Ahead of Valentine’s Day, Thomas Haas of Thomas Haas Chocolates and Patisserie makes champagne truffle Napoleon.
Crispy Hazelnut Wafer
150g hazelnuts, roasted golden and puréed
70g white chocolate
100g crushed ice cream wafer cones or cornflakes
Yield: 310g
Melt chocolate over a double boiler or microwave.
Stir puréed hazelnuts into the melted chocolate, then gently fold in wafer or cornflakes.
Spread the chocolate mixture evenly onto parchment paper, 1/8” thick.
Place in refrigerator until set for about 30 minutes.
Cut eight 3 inch diameter circles with cookie cutter. Keep in refrigerator until assembly.
Crunchy Hazelnut Meringue
120g icing sugar
60g granulated sugar
140g ground hazelnuts, unblanched
180g egg whites
120g whole hazelnuts, blanched
Yield: 500g
Toast whole hazelnuts; chop coarsely.
Preheat oven to 375˚F.
Sift icing sugar then set aside.
In bowl mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip whites with a dash of lemon juice and pinch salt until soft peaks form.
Gradually add granulated sugar and icing sugar and continue to whisk until firm, glossy peaks form, then fold chopped hazelnuts into meringue.
Pipe sixteen 3-inch diameter circles on parchment line baking sheet.
Sprinkle ground hazelnuts evenly on top of meringues.
Bake at 375˚F until meringue is light golden and springy to touch; approx. 9 minutes
Chocolate Champagne Mousse
100g Dark Chocolate, 66%
75g Milk 3.25% fat
120g Cream 36% fat
30g Champagne eau de Vie 45% vol alc
Yield: 325g
Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over saucepan of hot, not simmering, water until partially melted (the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl), stirring occasionally.
Remove bowl from saucepan and continue stirring until melted and smooth.
Meanwhile, put whipping cream in medium bowl and beat just until soft peak forms, add Champagne eau de Vie, slightly whip again, set aside.
Add lukewarm milk, all at once, to melted chocolate and stir with spatula (not a whisk) until blended. Add whipping cream, all at once, and stir with spatula until blended.
Place in refrigerator for about 30-40 minutes or until set. Pour into piping bag.
Chocolate Wafers
Dark Chocolate, tempered
Milk Chocolate, tempered
Caramel Chocolate, tempered
Spread a thin layer of tempered dark chocolate onto acetate or parchment paper. Let set and cut into eight 3-inch diameter circles.
Place a disc of the crispy hazelnut wafer.
Pipe dots of dark chocolate mousse to cover the circumference of the hazelnut wafer.
Place a disc of hazelnut meringue inside the mousse.
Place the of disc milk chocolate on top.
Pipe dots of dark chocolate mousse to cover the circumference of the chocolate disc.
Place a disc of hazelnut meringue inside the mousse.
Place the disc of caramel chocolate on top.
Decorate as you wish with heart-shaped chocolate decoration.
Comments