Serves 4
For the chocolate cream (makes 6):
- 85g 70% dark choc
- 40g 55 % dark chocolate
- 125g whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 45g yolk
- 22.5g caster sugar
- 12.5g unsalted butter
Put the chocolate in a bowl. Put the milk and cream in a saucepan, add vanilla, and bring to the boil.
Whisk the yolks and sugar until light in colour. Add half the boiling mixture to the egg mixture, whisk until smooth, and return to the pan. Over a low heat, stir the mixture and cook until it coats the back of a spoon (around 82-84 deg cel). Take the pan off the heat, and pass through a fine sieve, over the bowl of chocolate. Mix until smooth. Gradually add the butter. Put in a piping bag, and pipe into rings. Chill.
For the tempered chocolate ring:
- 200g 54.5% dark chocolate
- Acetate
First temper the chocolate by placing dark chocolate over a pan of warm water. When the dark chocolate reaches a temperature of 54 deg cel, take out ¼ of its volume and set aside. When the larger dark chocolate quantity reduces to 26.4 deg cel, add the smaller volume and keep at a consistent temperature of no higher then 30 deg cel.
Cut the acetate into 21cm length strips. Add 2 tablespoons of the dark chocolate and using a palate knife scrape the chocolate down the full length. Lift the acetate using a palette knife and place it on a clean part of the table. Remove 2cm of chocolate from one end of the strip. Stand the acetate on its side, bring both ends together. Keep the side that you removed the chocolate from on the outside, and push the other edge on the inside of this piece, slightly pushing into the chocolate, to seal it. Allow to cool and remove acetate.
For the mascarpone mousse:
- 1 egg
- 19g caster sugar
- 112.5 mascarpone
- 40g double cream
Separate the egg into 2 small mixing bowls. Whip the the white until stiff peak. Whisk the yolks with the sugar until light and frothy. Beat the cheese into the yolks, a little at a time. Once combined slowly fold in the whipped whites. Place the cream in small mixing bowl and whisk to stiff peaks, and then fold this into the mix.
Coffee sponge:
- 4 savoiardi biscuits
- 25ml strong coffee- chilled
Soak the biscuits in the coffee, and remove and drain on kitchen paper.
For the chocolate powder:
- 100g 70% dark chocolate
- 40g maltodextrin
- 1g salt
Melt the chocolate, add the salt, and mix in the maltodextrin.
Coffee syrup:
- 25g sugar
- 50g water
- 1 tsp coffee essence
Combine and reduce to a syrup over a low heat.
