cubes filled with custard and red wine pears.

for the cubes:
place all the ingredients for the croissant dough in a stand mixer with a hook, except for the butter and salt.

knead quickly, adding the butter in small pieces as it is incorporated. when the dough is smooth and well mixed, finish by adding the salt and a tablespoon of milk.

roll out the dough on a work surface, fold it into a rectangular shape, wrap it well in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the fridge for 18 hours.

the next day, remove the dough, roll it out again into a rectangle.

with a rolling pin, flatten the block of butter so that it is roughly the width of the dough and half its height. place the butter on the top half of the dough and enclose it by folding the dough over it.

rotate the dough 90° to the right, and roll it out again, stretching it vertically until it returns to its original dimensions. now, fold the top side halfway down, then fold the bottom side over it.

wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. then, remove it again and place it so that the seams are vertical in front of you.

roll out the dough again lengthwise, bringing it back to its original size. fold it again like a letter, as above. rotate it 90° to the right, so that the seams are in front of you, on your right.

at this point, the dough is ready for the croissants.

for the pears:
in a B!POD container, immerse the peeled pears in the wine and spice mixture. create a vacuum at 50 mbar and leave to infuse for at least 2 hours.

remove them from the liquid and dry them well with paper towels. then, cut them in 4 pieces vertically.

for the custard:
in a B!POD container, place the orange peel and vanilla in the milk to infuse. vacuum with DRO!D and let it rest for 30 minutes.

in a bowl, combine the sugar and starch with the egg yolks. slowly pour in the hot milk, incorporating it gradually to avoid lumps.

transfer the mixture to a saucepan and add the strained milk. continue stirring and cook over low heat until the custard thickens. let it cool completely.

assembly:
roll out the dough and cut it into four strips about 5 cm wide, and roll each strip around a slice of pear.

place the croissants in the square moulds, and brush the tops with a mixture of egg yolk and milk. bake in a static oven at 180 °C for about 25-30 minutes.

once baked and cooled for 5-10 minutes, fill them with the custard using a piping bag. serve warm, with the remaining custard on the side.