If you’re looking for a showstopping make-ahead dessert packed full of flavour, these indulgent mini chocolate and hazelnut entremets are the one! A soft hazelnut joconde topped with silky smooth white chocolate bavarois and an indulgent praline mousse. If you struggle to get hold of any chocolate transfer sheets, you can pipe your own chocolate designs onto acetate or parchment and leave to set.
Paul Hollywood
Christmas & New Year Specials
Makes:
6
Difficulty:
Challenging
Baking Time:
10 mins
- Ingredients
- Method
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Method
Step 1
For the white chocolate bavarois, melt the white chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (or in a microwave, heating in short bursts), stirring until smooth.
Step 2
Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes until soft and floppy. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small pan over a medium heat until almost boiling. Remove from the heat.
Step 3
Place the egg yolks and sugar in a small bowl and beat with a balloon whisk until combined. Whisk the milk into the egg-yolk mixture, then return to the pan and cook over a low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens to a thin custard. Add the hazelnut liqueur, stir in the melted chocolate until completely smooth, then remove from the heat.
Step 4
Remove the gelatine from the water and squeeze out any excess water. Add to the pan and stir until dissolved, then pour into a bowl and leave to cool.
Step 5
Whisk the cream to soft peaks, then fold into the cooled bavarois. Pour the mixture into the hemisphere moulds. Freeze for 45 mins until set.
Step 6
For the joconde, heat the oven to 210°C/190°C Fan/410°F/Gas 7. Line a 24cm x 18cm baking sheet with non-stick baking paper and lightly grease with vegetable oil. Tip the hazelnuts onto a small-lipped baking sheet and roast for 7–10 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven, leave to cool then blitz to a powder.
Step 7
Whisk the ground hazelnuts, 50g of the caster sugar and the eggs together to ribbon stage.
Step 8
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites and the remaining 40g of caster sugar together, to a stiff meringue. Gently fold the meringue mixture into the hazelnut mixture.
Step 9
Sieve the flour over the top of the mixture and gently fold in, then gently fold in the melted butter.
Step 10
Spread the batter onto the lined baking sheet and spread level with a palette knife.
Step 11
Bake for 8–10 minutes until springy, but firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.
Step 12
For the sugar syrup, tip the sugar and water into a small pan and bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Boil until reduced by half to a syrup consistency. Remove from the heat and add the hazelnut liqueur. Set aside.
Step 13
For the chocolate praline mousse, tip 50g of the sugar into a small pan with 1 tbsp water. Set the pan over a low heat to dissolve the sugar without stirring. Increase the heat slightly, bring the syrup to the boil and continue cooking to a light golden caramel. Add the hazelnuts, stir to coat and continue cooking until the caramel becomes amber coloured and the nuts are toasted. Quickly tip onto a lined baking tray and leave to cool.
Step 14
When the praline is completely cold, break into small pieces, tip into a small food processor and blitz for 3–4 minutes until the praline forms a paste.
Step 15
Tip the chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Pour the cream into a pan and bring to just below boiling. Pour the cream over the chocolate, leave to stand for 1 minute, then stir to a smooth ganache. Set aside.
Step 16
Make a pâte à bombe. Place the egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Tip the remaining 60g of caster sugar into a small pan with 4 tbsp water. Heat until the syrup measures 118°C/244°F on a sugar thermometer. Remove from the heat and slowly pour over the egg yolks, whisking continuously to ribbon stage.
Step 17
Whip the cream to soft peaks. Add a large spoonful of cream to the hazelnut praline to loosen, then fold the remaining cream into the chocolate ganache. Fold the praline into the chocolate and cream mixture, then pour in the pâte à bombe and fold together until fully combined. Spoon into a piping bag.
Step 18
To assemble, line the 6 mousse rings with acetate and place on a baking sheet lined with non-stick paper. Using the mousse rings as a guide, cut circles of sponge from the joconde and place in the base of the mousse rings. Brush the sponges with the hazelnut sugar syrup.
Step 19
Pop the frozen bavarois out of the hemisphere moulds and place one in the middle of each circle of sponge.
Step 20
Snip the end off the piping bag and pipe the chocolate praline mousse into the mousse rings, smooth the surface and chill in the fridge or freezer until set.
Step 21
For the chocolate decorations, temper the white chocolate, then spread it thinly and smoothly over the chocolate transfer sheet. Leave to set, then flip over and peel off the sheet. Using a 6cm round cutter, cut out the clock faces.
Step 22
For the chocolate mirror glaze, soak the gelatine in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes until soft and floppy. Bring 50ml water and the sugar to a boil in a pan, then boil until the temperature on a sugar thermometer measures 106°C/223°F. Remove from the heat.
Step 23
In a separate pan warm the cream and liquid glucose, stirring until lukewarm. Pour over the sugar syrup and stir to combine, then return the pan to the heat and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder.
Step 24
Remove the gelatine from the water and squeeze out any excess water. Add to the pan and stir until dissolved. Pass through a fine sieve into a jug, then cool to 40°C/104°F.
Step 25
Remove the entremets from the freezer, then remove the rings and acetate. Place on a wire rack set over a baking tray. Slowly pour the glaze over the top and sides of each entremet to coat.
Step 26
Top each entremet with a tempered chocolate clock face and decorate the base with small edible gold balls.
