Chocolate Shortcrust

Ingredients: Chocolate Shortcrust

  • 95 g
    butter
  • 90 g
    icing sugar
  • 1/2 piece(s)
    vanilla bean
  • 1/2 piece(s)
    orange zest
  • 53 g
    Eggs, whole
  • 2 g
    salt
  • 28 g
    almond flour
  • 18 g
    Albumen
  • 50 g
    potato starch
  • 163 g
    cake flour
  • CB

Preparation: Chocolate Shortcrust

  1. Place the butter in a mixing bowl and zest the orange in the bowl. When zesting the orange, be careful not to include the white pith as it is bitter.
  2. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the bowl.
  3. Put the flour, almond flour, cocoa powder and potato starch in a mixing bowl and mix well.
  4. Sift the dry mixture on a piece of parchment paper.
  5. Mix the butter, zest, vanilla and icing sugar on low to medium speed.
  6. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and salt until the salt is dissolved.
  7. Once the butter and sugar mix is well incorporated, add the eggs and the dry ingredients and mix on low speed.
  8. The dough is ready when it comes together and doesn't stick to your hands.
  9. Shape half the dough into a rough cylinder and place it between two pieces of parchment paper.
  10. Roll to a thickness of 2 mm (0.08").
  11. Reserve the rolled dough in the freezer for an hour.
  12. Once the dough is frozen, peel the parchment paper off carefully.
  13. Using a metal tart ring, cut two circles of dough.
  14. Place the tart rings on the silpat and place one dough circle in each ring.
  15. Cut strips of dough that are 2 cm (0.8") high and place around each mold. Cut the excess dough with a pairing knife.
  16. Bake at 160°C (320°F) for 15 minutes. Let it cool completely, unmold then freeze for an hour.
  17. Mix equal amounts of cocoa butter and melted chocolate and pour in a spray gun.
  18. Spray the tart base all around with the mix.
  19. Reserve the base in the freezer until ready to use.

Tools

  • Metal Tray
  • Whisk
  • Bowl(s)
  • Parchment paper
  • Spray gun
  • Mixing bowl (s)
  • Ruler (s)
  • Rolling pin
  • Small paring knife
  • Microplane
  • Tabletop mixer, mixing bowl and a paddle attachment
  • Spatula
  • Silpat, perforated
  • 15 cm (5.9") x 2 cm (0.8") circular metal tart mold
  • Sieve

Ladyfinger Biscuits

Ingredients: Ladyfinger Biscuits

  • 170 g
    egg whites
  • 200 g
    Sugar #1
  • 135 g
    egg yolks
  • 7 g
    honey
  • 50 g
    potato starch
  • 7 g
    baking powder
  • 120 g
    Sugar #2
  • 200 g
    Espresso coffee, freshly made

Preparation: Ladyfinger Biscuits

  1. Place the egg whites in a mixer bowl and start whipping on medium speed.
  2. Slowly add the sugar and mix for 6 to 7 minutes.
  3. Warm the honey in the microwave and add to the egg white and sugar mix.
  4. Mix until soft and shiny peaks form.
  5. Break up the egg yolks and add them in a slow stream to the whipped whites.
  6. Place the cake flour, potato starch and baking powder together in a bowl and mix well.
  7. Sift the dry mixture twice on a parchment paper.
  8. With the mixer on slow speed, add a third of the dry mixture and bring the speed of the mixer up to the maximum for a second or two. Repeat twice with the rest of the dry mix.
  9. Set your raplette height to 0.3 cm (0.12").
  10. Place a silpat on the table with a parchment sheet under one of the short sides.
  11. Place the raplette on the opposite side of the silpat, pour the dough mix in the raplette and spread towards the side with the parchment paper.
  12. Alternatively, if you don't have a raplette, you can spread the dough on the silpat with an offset spatula.
  13. Bake in a preheated 190°C (375°F) oven for 4 - 5 minutes or until golden.
  14. Let it cool completely.
  15. Flip the sheet of ladyfinger on a parchment paper then carefully peel the silpat away.
  16. Use a circular tart cutter that matches the tart mold and cut 4 circles of dough.
  17. Warm the espresso in the microwave.
  18. Whisk the espresso and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved.
  19. Baste each ladyfinger circle with the espresso and sugar mix.
  20. Place the basted ladyfingers in the freezer.

