sugar (for dusting)

Preparation

Make dough by mixing all dough ingredients in a lrg bowl. Do not knead dough too much, but rather allow it to rise for 2-3 hours.
Make pastry cream by heating the milk in a saucepan together w/the vanilla bean split lengthwise. Remove from heat, cover & allow the vanilla to infuse for 20 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, rum & 2 egg yolks. Remove the vanilla bean from the saucepan & bring the milk back to a gentle boil. Gradually pour it over the flour/sugar mixture while whisking vigourously. Return mixture to the saucepan, reheat to a gentle boil (stirring freq), remove from heat & set aside.
Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
Roll out 2/3 of the dough to fit the base & sides of a shallow 9-in rd cake pan. Spread the filling over the dough, fold over the dough edges & brush them w/a little beaten egg yolk.
Roll out the remaining dough to cover the filling completely, glaze w/beaten egg yolk & bake for 45 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly, refrigerate till cold & dust w/powdered sugar prior to serving. Garnish w/red berries as desired.