Here’s a little chocolate hazelnut entremets that I made from leftover preparations… Not long ago, I shared with you the recipe for Ludovic Fontalirant’s hazelnut tartlet. From that recipe, I had some little hazelnut inserts (crémeux and praline) left in the freezer, and I had some leftover chocolate mirror glaze in the fridge. All I had to do was imagine a dessert from these elements. To save time, I went for a cocoa breton shortbread for the base (for a change from pâte sucrée) and I livened up the chocolate mousse with a little tonka bean.
Ingredients & Method
7 components · Complete recipe
Mirror Glaze (can be made in advance)
Ingredients
- 150 g (5.3 oz) sugar
- 150 g (5.3 oz) glucose
- 80 g (2.8 oz) water
- 100 g (3.5 oz) unsweetened condensed milk
- 75 g (2.6 oz) dark chocolate
- 75 g (2.6 oz) milk chocolate
- 9 g (0.3 oz) powdered gelatine
- 54 g (1.9 oz) water (to rehydrate the gelatine)
Method
1
Ideally, make the glaze the day before (or in advance) and reheat it in the microwave when ready to use.
2
Rehydrate the gelatine in the 54 g (1.9 oz) of water.
3
In a saucepan, combine the water, sugar and glucose and heat to 103°C / 217°F.
4
Meanwhile, in a tall jug, place the chopped dark and milk chocolate, the unsweetened condensed milk and the rehydrated gelatine.
5
When the water/sugar/glucose mixture reaches 103°C / 217°F, pour it into the jug and blend with a hand blender to smooth the glaze — be careful not to incorporate air bubbles.
Hazelnut Cremeux (to be made the day before)
Ingredients
- 60 g (2.1 oz) whole milk
- 15 g (0.5 oz) full-fat whipping cream
- 15 g (0.5 oz) hazelnut praline
- 15 g (0.5 oz) hazelnut paste
- 2 g (0.1 oz) gelatine (= 1 sheet)
Method
1
Rehydrate the gelatine in water for 15 minutes.
2
In a small bowl, mix the hazelnut praline and hazelnut paste.
3
In a small saucepan, heat the milk and cream, then off the heat, add the rehydrated gelatine and stir well to dissolve it. Pour over the praline mixture, stir with a rubber spatula, then blend with a hand blender to homogenise.
Praline Insert
Ingredients
- 80 g (2.8 oz) hazelnut praline (recipe here)
- 30 g (1.1 oz) full-fat whipping cream
Method
1
Emulsify cold by pouring the cream over the praline in 3 stages.
Cocoa Breton Shortbread
Ingredients
- 5 egg yolks
- 135 g (4.8 oz) sugar
- 180 g (6.3 oz) softened butter
- 1 pinch of fleur de sel
- 16 g (0.6 oz) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 255 g (9 oz) flour
- 12 g (0.4 oz) baking powder
Method
1
In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until you get a smooth, pale mixture.
2
Add the softened butter cut into small pieces and mix with a spatula until smooth.
3
Fold in the sifted powders (flour, cocoa and baking powder) and the fleur de sel, mixing gently with a rubber spatula.
4
Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 2 hours.
5
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.
6
Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out between two sheets of baking paper to a thickness of approximately 5 mm.
7
Cut out discs of dough using a 7 cm (2.8 in) diameter tart ring. Leave the tart rings in place (you will need several).
Chocolate and Tonka Bean Mousse
Ingredients
- 43 g (1.5 oz) full-fat whipping cream (1)
- 43 g (1.5 oz) milk
- 17 g (0.6 oz) egg yolks (approx. 1 yolk)
- 8 g (0.3 oz) sugar
- 1 g (0 oz) gelatine
- 6 g (0.2 oz) water (to rehydrate the gelatine)
- 84 g (3 oz) milk chocolate
- 84 g (3 oz) dark chocolate
- 171 g (6 oz) cold full-fat whipping cream (2)
- 1/2 tonka bean
Method
1
Rehydrate the gelatine in cold water.
2
In a small saucepan, pour the milk, cream (1) and grated tonka bean. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat, cover with cling film and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
3
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolk with the sugar.
4
Once infused, reheat the milk and cream mixture and pour through a sieve onto the yolk and sugar mixture, stir well and return to a low heat.
5
Cook to 83°C / 181°F, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. Be careful not to let the cream boil.
6
Off the heat, add the rehydrated gelatine.
7
Pour the custard over the chopped chocolate (you can also melt it beforehand). Blend everything with a hand blender to homogenise.
8
Whip the full-fat cream but don't over-whip — it should be mousse-like.
Assembly
Ingredients
- None
Method
1
Fill the Stone moulds with chocolate mousse up to three-quarters. Push the mousse up the sides of the mould with a small spoon for a clean assembly and to fill any gaps. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes if needed, to allow the mousse to set slightly.
2
Press an insert (hazelnut cremeux/hazelnut praline), cremeux side against the mousse, and gently push down to bring the mousse up.
Decoration
Ingredients
- None
Method
1
Reheat the mirror glaze to approximately 30°C / 86°F.
2
Remove the entremets from the freezer and unmould.
3
Place the frozen entremets on a rack, which is itself placed on a plate or dish to catch the surplus glaze.
4
Carefully pour the mirror glaze to completely cover the entremets. Tap the rack gently.
5
Using a small offset spatula, carefully place each entremet onto a breton shortbread, making sure to centre it.
6
Decorate with hazelnut pieces at the base of each entremet.
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