Bee and pear composed of
– pear mousse,
– praline crisp,
– pear jelly,
– sweet pastry.
Equipment used
– Silikomart Tartufino mould
– Silikomart Tourbillon 28 mould
– Baking paper
– Rolling pin
– Silikomart Quenelle mould
– Yellow and brown velvet sprays
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Ingredients
Hazelnut praline
✔150g hazelnuts
✔75g caster sugar
Praline crunch
✔20g praline
✔15g white chocolate
✔10g crêpes dentelles
Pear mousse
✔70g blended pears
✔30g single cream
✔10g caster sugar
✔1g gelatine
Pear jelly
✔ 90g blended pear
✔ 10g caster sugar
✔ 2g gelatine
Sweet pastry
✔ 80g flour
✔ 25g caster sugar
✔ 40g butter
The recipe
Makes 3 portions
Hazelnut praline
✔150g hazelnuts
✔75g 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 – which have been rubbed to remove as much of the skin as possible – and the caramel, cut into pieces, into the bowl of a food processor and blend until you have a praline.
You’ll have some praline left over to use in other recipes. It keeps very well in a sealed container. You’ll just need to give it a good stir before using it, as the oil from the hazelnuts rises to the surface.
Crunchy praline
✔20g praline
✔15g white chocolate
✔10g crêpes dentelles
Mix together the praline, melted white chocolate and crêpes dentelles. Roll out the mixture between two sheets of baking paper. Place in the freezer for a few minutes, then cut out shapes using a cutter with a diameter slightly smaller than the Silikomart quenelle mould. Keep in the freezer until ready to assemble.
Pear mousse
✔70g blended pears
✔30g single cream
✔10g caster sugar
✔1g gelatine
Soak the gelatine sheet in a bowl of cold water until softened.
Heat the blended pears (ripe pears or pears in syrup, blended) in a saucepan for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and add the drained, softened gelatine, stirring well. Set aside.
Whip the very cold single cream with an electric whisk, adding the icing sugar. Add the warmed pear purée. Assemble the dessert.
Montage
Fill the Silikomart Tartufino and Silikomart quenelle moulds with pear mousse.
Sprinkle the crunchy praline on top. Chill for at least 2 hours, then place in the freezer for at least 3/4 hour.
Chill in the fridge for at least an hour to allow the gelatine to set.
Then place in the freezer overnight.
Pear jelly
✔90g blended pears
✔10g caster sugar
✔2g gelatine
Place the gelatine sheet in a large bowl of cold water. Blend the pears, then heat them in a small saucepan. (If you want your ‘tourbillon’ to remain pale in colour, add a little lemon juice to prevent the pear from browning). Add a little sugar if your pears aren’t very sweet. Remove from the heat and stir in the drained, softened gelatine. Fill the Silikomart ‘tourbillon’ mould. Chill until the jelly sets, then transfer to the freezer.
Sweet pastry
✔ 80g flour
✔ 25g caster sugar
✔ 40g butter
Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl, spread the mixture onto a baking tray and bake for a few minutes at 175°C. Leave to cool. The pastry will harden as it cools. Set aside until you are ready to assemble your dessert.
Plating
Place your still-frozen pear swirl on your plate. Spread some sweet pastry around the edge.
Turn out your pear mousses. Apply yellow velvet spray to the pear quenelles and brown velvet spray to the pear balls (the bees’ heads).
I immediately piped (onto the still-frozen quenelles) lines of chocolate on top.
For the bees’ antennae: I melted a little milk chocolate. I put it into a piping bag. I used a slate that I’d previously placed in the freezer to make sure it was really cold. I cut the tip of my piping bag very finely and piped rounded lines of chocolate onto it. On contact with the very cold slate, the chocolate sets straight away.
Place two chocolate antennae on each plate, close to the brown marble.
