You’re probably on the hunt for your Easter dessert (yes indeed, the stats are going wild on the blog). Don’t panic, after last time’s ultra simple recipe (Philippe Conticini’s ultra fondant cakounet), today I’m offering you a more difficult recipe, granted, for anyone wanting to impress their guests. It’s a recipe made last year which was patiently waiting for the right moment. As you’ll have gathered, the Easter spirit isn’t quite there since this dessert was made for my goddaughter’s birthday (my Easter dessert, for its part, will be finished on Sunday so I couldn’t share it with you). It’s up to you to imagine the Easter decoration! I did nevertheless choose an entremets with Easter flavours: hazelnut, Dulcey and gianduja. Indulgence galore!
I took my inspiration from the blog Rêves de pâtissier to make this dessert but unfortunately, it no longer exists. Note that like any other entremets, the recipe is long (and detailed) and requires a bit of organisation so as not to get overwhelmed. I always make this kind of dessert over several days. In the recipe, there’s the preparation of a hazelnut sablé which goes into the hazelnut crunchy layer. You can make things a little easier for yourself and crumble some shop-bought biscuits or shortbread. For the rest, it’s simple: a hazelnut sponge, a Dulcey crémeux and a gianduja mousse. The mirror glaze always represents a small difficulty and often stops you from taking the plunge. Note that you can very well:
- leave the entremets “naked” (so it’s the gianduja mousse you’ll see) and decorate it to your taste,
- or use a ready-made velvet spray can.
For the decoration, let your imagination run free: little chocolate Easter eggs, chocolate spaghetti like an Easter nest… Have fun 🙂 I wish you a very happy (and delicious) Easter!
Ingredients & Method
8 components · Full recipe
Mirror Glaze (can be made in advance)
Ingredients
- 120 g (4.2 oz) water
- 150 g (5.3 oz) sugar
- 50 g (1.8 oz) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 100 g (3.5 oz) whole cream
- 10 g (0.4 oz) gelatine
- 60 g (2.1 oz) water (for rehydrating the gelatine)
Method
1
Rehydrate the gelatine in very cold water.
2
Place all the remaining ingredients in a saucepan and whisk together.
3
Bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
4
Add the drained gelatine and blend with a stick blender until smooth.
5
Cover with cling film pressed directly onto the surface and refrigerate.
Hazelnut Sponge (Philippe Conticini) (make the day before)
Ingredients
- 85 g (3 oz) ground hazelnuts
- 65 g (2.3 oz) + 10 g (0.4 oz) light brown sugar
- 15 g (0.5 oz) icing sugar
- 20 g (0.7 oz) + 90 g (3.2 oz) egg whites
- 35 g (1.2 oz) egg yolks
- 20 g (0.7 oz) whole cream
- 70 g (2.5 oz) butter
- 35 g (1.2 oz) plain flour
- 2 g (0.1 oz) baking powder
Method
1
Preheat the oven to 160°C / 325°F.
2
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the ground hazelnuts, 65 g (2.3 oz) of light brown sugar, the sifted icing sugar, the 20 g (0.7 oz) of egg whites, the egg yolks and the cream.
3
Melt the butter in a saucepan until it turns hazelnut brown, stirring constantly. Add it to the rest of the mixture while still hot, continuing to mix.
4
Whisk the 90 g (3.2 oz) of egg whites to stiff peaks with the 10 g (0.4 oz) of light brown sugar.
5
Fold one third of the whisked whites into the batter, then add the sifted flour and baking powder. Finish by gently folding in the remaining whites.
6
Spread the batter onto a baking tray lined with baking paper to a thickness of 2 cm (0.8 in).
7
Bake for about 25 minutes (this will vary depending on your oven).
8
Leave the sponge to cool on a wire rack, then cut out a 20 cm (7.9 in) disc.
