Honey Cake Bars: Four Soft Honey Layers With Cooked Milk Cream – Make Them a Day Ahead for Christmas

Instructions

1. Make the base. In a bowl, whisk the egg and sugar by hand until pale. Stir in the honey, then the milk. Finally, stir in the baking soda and the butter pieces.

2. Warm it (the key step). Set the bowl over a pot of hot water. Stirring constantly, warm the mixture to 145–150°F (63–65°C). The butter must melt and a light foam should form on top.

3. Make the dough. Sift the flour into a food processor bowl, pour in the hot mixture and work it quickly into a dough. Do not mix it for long, or it will cool.

4. The warmth trick. Divide the dough into 4 pieces (about 7 oz / 210 g each). Leave one on the work surface. Put the other three in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set the bowl in a sink of warm water. Warm dough rolls out very easily.

5. Roll and bake. Roll each piece out directly on parchment paper to a 14×10-inch (35×25 cm) rectangle. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 5 minutes, until golden. Let the sheets cool on a flat surface.

6. Cook the cream base. Whisk the flour into the cold milk and strain it. Add the sugar and cook, stirring, to a thick paste. Cool it in a cold water bath, stirring occasionally.

7. Whip the cream. Beat the room-temperature butter until fluffy. Add the cooled paste a spoonful at a time. The result is a thick, stable cream.

8. Assemble. Set 3 tablespoons of the cream aside. Layer 1: a sheet plus half the cream. Layer 2: a sheet plus the plum jam. Layer 3: a sheet plus the other half of the cream. Layer 4: a sheet, flat side up.

9. Weigh it down. Cover the cake, weigh it down (for example with a baking sheet and cartons of milk) and refrigerate, ideally until the next day.

10. Finish. Spread the reserved cream on top. Melt the chocolate with the shortening over steam, let it cool to about 100°F (37°C) and pour it over the cake. Cut with a warmed knife.