Chocolate, raspberry, Earl Grey
MAKES 10
You will need
1 quantity Chouxmaca Buns
1 quantity Zumbaron Shells, coloured red, sprinkled with cocoa nibs
CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CRÉMEAUX
125 g (4½ oz) pure cream (35% fat)
60 g (2¼ oz) milk
4 g (1/8 oz) Earl Grey tea leaves
125 g (4½ oz) milk couverture chocolate (40%), chopped or buttons
50 g (1¾ oz) egg yolk
25 g (1 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
65 g (23/8 oz) Raspberry Purée
Put the cream, milk and Earl Grey tea leaves into a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to 80°C (175°F). Remove from the heat and cover with plastic wrap to create an airtight seal. Leave to infuse for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water or in a microwave. Put the egg yolk and caster sugar into a bowl and whisk until light and fluffy. Remove the plastic wrap from the saucepan and reheat the cream mixture. Once the temperature reaches 80°C again, strain the mixture over the egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly to avoid scrambling the eggs. Return to the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly until the temperature reaches 83–85°C (180–185°F). Remove from the heat.
Strain about half the mixture over the melted chocolate, stirring well to combine, then add the remaining mixture and stir well to combine. Put the raspberry purée into a clean saucepan and heat to 40°C (105°F). Add to the chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Pour into a bowl or container and cover with plastic wrap, ensuring the plastic is touching the surface. Store in the refrigerator until ready for use.
RASPBERRY GEL
300 g (10½ oz) Raspberry Purée
30 g (1 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
6 g (3/16 oz) pectin 325 NH 95
Put the raspberry purée into a small saucepan over medium heat and heat to 60°C (140°F). Combine the caster sugar and pectin, add to the purée and stir through well. Stir constantly until the mixture reaches boiling point.
Remove from the heat, pour into a bowl or container and cover with plastic wrap, ensuring the plastic is touching the surface. Set aside for 1–2 hours to cool to room temperature and set.
COCOA NIB CURD
40 g (1½ oz) milk
90 g (3¼ oz) pure cream (35% fat)
15 g (½ oz) full-cream (whole) milk powder
50 g (1¾ oz) cocoa nibs
1.5 g (1/16 oz) iota carrageenan
190 g (6¾ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
160 g (5¾ oz) eggs
200 g (7 oz) unsalted butter, cubed
Put the milk, cream, milk powder and cocoa nibs in a medium saucepan over medium heat and heat to 90°C (195°F). Remove from the heat and cover with plastic wrap, ensuring that the plastic is touching the surface. Leave to infuse for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Combine the iota carrageenan with 3 tablespoons of the caster (superfine) sugar in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining caster sugar with the eggs and set aside.
Once the cream mixture has infused, remove the plastic wrap and reheat it to 90°C. Strain the cream mixture into the egg mixture, whisking well. Off the heat, return the mixture to the saucepan, ensuring there are no cocoa nibs stuck to the sides of the bowl. Add the iota carrageenan mixture and use a hand blender to blend the mixture until the crystals have dissolved and the mixture is lump-free. Heat over medium heat and stir constantly until the mixture reaches 95°C (200°F).
Remove from the heat, pour into a bowl or container and cool to 55°C (130°F). Slowly add the butter and use a hand blender to blend the mixture until it is well emulsified. Pour into a container and cover with plastic wrap, ensuring the plastic is touching the surface. Store in the refrigerator until needed.
MILK CHOCOLATE AND EARL GREY CHANTILLY
450 g (1 lb) pure cream (35% fat)
20 g (¾ oz) Earl Grey tea leaves
3 g (1/8 oz) gold-strength gelatine leaves
18 g (5/8 oz) cold water
125 g (4½ oz) milk couverture chocolate (38%)
Put the cream and Earl Grey tea leaves in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to 90°C (195°F). Remove from the heat, cover with plastic wrap, ensuring the plastic is touching the surface, and leave to infuse for 20 minutes.
Cut the gelatine leaves into small squares, put them in a bowl with the cold water and set aside to soak. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water or in a microwave. Remove the plastic wrap and reheat the cream to 90°C. Add the gelatine and any soaking liquid and stir well to dissolve. Strain the mixture over the melted chocolate, stirring constantly as you pour. Pour the mixture into a container and cover with plastic wrap, ensuring the plastic is touching the surface. For best results, leave overnight in the refrigerator to set.
TO ASSEMBLE
Place the prepared chouxmaca buns onto a clean baking tray and use a small knife to cut a 2 cm (¾ inch) diameter hole in the very top of each bun. Put the raspberry gel in a piping (icing) bag (no nozzle is needed) and pipe a tablespoon into the base of each choux bun. Put the chocolate raspberry crémeaux in another piping bag and fill each choux bun to halfway. Put the cocoa nib curd in another piping bag and fill the remaining space in each choux bun.
Put the Earl Grey chantilly in another piping bag with an 11 mm (7/16 inch) fluted piping nozzle and pipe it on top of the choux bun in a spiral motion until it is roughly 4 cm (1½ inches) high. Lastly, place one zumbaron shell on top of each chouxmaca. Keep in the refrigerator until consumed. These are best eaten within 4–5 hours of filling.