Pâte à bombe
What is pâte à bombe, anyway?
The pate a bombe is the sister of Italian meringue. In fact the procedure for the preparation of the pate à bombe is the same as the Italian meringue, only that instead of using egg white, it’s the yolks.
The pâte à bombe is a very light base due to the high air content due to the high protein content, but also It’s very rich mixture of cooked sugar syrup and egg yolks, whipped up into a light, creamy consistency.
It is used in all preparations that need to be well ventilated and light, such as semifreddi, butter creams, mousses, parfait, etc.
You can also use pâte à bombe as a base for ice cream. I’ve never tried that, but I’d be extremely interested.
There are 2 method to prepare a good pâte à bombe:
1. Preparation of a syrup from 118 to 121 ° C poured slowly into the yolks.
or
2. Heating in a water bath up to 65 ° C and whipping in a stand mixer.
Problems that can occur:
Inaccuracy in the syrup grades: If you are not careful, there is a risk of too high temperatures or even caramelization of the syrup.
Syrup that sticks to the edges of the mixing bowl with the consequent formation of lumps: During the phase of adding the syrup into the yolks, it is necessary to pour it near the edges of the bowl and not on the whisk, to avoid the sugar droplets solidifying on the cold mixer bowl. These drops will ruin the Pâte with bombs, creating lumps of sugar inside.
Ingredients:
200 gr Egg Yolks
360 gr Sugar
100 gr Water
Combine the sugar and water in a small, saucepan and bring the mixture to 121°C. Meanwhile, whip the egg yolks in a stand mixer until light and frothy. Pour the hot syrup very slowly into the egg yolks. Turn the mixer on high for about 10 seconds to incorporate. Continue in this way until all the sugar syrup has been used. Continue to whip on medium-high until the pâté à bombe has almost doubled in volume and the bowl cools down to being somewhat warm to the touch.
For a good pâte à bombe, it is important to follow some tricks:
All instruments must be perfectly clean and without residues of fat-rich materials
The sugar need to reach between 118 121, no more.
The yolks must be at room temperature
If you have a leftover mixture chill and use the rest within 2 days or freeze in 2 portions for up to 2 months. To use the frozen mixture, thaw for 10-15 mins, then beat lightly until softened.
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