Easter Royal composed of
– an almond dacquoise biscuit,
– a praline crisp,
– chocolate mousse,
– brown velvet spray.
Equipment used
– 14cm diameter dessert ring
– Ancel 210 bloom gelatine (gold grade)
– Brown velvet spray
Ingredients
Almond dacquoise
✔45g egg whites
✔45g ground almonds
✔40g icing sugar
✔15g caster sugar
Hazelnut and almond praline
✔50g hazelnuts
✔50g almonds
✔50g caster sugar
+Brown velvet spray
Crunchy praline
✔35g praline
✔25g milk chocolate
✔20g crêpes dentelles
Chocolate mousse
✔150g milk chocolate
✔150g milk
✔20g sugar
✔2 eggs (yolks and whites)
✔150g whipped cream
✔3g gelatine
The recipe
Serves 4 to 6
Almond dacquoise
✔45g egg whites
✔45g ground almonds
✔40g icing sugar
✔15g caster sugar
Preheat the oven to 170°C. Sift the ground almonds and icing sugar together. Beat the egg whites with the sugar until stiff. Gently fold in the dry ingredients. Pour into the tin and bake for 10–12 minutes until it begins to brown. Leave to cool before cutting out two circles with a smaller diameter than your ring.
Hazelnut and almond praline
✔50g hazelnuts
✔50g almonds
✔50g caster sugar
Spread the hazelnuts out on a baking tray and bake at 150°C for 15 minutes. In a saucepan, add the caster sugar and make a caramel. Pour onto a sheet of baking paper and leave to cool. Place the hazelnuts (rubbed beforehand to remove as much skin as possible), the almonds and the caramel (cut into pieces) into the bowl of a food processor and blend until you have a praline.
Praline crunch
✔35g praline
✔25g milk chocolate
✔20g crêpes dentelles
Mix the praline, melted milk chocolate and crumbled crêpes dentelles. Spread over one of the almond dacquoise rings and place in the freezer.
Chocolate mousse
✔150g milk chocolate
✔150ml milk
✔20g caster sugar
✔2 eggs (yolks and whites)
✔150ml whipped cream
✔3g gelatine
Soak the gelatine sheet in a bowl of cold water until softened. In a bowl, mix the egg yolks with the caster sugar.
Heat the milk in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and pour it over the egg yolk and sugar mixture, stirring continuously. Return the mixture to the saucepan over a low heat and cook until it reaches 82°C. Remove from the heat and add the gelatine, stirring well. Pour this hot custard over the chocolate, stirring with a whisk until it has melted. Set aside.
Heat the milk in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and pour it over the egg yolk and sugar mixture, stirring constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan over a low heat and cook until it reaches 82 °C. Remove from the heat and add the gelatine, stirring well. Pour this hot custard over the chocolate and whisk until it has melted. Set aside.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then fold them into the cream in two or three batches, gently folding with a spatula after each addition.
Assemble your cake.
Assembly
Line the base of your dessert ring with cling film.
Fill the base of your ring with chocolate mousse, making sure to cover the sides thoroughly.
Add the first dacquoise biscuit.
Top up with the remaining chocolate mousse.
Finish with the biscuit topped with the crunchy layer. Place in the freezer overnight.
The next day, turn your cake out of the tin and spray the top with brown velvet spray. (I placed a sheet of Rhodoid film all around it whilst applying the spray, then removed it).
For the decoration, I melted a little milk chocolate in the microwave and piped it onto the cake. I had placed some baking trays or slates in the freezer a few hours beforehand so that they were nice and cold. I piped the chocolate in a circular pattern; it hardened quickly on contact with the cold. Work quickly to shape it into a nest and place it on your cake.
