Bavarian cream facts for kids
Bavarian cream with strawberries and caramel sauce
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| Alternative names | Crème bavaroise, Bavarois |
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| Type | Custard |
| Course | Dessert |
| Main ingredients | Milk, eggs, gelatin, whipped cream |
Bavarian cream, crème bavaroise or simply bavarois is a dessert consisting of milk thickened with eggs and gelatin or isinglass, into which whipped cream is folded. The mixture sets up in a cold mold and is unmolded for serving. Earlier versions, sometimes called fromage bavarois, did not include eggs.
History
Bavarian cream is a classic dessert that was included in the repertoire of chef Marie-Antoine Carême, who is sometimes credited with it. It was named in the early 19th century for Bavaria or, perhaps more likely in the history of haute cuisine, for a particularly distinguished visiting Bavarian, such as a Wittelsbach.
In the United States, Bavarian creams first appeared in Boston Cooking School books by D. A. Lincoln in 1884, and by Fannie Farmer in 1896.
Preparation and serving
Bavarian cream is lightened with whipped cream when on the edge of setting up and before it is molded; a true bavarian cream is usually filled into a fluted mold, chilled until firm, then turned out onto a serving plate. By coating a chilled mold first with a fruit gelatin, a glazed effect can be produced. Imperfections in the unmolding are disguised with strategically placed fluted piping of whipped cream. In the United States, it is common to serve Bavarian Cream directly from the bowl it has been chilled in, similar to a French mousse. In this informal presentation, Escoffier recommended the bavarian cream be made in a "timbale or deep silver dish which is then surrounded with crushed ice".
It may be served with a fruit sauce or a raspberry or apricot purée or used to fill elaborate charlottes.
Though it does not pipe smoothly because of its gelatin, it could substitute for pastry cream as a filling for doughnuts. American "Bavarian Cream doughnuts" are filled with a version of a crème pâtissière (pastry cream), not true bavarois.
See also
In Spanish: Crema bávara para niños