Dulcey Cream (make the day before)
Ingredients
- 100 g (3.5 oz) whole milk
- 100 g (3.5 oz) whole cream
- 40 g (1.4 oz) egg yolks
- 140 g (4.9 oz) Dulcey chocolate
- 3 g (0.1 oz) gelatine (1½ sheets)
Method
1
Soak the gelatine in cold water.
2
Cut the Dulcey chocolate into small pieces and place in a tall container (a jug works well).
3
Heat the milk and cream, then pour over the egg yolks and blend immediately with a stick blender.
4
Add the drained gelatine, then pour the mixture over the Dulcey chocolate. Blend again until smooth and homogeneous.
5
Pour the cream over the hazelnut sponge sitting inside a 20 cm (7.9 in) ring.
Hazelnut Sablé
Ingredients
- 112 g (4 oz) unsalted butter
- 65 g (2.3 oz) icing sugar
- 10 g (0.4 oz) toasted hazelnut powder
- 18 g (0.6 oz) hazelnut powder
- 9 g (0.3 oz) praline paste
- 30 g (1.1 oz) egg
- 1.5 g (0.1 oz) salt
- 187 g (6.6 oz) plain flour
Method
1
Preheat the oven to 170°C / 340°F.
2
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until soft and smooth.
3
Add the remaining ingredients one by one, in the order listed, mixing until the dough is homogeneous.
4
Place the dough between two sheets of baking paper and roll out as thinly as possible with a rolling pin.
5
Bake for 20 minutes, watching carefully. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
6
Blitz the cooled biscuit to fine crumbs in a food processor.
Hazelnut Crunch
Ingredients
- 95 g (3.4 oz) hazelnut sablé crumbs (from previous recipe)
- 75 g (2.6 oz) praline paste
- 45 g (1.6 oz) milk chocolate
- 45 g (1.6 oz) gavottes (feuilletine)
Method
1
Melt the milk chocolate in a bain-marie.
2
In a bowl, mix the hazelnut sablé crumbs with the praline paste, the melted milk chocolate and the crushed gavottes.
3
Spread between two sheets of baking paper, cut out a 20 cm (7.9 in) disc and leave to set in the fridge for one hour.
Gianduja Mousse
Ingredients
- 250 g (8.8 oz) whole cream
- 375 g (13.2 oz) milk gianduja
- 7.5 g (0.3 oz) gelatine
- 500 g (17.6 oz) very cold whole cream
Method
1
Soak the gelatine in cold water.
2
Heat the cream, then remove from the heat and add the drained gelatine.
3
Cut the gianduja into small pieces and place in a tall container (a jug works well).
4
Pour the hot cream over the gianduja and emulsify with a stick blender. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
5
Whip the cold cream to soft peaks — do not over-whip; it should be light and mousse-like.
6
Once the gianduja mixture has cooled to about 35°C / 95°F, gently fold in the whipped cream and set aside.
7
Start by adding a generous spoonful of whipped cream and whisking vigorously to loosen the mixture, then fold in the remaining whipped cream gently with the whisk.
Assembly
Ingredients
- None
Method
1
Line the inside of a 22 cm (8.7 in) ring with a strip of acetate.
2
Pour in half the gianduja mousse and place in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the mousse to begin setting.
3
Place the frozen cream–hazelnut sponge insert on top, pressing gently so the mousse rises slightly around the sides (cream side facing down into the mousse).
4
Fill with the remaining gianduja mousse to within 5 mm of the top, then finish with the hazelnut crunch disc. Press down gently and smooth with an offset spatula. Place the entremet in the freezer overnight.
Decoration
Ingredients
- None
Method
1
Remove the entremet from the freezer. Unmould and carefully peel away the acetate strip (if the ring sticks, warm the sides gently with a hair dryer).
2
Place the frozen entremet on a wire rack.
3
Warm the glaze in the microwave to around 30°C / 86°F and pour it gently over the entremet to coat it completely.
4
Leave to drain, then trim any set drips with a knife.
5
Leave to defrost in the fridge — allow around 5 to 6 hours.
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