4 times the vitamin C
MAKES 12
You will need
BLACKCURRANT JELLY
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) blackcurrant purée
50 g (1¾ oz) sugar
10 g (3/8 oz) pectin 325 NH 95
3 g (1/8 oz) Citric Acid Solution
Put the blackcurrant purée in a medium saucepan over low heat and whisk until slightly warm. Combine the sugar and pectin and add to the purée. Whisk to dissolve and continue whisking until the mixture comes to the boil.
Remove from the heat and add the citric acid solution. Stir to combine, then pour the mixture into twelve 4 x 1.5 cm (1½ x 5/8 inch) round silicone moulds: fill to just below the top, allow the mixture to cool then put them in the freezer to harden.
PISTACHIO DACQUOISE
200 g (7 oz) eggwhite
70 g (2½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
20 g (¾ oz) Pistachio Paste
150 g (5½ oz) almond meal
30 g (1 oz) pistachios, ground
160 g (5¾ oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar
70 g (2½ oz) milk couverture chocolate (38%), melted
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper. Put the eggwhite and caster sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment fitted. Whisk on medium speed until firm peaks form. Take a little of the meringue and mix it with the pistachio paste to dissolve, then fold back into the remaining meringue.
Fold through the almond meal, ground pistachios and icing sugar. Spread the mixture on the prepared tray and bake for about 15 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Spread the base of the dacquoise with a thin layer of melted milk chocolate.
PISTACHIO CRUNCH
90 g (3¼ oz) Almond Praline
90 g (3¼ oz) Pistachio Praline
20 g (¾ oz) cocoa butter
60 g (2¼ oz) pailleté feuilletine
11 g (3/8 oz) pistachios, chopped, toasted
1 g (1/32 oz) sea salt
Put the almond praline and pistachio praline in a medium bowl. Melt the cocoa butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water or in a microwave. Add to the combined praline and stir. Fold through the remaining ingredients. Use a palette knife to spread the mixture over the pistachio dacquoise evenly, until smooth.
Put it in the refrigerator for around 1 hour until set. Cut out 6 cm (2½ inch) discs, lay them on a baking tray and put them in the freezer to harden.
CRÈME ANGLAISE
210 g (7½ oz) milk
65 g (2¼ oz) egg yolk
65 g (2¼ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
Put the milk in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until warm. Mix the egg yolk and caster sugar together in a bowl and use an electric whisk to whisk until pale. Add a third of the warm milk to the egg yolk mixture to temper, then put the mixture into the saucepan with the remaining milk and heat to 85°C (185°F). Remove from the heat and strain through a sieve into a bowl. Allow to cool, stirring occasionally.
PÂTE À BOMBE
10 g (3/8 oz) water
70 g (2½ oz) sugar
50 g (1¾ oz) egg yolks
Put the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Put the egg yolks into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Put the saucepan over medium heat and heat to 123°C (253°F).
Turn the mixer onto high speed and slowly start pouring the hot sugar syrup down the side of the mixing bowl until it has all been added. Whisk until the mixture thickens and cools, then use immediately.
VANILLA VIOLET MOUSSE
6 g (3/16 oz) gold-strength gelatine leaves
36 g (1¼ oz) cold water
300 g (10½ oz) crème anglaise
seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
4 drops natural violet extract
210 g (7½ oz) pure cream (35% fat), whipped
120 g (4¼ oz) pâte à bombe
Cut the gelatine leaves into small squares, put them in a bowl with the cold water and set aside to soak. Reheat a third of the crème anglaise in a saucepan or in a heatproof bowl in a microwave. Add the gelatine and soaking liquid to the heated crème anglaise and stir to dissolve the gelatine. Add this mixture to the remaining crème anglaise, then add the vanilla seeds and violet extract. When it has cooled to 25°C (77°F), fold through the whipped cream. Fold through the pâte à bombe.
BLACKCURRANT GLAZE
65 g (2½ oz) Blackcurrant Purée
20 g (¾ oz) lemon juice
60 g (2¼ oz) water
140 g (5 oz) sugar
4 g (1/8 oz) pectin 325 NH 95
25 g (1 oz) glucose
Heat the blackcurrant purée, lemon juice and water in a saucepan to 45°C (113°F). Combine 20 g (¾ oz) of sugar with the pectin and add to the blackcurrant mixture, stirring well. Add the glucose and remaining sugar and bring the mixture to the boil. Set aside to cool. Cover and store in the refrigerator until needed.
BLACKCURRANT MARSHMALLOW
11 g (3/8 oz) gold-strength gelatine leaves
60 g (2¼ oz) cold water
320 g (11¼ oz) invert sugar
250 g (9 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
100 g (3½ oz) water
120 g (4¼ oz) glucose
100 g (3½ oz) Blackcurrant Purée
50 g (1¾ oz) cocoa butter
Make this during the assembly process as indicated below and use immediately. Cut the gelatine leaves into small squares, place in a bowl with the cold water and set aside to soak. Put 160 g (5¾ oz) of the invert sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Put the caster sugar, water, glucose and the remaining invert sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat and heat to 113°C (235°F). With the mixer on a medium to high speed, pour the sugar mixture into the bowl.
Warm the blackcurrant purée in the microwave, add it to the mixer and continue whisking. Add in the gelatine and the soaking liquid and stir to dissolve. Melt the cocoa butter in a small saucepan gently so that it doesn’t get hotter than 45°C (113°F), add it into the mixer bowl and continue whisking until the meringue thickens and increases in volume.
TO ASSEMBLE
Put a sheet of 7 cm (2¾ inch) diameter silicone half-sphere moulds onto a baking tray. Put the vanilla violet mousse in a piping bag (no nozzle is required) and fill the silicone moulds half way. Using a palette knife, smooth the mousse up the sides of the mould. Insert a round of blackcurrant jelly, pushing it in slightly so the mousse fills any gaps. Pipe a small amount of mousse over the jelly and then insert the dacquoise layer. Smooth off the top with a palette knife. Put the tray into the freezer and freeze for 5–6 hours until set. Remove from the freezer and take the cakes out of the moulds. Set aside while making the blackcurrant marshmallow (above).
Insert a skewer or a fork into a cake and dip it into the blackcurrant marshmallow so that the entire outside of the dome is covered except the base. Place flat side down on a tray and repeat for the remaining cakes. Put the tray of cakes into the freezer to set.
Warm the blackcurrant glaze to 40–45°C (105–113°F). Set up a baking tray or dish with a wire rack over it and put the frozen cakes on top. Using a ladle or jug, pour the heated glaze over the cakes until they are all well covered. Using a palette knife, gently move the cakes around slightly to clean the bottom edges, then place on a cake board or plate and decorate with blackcurrant meringues until completely covered. Thaw for 1–2 hours to reach the right temperature before serving.