Got no grains
MAKES 12
You will need
1 quantity Milk Chocolate Glaze
Put all of the ingredients in a saucepan and process with a hand blender for about 10 seconds to combine thoroughly and activate the thickening agents. Bring to the boil over medium heat, then immediately remove the pan from the heat. Set aside to cool completely.
SESAME NOUGATINE
1.5 g (1/16 oz) pectin jaune
90 g (3¼ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
75 g (2¾ oz) unsalted butter
30 g (1 oz) liquid glucose
310 g (3¾ oz) toasted sesame seeds
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside. Mix the pectin with the caster sugar in a bowl. Melt the butter and liquid glucose together in a saucepan. Add the pectin and caster sugar to the pan and stir until dissolved. Add the toasted sesame seeds.
Pour the sesame nougatine onto the prepared tray and spread it out evenly. Bake for 10–15 minutes until golden. Please note that this mixture spreads slightly as it cooks.
Remove the tray from the oven and allow to cool a little. While the nougatine is still warm, use a small leaf-shape cutter or a sharp knife to cut out 36 small leaves. Store the leaves in an airtight container until ready to use. Keep the remaining nougatine to use in the cake.
OATMEAL CRÈME
2 g (1/16 oz) gold-strength gelatine leaves
12 g (7/16 oz) cold water
70 g (2½ oz) pure cream (35% fat)
65 g (23/8 oz) strained Earl Grey tea
50 g (1¾ oz) toasted oatmeal
20 g (¾ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
30 g (1 oz) egg yolk
100 g (3½ oz) milk chocolate, chopped or buttons
3 drops ylang ylang essential oil
Cut the gelatine leaves into small squares, put them in a bowl with the cold water and set aside to soak.
Put the cream, Earl Grey tea and oatmeal in a saucepan over medium heat and slowly bring to the boil. Meanwhile, put the caster sugar and egg yolk in a bowl, whisking until just combined. When the cream mixture has come to the boil, remove from the heat and pour it into the sugar and egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat over medium heat until it reaches 80°C (175°F).
Add the chocolate and stir until it starts to melt, then remove the pan from the heat and continue stirring until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the gelatine with any remaining soaking liquid until well combined and dissolved. Add the drops of ylang ylang essential oil and stir well to combine.
Allow the oatmeal crème to cool to room temperature.
TOASTED SPELT MOUSSE
60 g (2¼ oz) wholemeal spelt flour
10 g (3/8 oz) gold-strength gelatine leaves
60 g (2¼ oz) cold water
480 g (1 lb 1 oz) pure cream (35% fat)
200 g (7 oz) white chocolate, chopped or buttons
120 g (4¼ oz) Italian meringue (see Glossary)
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Toast the spelt flour by spreading it over a baking tray. Toast in the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until the flour is a golden colour, remove from the oven and set aside. Cut the gelatine leaves into small squares, put them in a bowl with cold water and set aside to soak.
Whip 400 g (14 oz) of the cream until soft peaks form and set aside. Bring the remaining cream to the boil over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat, add the gelatine and any remaining soaking liquid and stir until the gelatine has dissolved.
Put the white chocolate in a bowl and pour the hot cream mixture over the top, stirring until the chocolate has completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the toasted spelt flour. Fold through the Italian meringue and then the whipped cream.
MUESLI DISCS
188 g (6½ oz) milk chocolate (38%), chopped or buttons
57 g (21/8 oz) raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
338 g (117/8 oz) rolled oats
22.5 g (7/8 oz) sesame seeds
38 g (13/8 oz) raw almonds, finely chopped
38 g (13/8 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
18 g (5/8 oz) maltodextrin
57 g (21/8 oz) water
132 g (4¾ oz) liquid glucose
45 g (1½ oz) honey
45 g (1½ oz) solid coconut oil
1.5 g (1/16 oz) lethicin
Put the milk chocolate, pepitas, rolled oats, sesame seeds and chopped almonds in a bowl and combine well. Set aside. Put the sugar, maltodextrin and water in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to the boil.
Add the glucose, honey, solid coconut oil and lecithin and boil until it reaches 115°C (239°F). Pour over the mixed dry ingredients and stir until the chocolate is completely melted and all the grains are well coated in the liquid ingredients.
Put a 30 cm (12 inch) square cake frame on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Pour the chocolate grain mixture into the cake frame and use your hands to pat down the mixture, making an even layer.
Allow to set at room temperature unless your kitchen is hot, in which case you may put the muesli mixture in the refrigerator to set. Use 8 cm (3¼ inch) egg rings to cut out 12 discs and set them aside.
GRANOLA
250 g (9 oz) pure maple syrup
75 g (2¾ oz) vegetable oil
150 g (5½ oz) rolled oats
25 g (1 oz) spelt flour
38 g (13/8 oz) whole raw almonds
Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside. Put the maple syrup and vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until the mixture reaches 160°C (315°F). Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
Pour onto the prepared tray to cool. When cooled, put the mixture in a food processor and process until it forms a coarse dust. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
WHITE CHOCOLATE SPRAY
175 g (6 oz) cocoa butter
250 g (9 oz) white chocolate, chopped or buttons
Make this during the assembly process as indicated below and use immediately. Melt the cocoa butter in a saucepan over a medium heat and pour over the white chocolate in a bowl, then stir until the mixture is melted and smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into the canister of a Wagner airless spray gun and seal with the lid.
TO ASSEMBLE
Put the toasted spelt mousse in a piping (icing) bag and pipe the mixture in a layer about 1 cm (3/8 inch) thick into the bottom of twelve 8 cm (3¼ inch) diameter silicone savarin or doughnut moulds. Use the back of a spoon to smooth the mousse up the sides of the mould, so as not to form any air bubbles.
Put the cooled maple gel in another piping bag (no nozzle is required) and pipe a single round of gel into the mould. The layer of gel should be about 3 mm (1/8 inch) thick.
Put the oatmeal crème in a piping bag with a 9 mm (3/8 inch) plain nozzle, and pipe a single round of crème on top of the gel layer. Cover the oatmeal crème layer with pieces of the leftover sesame nougatine, then fill the mould with the remaining toasted spelt mousse. Smooth off the top of the moulds with a palette knife and transfer the moulds to the freezer for 4–5 hours.
Heat the milk chocolate glaze to 30°C (86°F). Cover your work bench with plastic wrap and place the muesli discs on a wire rack on the bench. Use a small jug to pour the warm glaze over the discs. Lightly tap the edge of the rack to assist any excess chocolate to drip off onto the plastic. Place the discs on a serving platter or individual plates.
Remove the cakes from the freezer and pop them out of the moulds. Allow to rest for 5 minutes or until softened slightly on the outside. Put the granola on a plate and roll each of the cakes so they are well coated in the granola.
Prepare the white chocolate spray (above). When spraying, ensure that you find an area that is easy to clean down as it will make a mess, I suggest covering everything with plastic garbage bags to make cleaning up easier. With the spray gun 20 cm (8 inches) from the granola-covered cakes, spray from left to right with an even fluid action until they are coated all over. Freeze for 5 minutes then repeat with one more spray coat.
Place a cake on top of each muesli disc and decorate with the sesame nougatine leaves to serve.