Hazelnut Entremet

Touches of orange and vanilla uplift the chocolate flavours of this petit gateaux.

Swap the puffed rice to gluten free and make this a guilt free delight!

There are various layers and textures in this dessert, so it is best tackled by creating each element one at a time. good luck and enjoy.

1. CHOCOLATE PAIN DE GENE

INGREDIENTS

220g (7.76oz) almond paste/marzipan

60g (2.12oz) caster (superfine) sugar

25g (0.88oz) egg yolks

120g (4.23oz) whole eggs

1 orange, zested

1g (0.04oz) salt

28g (0.99oz) Callebaut cocoa powder, sifted

1g (0.04oz) baking powder, sifted

45g (1.59oz) unsalted butter

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 165°C. Place the marzipan (almond

paste) and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a

paddle attachment. Beat well on a medium to low speed to

combine. While mixing, slowly add the egg yolks, followed

by the zest. Break up the remaining eggs in a bowl with a

spatula. Continue mixing and very slowly add in the

remaining eggs, regularly scraping down the sides. Please

note, if the eggs and yolks are added too quickly, lumps will

develop and cannot be removed. When the eggs are fully

incorporated, add the salt. Stop mixing, and using a spatula,

gently fold in the sieved cocoa powder and baking powder

by hand until just combined. Add a small amount of the

almond paste mixture to a bowl with the melted butter

and whisk until well combined - this will make it easier to

incorporate the butter into the ingredients. Fold this into

the remaining almond paste mixture to combine. Spread

the mixture onto a half Flexipat or a tray lined with baking

paper. Angle the palette knife as you spread it out. Bake at

160°C for approximately 15 minutes or until cooked. When

you touch the cake it should bounce back slightly.

2. VANILLA CREAM

INGREDIENTS

5g (0.18oz) gold gelatine sheets *

380g (13.4oz) fresh cream 35% fat

2 Heilala vanilla beans, cut and scraped (10g vanilla paste is a suitable replacement if beans are too costly)

90g (3.17oz) egg yolks

75g (2.65oz) caster (superfine) sugar

METHOD

Soak the gelatine in a bowl of chilled water until it becomes

soft and pliable. Bring the cream and cut and scraped

vanilla beans to a boil in a saucepan. Place the sugar and

egg yolks in a bowl and whisk together by hand until

combined. Pour the hot cream over the sugar and yolks and

combine with a whisk. Return the mixture into the same

saucepan and cook to 80°C*, stirring slowly on a low heat.

Add in the drained gelatine and mix with a spatula before

straining the mixture into a bowl. Transfer the mixture into a

depositor and pour it into each crevice of the mould*.

Freeze for 2-3 hours in a domestic freezer.

The cream can be stored for 6 weeks in a domestic freezer

* geletanie mass is 1 part gelatine powder to 5 parts water, so for this recipe, substitute 5g sheets for 25g mass

* if you don't have a thermometer, the cream will start to thicken at 75 degrees, cook for about a minute further but stop before it boils.

* you can use a simple spring form cake tin, or cake ring as a mould. It needs only be about 2cm smaller than your final cake

3. CARAMELISED PUFFED RICE

INGREDIENTS

50g (1.76oz) caster (superfine) sugar

15g (0.53oz) water

50g (1.76oz) puffed rice (rice crispies for South Africans)

2g (0.07oz) unsalted butter

METHOD

Bring the sugar and water to 114°C in a saucepan. Remove

from the heat and add the puffed rice. Stir until the sugar

has recrystallised then return to the heat and continue to

stir until the sugar caramelises to an even colour. Add the

butter and stir until combined. Spread the mixture onto

a Silpat mat or a sheet of baking paper and allow to cool.

Once cool, weigh out 30g for this recipe. You can store the

remaining amount in the freezer for another recipe.

 NOTE

You will have leftover caramelised puffed rice because it is

very difficult to make in small quantities. This can be stored

in the freezer and utilised in another recipe.

