Chestnut and pear log cake composed of
– chestnut mousse,
– pear compote filling,
– hazelnut biscuit,
– praline crunch,
– mirror glaze,
– a scoop of Faur chestnut sorbet,
– a cocoa tuile.
Equipment used
– Silikomart Buchette 140 mould
– Lace mat
– Ancel 210 Bloom gelatine (gold quality)
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Ingredients
Crunchy hazelnut praline
✔30g white chocolate
✔40g hazelnut praline
✔30g crêpes dentelles
Hazelnut praline
✔150g hazelnuts
✔75g caster sugar
Pear compote
✔1 ripe pear
✔vanilla powder
✔10g caster sugar
✔1g NH pectin
Hazelnut biscuit
✔30g hazelnut powder
✔7g flour
✔20g caster sugar
✔10g melted butter
✔1 egg yolk
✔1 egg white
Syrup for soaking
Chestnut mousse
✔150g chestnut cream
✔150g single cream (50+100)
✔3g gelatine
Mirror glaze
✔70g water
✔110g caster sugar
✔20g glucose syrup
✔70g single cream
✔50g milk chocolate
✔50g white chocolate
✔8g gelatine
✔30g hazelnut praline
Faur chestnut ice cream
Cocoa tuile
✔25g sugar
✔12g flour
✔12g melted butter
✔15g egg white
✔3/4g cocoa powder
The recipe
For 4 entremets
Hazelnut praline
✔150g hazelnuts
✔75g caster sugar
Spread the hazelnuts on a baking tray and bake at 150°C for 15 minutes. Pour the caster sugar into a saucepan and make a caramel. Pour onto a sheet of baking paper and leave to cool. Place the hazelnuts, which have been rubbed to remove as much skin as possible, and the caramel, cut into pieces, in a blender and blend until you obtain praline. You will have some praline left over to use in other recipes. It keeps very well in a sealed container. Just mix it well again before use, as the oil from the hazelnuts rises to the surface.
Crunchy hazelnut praline
✔30g white chocolate
✔40g hazelnut praline
✔30g crêpes dentelles
Melt the white chocolate in the microwave. Add the crumbled crêpes dentelles and praliné. Mix gently. Roll out between two sheets of baking paper and place in the freezer. Remove from the freezer and cut out using a cookie cutter the same diameter as your mould. Place in the freezer until ready to assemble.
Pear compote
✔1 ripe pear
✔vanilla powder
✔10g caster sugar
✔1g NH pectin
In a small bowl, mix the caster sugar and NH pectin.
Peel and finely dice a pear.
In a saucepan, heat 3/4 of the diced pears with a little vanilla powder for a few minutes.
Increase the heat and, as soon as it starts to boil, pour the sugar/pectin mixture over the diced pears. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Allow to cool slightly, add the remaining quarter of the diced pears, mix, then pour into the cavities of the Silikomart finger mould, leaving a little space for the biscuit. Place in the fridge for 1 hour, then in the freezer for at least 3 to 4 hours.
Hazelnut biscuit
✔30g hazelnut powder
✔7g flour
✔20g caster sugar
✔10g melted butter
✔1 egg yolk
✔1 egg white
In a bowl, mix the whole egg with the caster sugar. Add the hazelnut powder, flour and melted butter. Mix well. In another bowl, beat the egg whites with a mixer. Gently fold them into the mixture using a spatula. Pour the biscuit mixture onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. I used a silicone mould here. Bake the biscuit for about ten minutes at 180°C. The biscuit should come out golden brown.
Allow your biscuit to cool, then cut it to the dimensions of your Silikomart finger mould.
Make a small syrup for your biscuit by bringing 10g of water and 10g of caster sugar to the boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add 3 to 4 capfuls of rum for flavour (optional).
Using a brush, soak both sides of your biscuit before placing it on top of your pear compote.
Return to the freezer.
Brown mousse
✔150g chestnut cream
✔150g single cream (50+100)
✔3g gelatine
Soften the gelatine sheet in a bowl of cold water.
Heat 50g of single cream in a saucepan with the chestnut cream. Remove from the heat and add the softened and squeezed gelatine.
Whip the remaining single cream (100g), which should be very cold, with an electric mixer. Gently fold it into the previous mixture when it has cooled to below 30°C.
Proceed with the assembly.
Assembly
Fill your Silikomart Buchette 140 mould with chestnut mousse, making sure to cover all the edges.
Take out your frozen inserts and cut them in half.
Add the filling made from pear compote and hazelnut biscuit soaked in syrup.
Fill with chestnut mousse.
Finish with the praline crunch.
Place in the freezer overnight.
The next day, remove your desserts from the moulds, place them on a rack and immediately apply the mirror glaze.
Mirror glaze
✔70g water
✔110g caster sugar
✔20g glucose syrup
✔70g single cream
✔50g milk chocolate
✔50g white chocolate
✔8g gelatine
✔30g hazelnut praline
Place the gelatine sheets in a large bowl of cold water.
In a fairly tall container, add 50g white chocolate and 50g milk chocolate and melt in the microwave.
In a saucepan, heat 110g caster sugar, 70g water and 20g glucose syrup until it comes to a rolling boil.
Remove from the heat and add the gelatine. Mix well.
Then pour this mixture over the melted chocolate. Stir well. Finally, add 70g of single cream (30% fat) and the hazelnut praline. Use a hand blender to achieve a smooth mixture. Be careful to tilt your bowl when you immerse your blender to incorporate as little air as possible. Also run your blender at low speed to limit the formation of bubbles.
Cocoa tile
✔25g sugar
✔12g flour
✔12g melted butter
✔15g egg white
✔3/4g cocoa powder
Mix all the ingredients together. Fill the silicone lace mould. Smooth with an offset spatula to remove any excess.
Bake in a hot oven at 180°C for 6-8 minutes (may vary depending on your oven). Remove from the mould as soon as they come out of the oven. Be careful, they harden very quickly and become brittle. Handle with care.
Dressage
Place your pear and chestnut log on your serving plate.
Just before serving, add the chestnut ice cream quenelle with candied chestnut pieces (I use the Faur brand) moulded using the Silikomart quenelle mould and your cocoa tuiles.
