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Valentine's day recipe: Lovers’ entremets

Valentine's day recipe: Lovers’ entremets


The Chefs from Le Cordon Bleu wish you all a very happy Valentine’s day and for the occasion propose an original entremets recipe. Be seduced by the tasty pairing of slightly bitter notes of chocolate and coffee and the sweet fresh touch of passion fruit. An original decoration sublimates this delicious dessert.

Serves: 8
1 hour preparation
1 hour total baking time
2-3 hours freezer

Ingredients

Chocolate Brittany Shortbread
  • 90 g flour
  • 15 g unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 70 g unrefined cane sugar
  • 5 g baking powder
  • 1 g salt
  • 80 g butter
  • 2 egg yolks (40 g)
Chocolate coffee sponge
  • 60 g ground almonds
  • 50 g icing sugar
  • 30 g flour
  • 25 g unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 egg whites (90 g)
  • 30 g sugar
  • 3 egg yolks (60 g)
  • 20 ml coffee extract
  • 40 g butter
Passion fruit coffee mousse
  • 3 gelatine leaves (6 g)
  • 150 g passion fruit puree
  • 30 ml strong coffee
  • 40 g sugar
  • 160 ml whipping cream
Macaroons
  • 40 ml water
  • 150 g sugar
  • 4 egg whites (110 g)
  • 150 g icing sugar
  • 150 g ground almonds
Glaze
  • 5 gelatine leaves (10 g)
  • 75 ml water
  • 150 g sugar
  • 150 g glucose
  • 100 g evaporated milk
  • 150 g white chocolate
  • yellow food colour, coffee extract
Decoration
  • flowers made from sugar
  • white chocolate heart

Method

Chocolate Brittany Shortbread:

In a bowl rub together the flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, unrefined cane sugar, baking powder, salt and cold butter. When the mixture is sandy in texture, add the egg yolks and form a smooth dough. Refrigerate briefly. Roll out the dough to 1 cm thick and at least 18 cm diameter and place in the 18 cm ring mould. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 170°C.

Chocolate coffee sponge:

Sift together the dry ingredients. Melt the butter and allow to cool. Whisk the egg whites until firm peaks form, gradually add the sugar, beating until the egg whites are smooth, shiny and stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the egg yolks, coffee extract and cooled butter with a spatula. Incorporate the dry ingredients. Fill a 16 cm diameter ring mould ¾ full with the mixture and bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 175°C.

Passion fruit coffee mousse:

Place the gelatine in a bowl of cold water until softened, then remove the gelatine from the water and squeeze to remove excess water. Whisk the cream until stiff peaks cling to the whisk. Bring to a boil the passion fruit purée, coffee, and sugar.  Remove from the heat and add the gelatine. Place in a bowl and cool to 23°C. Fold in the whipped cream with a spatula to obtain the texture of a light cream.

In a ring mould of 16 cm diameter and 4.5 cm high, place a layer of chocolate coffee biscuit, the passion fruit coffee mousse and finish with a layer of chocolate coffee biscuit. Place in the freezer.

Macaroons:

Sift the dry ingredients together. Make a syrup; heat the water and sugar in a saucepan to a temperature of 119°C on a cooking thermometer. Slowly pour into lightly whisked egg whites and continue whisking until cold. Fold in the dry ingredients and continue folding until the mixture takes on a shiny appearance. Use a spatula to put the mixture in a pastry bag fitted with a pastry tip No. 10. Place baking paper on a baking tray and pipe small discs of 2 cm diameter. Bake the macaroons for 12 to 15 minutes at 135°C.

Glaze:

Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water to soften. Bring the water, sugar, glucose and sweetened condensed milk to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, gelatine leaves and a knife tip of yellow food colour and a few drops of coffee extract. Use a hand mixer to blend the glaze and leave to cool to 30°C.

Assembly:

On a rack, place the disc of chocolate Brittany shortbread. On top of this place the chocolate coffee biscuit garnished with passion fruit coffee mousse. Pour the glaze over the entremets, smooth over with a spatula and transfer to a cake slide. Around the sides of the entremets, decorate with macaroon shells. On the top place flowers made from sugar and a white chocolate heart coloured red.

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