4. CRUNCH

INGREDIENTS

100g (3.53oz) Callebaut 823NV milk

couverture 33.6%

150g (5.29oz) almond praline paste *

15g (0.53oz) pure hazelnut paste *

30g (1.06oz) caramelised puffed rice (recipe

above)

30g (1.06oz) candied orange fillets *

METHOD

Melt the couverture, praline paste and hazelnut paste

together in a bowl to 45°C and combine with a spatula. Pour

onto a stone surface and work on the surface with a scraper

until it cools to 27°C to crystallise Scrape the mixture back into

a clean bowl but ensure it is not the same bowl as it will untemper it.

Mix through the caramelised puffed rice and finely diced

candied orange.

When the pain de gene has cooled, remove the flexipat and

flip the cake over onto a lined tray. Scrape the surface of the

cake with a serrated knife to ensure it is smooth and to stop

it from separating later. Spread the puffed rice on top of the

cake using a palette knife and leave to set at room

temperature before cutting.

* SUBSTITUTE

7.5g (0.26oz) almond praline paste {for}

15g (0.53oz) pure hazelnut paste

* SUBSTITUTE

150g (5.29oz) hazelnut praline paste {for}

150g (5.29oz) almond praline paste

*Candied orange fillets, make the same as the puffed rice, but replace the rice with finely brunoised (small cubes) orange zest

5. CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

INGREDIENTS

200g (7.05oz) fresh cream 35% fat, chilled

4g (0.14oz) gold gelatine sheets *

80g (2.82oz) egg yolks

175g (6.17oz) caster (superfine) sugar

100g (3.53oz) full cream milk

QS salt

130g (4.59oz) Callebaut Sao Thome

couverture 70%

30g (1.06oz) Callebaut 823NV milk

couverture 33.6%

METHOD

Place the chilled cream in the bowl of a stand mixer and

semi-whip it. Soak the gelatine in a bowl of chilled water

until it becomes soft and pliable. Whisk the egg yolks and

sugar by hand in a bowl to combine. Place the couverture

in a separate bowl. Boil the milk in a saucepan then remove

from the heat and pour over the beaten egg yolk mixture.

Combine with a whisk and return the mixture to the

saucepan. Cook on a low heat, stirring continuously with a

spatula, until the mixture reaches 80°C. Remove from the

heat and mix in the salt. Add the drained gelatine and mix

to combine. Strain the anglaise over the chocolate in the

bowl and whisk until the chocolate has melted. Allow to

cool.

6.ASSEMBLY

Prepare your cake tin by lining it with acetate. While the mousse

is cooling, cut the crunchy pain de gene to 2cm smaller than

your cake tin. (about the same size as you frozen cream).

Place this pain de gene inside your spring

form tin, or cake mould, crunchy side up. Remove the semi-whipped

cream from the fridge and fold in the cooled mousse until

combined. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and pipe

the mousse halfway into the mould, on top of the pain de gene.

Spread the mousse up the sides of the mould with a teaspoon,

this will eliminate any air bubbles. Unmould the frozen vanilla cream

and place each one on top of the mousse. Add another layer of

chocolate mousse, and tap the tin on your counter softly a few times

to get rid of any remaining bubbles. place it in the freezer for 6-7 hours or 24 hours

if possible.

7.CHOCOLATE GLAZE

INREDIENTS

250g Fresh cream

60g inverted sugar

200g dark couverture 60%

3g sea salt

Method

Bring the cream to a boil in a saucepan with the salt and the inverted sugar.

Pour the cream over the chocolate and emulsify with a stick blender.

Cool glaze to 34 degrees before using.

To glaze your cake, remove it from your mould, and place on a cooling rack

over a baking tray. This can get messy. Working quickly, pour the glaze over your cake in a circular motion, starting from the centre, working your way outwards. With a palette knife,

gently spread the glaze, to get as thin a layer as possible. When the glaze stops dripping,

lift the cake with your palette knife, and while holding in one hande, trim any excess

glaze with the other. place your cake on a platter and garnish with chocolate as desired.