Totoro Cream Buns:

Equipment: Round Cookie Cutter, 6cm (d).

Recipe: 6 Filled Buns

Cookie dough (Craquelin):

Yeasted Dough for Shaping (about 280g in total):

Diplomat Cream:

Preparation instructions:

Cookie dough (Craquelin):

1. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix the butter and sugar together.
2. Add in the flour and mix to combine. The add in the milk and mix to a dough with a pasty consistency.
3. Roll the dough to a thin layer about 3mm thick, and freeze (30-60 minutes).
4. Once the dough has sufficiently set, using a round cookie cutter (6cm [d]), cut out 6 circles (which will be used as Totoro’s “stomach”).
5. Keep all pieces refrigerated until use.

Dough:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the flours, yeast, sugar and salt. Whisk them well to combine.
2. Add in the milk and water, and knead until a dough ball is formed.
3. Add in the butter and knead it into the dough. Keep kneading until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, and pass the window pane test (manual kneading of about 15-20 minutes).
4. Proof at room temperature for 30 minutes, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for additional 30 minutes.

Pastry Cream:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together 15g of the milk and cornstarch, until smooth and without any lumps. Add the eggs and whisk thoroughly to combine.
2. In a saucepan, over medium heat, cook the remaining 45g of the milk with the sugar, and bring it to a simmer.
3. Gradually temper the eggs mixture with the hot milk.
4. Transfer the tempered mixture back into the saucepan, through a strainer to capture any cooked egg bits.
5. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the cream is thickly bubbling.
6. Take the saucepan off the heat and add the butter and vanilla extract. Whisk well and transfer the cream to a clean bowl.
7. Attach a plastic wrap directly on the surface of the cream and allow it to cool down at room temperature for 1 hour. Then refrigerate for at least 2 hours (the smaller amount of cream takes faster to chill).

Diplomat Cream:

1. In a separate bowl, using an electric handheld mixer, whip the heavy cream to very stiffly whipped cream.
2. Fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream in 3 parts.
3. Transfer the cream to a piping bag fitted with a large Bismarck piping tip and keep refrigerated until use.

Baking and assembly:

1. Deflate the dough lightly, and divide it into 45g x 6 pieces. Round each piece into a smooth ball.
2. Evenly arrange the dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and shape them so they are a little bit egg like shape. Proof for 1 hour at room temperature.
3. Gently flatten the proofed balls to 1.5cm thick and re-adjust their shape so it is egg-like again. Proof again for 30 minutes.
4. Place the cookie circles on top of the dough balls, so that they extend half way from the dough balls (see video demonstration).
5. Bake in a pre-heated oven set to 150C (fan mode off), placing a baking rack at the lowest level inside the oven, for 20 minutes, until the buns have browned. Cool completely before filling and decorating.
6. Using a sharp paring knife, cut slits into the heads and insert almonds as ears. Using a Bismarck piping tip, or a smooth round and long piping tip, make a hold in the upper part of each bun so it would be possible to fill it with the cream. Make sure you properly “dig” with the piping tip into the bun to make enough room for the filling.
7. Fill the buns with the diplomat cream.
8. Use some melted dark chocolate to draw the face and body details. For the eyes, I have used some white fondant, cut into small circles using a small round piping tip (0.5cm). For the head piece, I’ve cut some green fondant using a leaf press cookie cutter that has a leaf pattern.