Tools

  • Metal Tray
  • Whisk
  • Microwave
  • Bowl(s)
  • Parchment paper
  • Mixing bowl (s)
  • Brush
  • Silpat
  • Tabletop mixer, mixing bowl and a whisk
  • Spatula
  • Raplette
  • 15 cm (5.9") ring cutter
  • Sieve

English Cream

Ingredients: English Cream

  • 150 g
    Whole milk
  • 100 g
    Heavy cream 35% fat
  • 55 g
    egg yolks
  • 25 g
    sugar
  • 1/2 piece(s)
    vanilla bean

Preparation: English Cream

  1. Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan.
  2. Cut the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape the seeds and add them to the saucepan.
  3. Heat all the ingredients on medium heat while whisking.
  4. Bring the cream up to 82°C (180°F) then take off the heat.
  5. Use immediately to prepare the chocolate mousse

Tools

  • Cooktop
  • Saucepan
  • Whisk
  • Thermometer
  • Bowl(s)
  • Small paring knife
  • Spatula

Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients: Chocolate Mousse

Preparation: Chocolate Mousse

  1. Place the chocolate in a bowl on the scale.
  2. Add 100g (3.5 oz) of the hot English cream to the chocolate.
  3. Whisk until the chocolate melts.
  4. Whip the heavy cream in the mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.
  5. Blend the chocolate mix with an immersion blender until shiny and light.
  6. Once the whipped cream forms stiff peaks, mix some of it into the chocolate to lighten it.
  7. Fold the rest of the cream delicately into the chocolate mix.
  8. Place the chocolate mousse into a piping bag.
  9. Pipe a small amount of chocolate mousse on the bottom of each tart shell.
  10. Top with a circle of ladyfinger biscuit and tap down with your fingertips.
  11. Repeat one more time.
  12. Top the second ladyfinger biscuit with a layer of chocolate mousse and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
  13. Reserve the tarts in the freezer.

Tools

  • Whisk
  • Immersion blender
  • Piping Bag
  • Scissors
  • Bowl(s)
  • Offset spatula
  • Mixing bowl (s)
  • Scale
  • Tabletop mixer, mixing bowl and a whisk
  • Spatula

Mascarpone Crémeux

Ingredients: Mascarpone Crémeux

  • 100 g
    Gelatine 120 bloom
  • 100 g
    English Cream
  • 90 g
    sugar
  • 500 g
    mascarpone

Preparation: Mascarpone Crémeux

  1. Mix the water and gelatin together and reserve.
  2. Place 100g (3.5") of English cream at 82°C (180°F) in a tall recipient and add the sugar.
  3. Blend with an immersion blender for a minute.
  4. Add the gelatin and blend for a few seconds.
  5. Add the mascarpone in two additions and blend with the immersion blender until well blended.
  6. Carefully pour the mascarpone cremeux into the entremet mold.
  7. Place in the blast chiller or freezer until solid enough to unmold.

Tools

  • Metal Tray
  • Tall recipient
  • Immersion blender
  • Bowl(s)
  • Spoon
  • Spatula
  • 15 cm (5.9") circular silicone entremet mold

Coffee Glaze

Ingredients: Coffee Glaze

Preparation: Coffee Glaze

  1. Mix the water and the gelatin together and reserve.
  2. Put the espresso, sugar, glucose and instant coffee in a saucepan and bring to the boil while constantly mixing with a spatula.
  3. Place the chocolate in a tall recipient.
  4. Pour the hot coffee and sugar mix on the chocolate and blend with an immersion blender until well incorporated.
  5. Add the gelatin and blend some more.
  6. Add the condensed milk and blend well.
  7. Cover with plastic film making sure the plastic touches the surface of the glaze.
  8. Reserve in the refrigerator.

Tools

  • Cooktop
  • Saucepan
  • Tall recipient
  • Immersion blender
  • Bowl(s)
  • Plastic film
  • Spoon
  • Spatula

Decorations

Preparation: Decorations

For the chocolate circles:

  1. Pour some pre-crystallized chocolate on a plastic sheet and cover with another plastic sheet.
  2. Use a rolling pin to spread the chocolate into a thin layer.
  3. Cut concentric circles in the chocolate through the plastic sheet using the ring cutters.
  4. Place the plastic sheet between two sheets of parchment
  5. paper and between two metal trays.
  6. Place at 16°C (61°F) and reserve.

For the chocolate strips:

  1. Pour some pre-crystallized chocolate on the plastic strip and spread evenly.
  2. Score the strip horizontally in 2.
  3. Place the strip of plastic around a 16 cm (6.3") metal ring and secure with tape.
  4. Place the larger metal ring around the smaller one to prevent the chocolate strip from moving.
  5. Place at 16°C (61°F) and reserve.

Tools

  • Bowl(s)
  • Parchment paper
  • Offset spatula
  • Guitar sheets
  • Ruler (s)
  • Rolling pin
  • Cortador
  • Small paring knife
  • Metal Tray (s)
  • Tape
  • 16 cm (6.3”) metal ring
  • Plastic strip, 4 cm x 52cm (1.6" x 20.5")
  • 18 cm (7") metal ring

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