Monday 31 December 2012

Harmonie - closure of 2012



The dessert I've chosen for the closure of 2013: chocolate tart with caramel mousse & caramel pear compote.
One that includes all my favourite flavours over the year.
Chocolate, caramel & pear.
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year & hope to see you next year.


Recipe (make 8 x 10 cm tarts)
Pâte Sucrée au Chocolat
150 g unsalted butter, softened
145 g icing sugar
13 g cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
33 g ground almond
1 egg
225 g plain flour

In a large mixing bowl, use both hands to quickly combine butter, icing sugar, cocoa powder & salt.
Work in the ground almonds, followed by egg & the flour until the dough comes away cleanly from the side of bowl.
Shape into a ball, wrap in cling film & refrigerate for 1 h.
Remove from the refrigerator & roll it out on a lightly floured surface to 3 mm sheet.
Butter & flour 10 cm tart moulds, line with the pastry to form a case.
Trim the edges neatly & prick the base with a fork.
Refrigerate for at least 30 min.
Preheat oven to 180C.
Take the lined moulds out & cover the base with a piece of greaseproof paper & fill with baking beans.
Bake blind for 20 min, remove from oven & allow to cool completely before removing from the moulds.

Ganache au Chocolat
350 g 55% plain chocolate, chopped
350 g whipping cream
70 g unsalted butter, softened

In a small saucepan, bring the cream to boil.
Pour the cream over the chocolate & stir slowly until smooth.
Stir in the butter.

Poires Caramélisées
200 g granulated sugar
80 g water
4 pears, peeled, cored & quartered
1/4 vanilla pod

Caramelise sugar, carefully add in warm water, stir to dissolve.
Add vanilla pod & simmer for 5 min.
Add pear slices & simmer for 10 min.
Leave to cool & drain.

Mousse au caramel (4 x 10 cm disc)
Crème caramel
115 g whipping cream
1/4 vanilla pod, split & seeded
60 g granulated sugar
30 g honey

Pâte à bombe
40 g egg yolks

225 g whipping cream, whipped up
7.5 g sheet gelatine, bloom in cold water

To make crème caramel, warm whipping cream & vanilla.
In a saucepan, combine sugar & honey, heat over low heat & caramelise, carefully stir in vanilla cream.
Sift through to remove vanilla pod then stir in gelatine.
To make pâte à bombe, bring the syrup to boil then add slowly to egg yolks with stirring.
Fold pâte à bombe into creme caramel, fold in whipped cream.
Pour the mousse into the moulds & freeze to harden.

Composition
Pour the chocolate ganache into the pastry case, tapping the base gently to level out the filling.
Leave to harden for 1 h at room temperature.
Carefully remove the hardened caramel mousse from the the mould, cut into halves.
Place the mousse over the chocolate tart & place the caramelised pear slices on the side.

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