Lavender thyme strawberry
MAKES 25
You will need
1 quantity Zumbaron Shells, coloured purple and sprinkled with sesame seeds and crushed dried red Zumbaron Shells
LAVENDER THYME CUSTRIANO
195 g (6¾ oz) pure cream (35% fat)
300 g (10½ oz) milk
12 g (7/16 oz) fresh lavender flowers
12 g (7/16 oz) fresh thyme leaves
40 g (1½ oz) lavender honey
3 g (1/8 oz) iota carrageenan
1.5 g (1/16 oz) kappa carrageenan
Put the cream, milk, lavender and thyme into a medium saucepan over medium heat and heat to 90°C (195°F). Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 1 hour or overnight. Strain the mixture into a clean saucepan and heat over medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients and use a hand blender to blend until smooth.
Bring the mixture to the boil then pour it into a heatproof container or bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, ensuring the plastic is touching the surface to prevent a skin forming, and leave to cool. Process the cooled mixture in a food processor until smooth.
LAVENDER THYME CUSTRIANO FILLING
375 g (13 oz) lavender thyme custriano
150 g (5½ oz) unsalted butter
Put the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the beater attachment and beat on medium to high speed until light and fluffy. If the mixture splits, use a blowtorch to bring the mixture back together by slowly adding heat to the bowl.
STRAWBERRY GEL
250 g (9 oz) Strawberry Purée
15 g (½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
5 g (3/16 oz) pectin 325 NH 95
0.5 g (1/64 oz) agar-agar
20 g (¾ oz) liquid glucose
2.5 g (3/32 oz) Citric Acid Solution
Put the strawberry purée into a medium saucepan and heat to 60°C (140°F). Combine the caster sugar with the pectin and agar-agar and add to the strawberry purée. Bring to the boil. Add the glucose, boil for 15–30 seconds then add the citric acid solution.
Pour into a heatproof container or bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, ensuring the plastic is touching the surface to prevent a skin forming, and set aside to cool and set. Once set, process the gel in a food processor until smooth.
TO ASSEMBLE
Put the lavender thyme custriano filling in a piping (icing) bag fitted with a 9 mm (3/8 inch) plain piping nozzle and put the strawberry gel in another piping bag fitted with a 7 mm (9/32 inch) plain piping nozzle. Pipe the filling on the flat side of half of the zumbaron shells, then pipe the strawberry gel into the centre of the filling. Pipe a small amount of filling to cover the gel. Top with the remaining shells.
Put the assembled zumbarons in the refrigerator for 24 hours to set before serving. Bring them to room temperature to serve and eat within 4–5 hours or keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.