Vanilla praline cigar
– a hazelnut biscuit,
– hazelnut praline
– a praline crunch,
– a vanilla mousse,
– a milk chocolate shell,
– cocoa powder.
Equipment used
– Tefal baking tray
– Rolling pin
– Plain pastry bag
(amazon paid links)
Ingredients
Hazelnut biscuit
✔30g sugar
✔1 egg
✔35g hazelnut powder
✔10g hazelnut butter
✔7g flour
✔1 egg white
Hazelnut and almond praline
✔100g hazelnuts
✔100g almonds
✔100g caster sugar
Praline crisp
✔30g white chocolate
✔35g hazelnut praline
✔20g crêpes dentelles
Vanilla mousse
✔60g full cream
✔60g white chocolate
✔2g gelatine
✔120g whipping cream
✔1 vanilla pod
Assembly
✔Milk chocolate
✔neutral oil
✔Cocoa powder
The recipe
For 6 cigars
Hazelnut and almond praline
✔100g hazelnuts
✔100g almonds
✔100g caster sugar
Pour the hazelnuts and almonds onto a baking tray and place in the oven at 150°C for 15 minutes. Pour the caster sugar into a saucepan and make a caramel. Pour onto a sheet of greaseproof paper and leave to cool. Place the hazelnuts, having first rubbed them to remove as much skin as possible, the almonds and the chopped caramel in the bowl of a blender and blend until you obtain the praline. Store in a sealed container. You’ll have some praline left over for other recipes.
Hazelnut biscuit
✔30g sugar
✔1 egg
✔35g hazelnut powder
✔10g hazelnut butter
✔7g flour
✔1 egg white
In a bowl mix the powders together: flour, caster sugar, hazelnut powder.
Add 1 egg and the melted butter. Mix well.
Whisk the egg white with an electric mixer. Take a small portion of the egg whites and mix with the powders to loosen the mixture. Add the remaining egg whites, stirring gently with a spatula.
Pour the mixture onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Smooth with an angled spatula to ensure an even layer.
Bake in a 170°C oven for approximately 12 to 15 minutes.
Using a ruler, cut your hazelnut biscuit into long sticks about 20 cm long (the size you want for your cigars).
Croustillant praliné
✔30g white chocolate
✔35g hazelnut praliné
✔20g crêpes dentelles
Mix the praline, melted white chocolate and crumbled crêpes dentelles. Roll out between two sheets of greaseproof paper and freeze for a few minutes. Using a ruler, cut out crisp sticks about 20 cm long and 1 to 1.5 cm wide. Set aside in the freezer until ready to assemble.
Place a piece of crisp on each hazelnut biscuit stick. Set aside in the freezer until ready to assemble.
Vanilla mousse
✔60g full cream
✔60g white chocolate
✔2g gelatine
✔120g whipping cream
✔1 vanilla pod
Place the gelatine leaf in a bowl of cold water.
In a saucepan, heat the 60g single cream with the vanilla pod, scraped out with the tip of a knife, or the vanilla powder. Cover and leave to infuse for at least 20 minutes.
Place 60g of white chocolate pistoles in a bowl and melt in the microwave.
Return the cream to the heat. Remove from the heat and add the drained gelatine and melted white chocolate. Remember to remove the vanilla pod. Mix well and set aside.
Whip the cold cream with an electric mixer. Pour in the previous mixture when it is < 35°C and stir gently.
Assembly
Prepare several pieces of guitar paper about 30 cm long and 20 cm wide.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a plain tip with vanilla mousse.
Poach about twenty centimetres of vanilla mousse.
Place the biscuit with the crisp on top of the mousse.
Poach hazelnut and almond praline all over.
Roll up the guitar paper. Close the ends with tape or rubber bands and place in the freezer.
Remove the guitar paper. Cut off one end with a straight knife. Try to round off the other end. Put back in the freezer quickly.
Melt the milk chocolate with a little neutral oil or cocoa butter in a narrow, elongated container.
Remove the cigars one by one, keeping the others in the freezer. Push a wooden spike into the right-hand end and quickly dip the cigar into the melted chocolate when the temperature is around 30°C.
Brush with cocoa powder.
Repeat the operation for all the cigars.
I made a little cocoa paste to decorate my serving dish and placed my cigars on top. Chill until ready to eat.
