Chestnut dessert consisting of
– chestnut mousse,
– pear compote,
– hazelnut crisp,
– brown velvet spray,
– meringue,
– chestnut sorbet quenelle.
Equipment used
– Brown velvet spray
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Ingredients
Hazelnut crunch
✔30g white chocolate
✔45g hazelnut praline
✔30g crêpes dentelles
Hazelnut praline
✔150g hazelnuts
✔75g caster sugar
+100g pear compote
Chestnut mousse
✔2g gelatine
✔35g single cream
✔100g single cream
✔100g chestnut cream
+ Brown velvet spray
Meringue
✔80g egg whites
✔160g sugar
✔12g cornflour
✔6g lemon juice
The recipe
For 3 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 hazelnuts
✔30g white chocolate
✔45g hazelnut praline
✔30g crêpes dentelles
Melt the white chocolate in the microwave. Add the crumbled crêpes dentelles and praline. 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
Cut a ripe pear into small cubes. Cook in a small saucepan for a few minutes over low heat, then add the sugar/pectin mixture. Continue cooking for 1 minute, set aside to cool slightly, then fill and spread into an insert mould smaller than your dessert mould. Here, I used a half-sphere mould.
Chestnut mousse
✔2g gelatine
✔35g single cream
✔100g single cream
✔100g chestnut cream
Soften the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water. Heat 35g of single cream with the chestnut cream in a saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the drained and softened gelatine. Mix. Set aside.
Beat the remaining 100g of very cold single cream with an electric mixer. Gently fold in the cooled mixture from above.
Assemble the cake.
Assembly
Fill the Silikomart Montblanc mould halfway with brown mousse.
Add the pear insert.
Fill with the remaining brown mousse.
Finish with the crunchy hazelnut biscuit. Place in the freezer overnight.
The next day, remove the frozen desserts from their moulds and immediately apply the brown velvet spray. Place in a cool place for at least 3 to 4 hours to allow them to thaw before serving.
Meringue
✔80g egg whites
✔160g sugar
✔12g cornflour
✔6g lemon juice
Pour the egg whites, caster sugar, cornflour and lemon juice into a mixing bowl. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until you obtain a firm, smooth meringue. Fill a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle with the meringue mixture. Pipe onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Bake at 90°C for 2½ hours, then leave in the oven for another 30 minutes with the heat turned off.
Place the dessert on top of the meringue. Crumble a little meringue onto your serving plate. I added a chocolate ball.
Just before serving, I added a scoop of chestnut sorbet (Faur artisan ice cream from Ariège) moulded in a Silikomart quenelle mould.
