Ever since I saw Antonio Bachour’s recipe of Opera in the So Good magazine, I was set to make it! Anyone following my blog closely knows I admire his work and I was eager to try one of his recipes. The stars aligned so that I had to make a chocolate dessert for a blog campaign so there I was with the recipe written in my notebook and the ingredients aligned on the table.
Funny thing is that I was mentioning in one of my previous posts that I am no longer a chocoholic and here I am posting a recipe that used tons of chocolate. See how things get a turn in the world of pastry? Today you’re working with mango, tomorrow the client might want caramel, today it’s chocolate, tomorrow it’s basil. All sorts of flavors, tastes and textures that make this adventure even better!
This cake though, look at it! It’s so scrumptious, so creamy, so decadent and delicious! Its elements are quite simple: an almond sponge cake, an ultra creamy cremeux, a crunchy glaze and a topping that I couldn’t stop eating! All this together form a cake that one cannot resist eating!
{Coffee Chocolate Bar}
Author: Olguta - Pastry Workshop
Ingredients:
Almond sponge cake:
- 210g almond praline
- 80g white sugar
- 210g whole eggs
- 55g dark chocolate (52-60%)
- 55g butter
- 15g cocoa powder
- 60g all-purpose flour
- 2g salt
*Almond praline:
- 200g almonds, skinned
- 200g white sugar
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
Chocolate cremeux:
- 375ml heavy cream
- 375ml whole milk
- 150g egg yolks
- 175g white sugar
- 490g dark chocolate (52-60%)
- 4g gelatin sheets
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Gourmet glaze:
- 300g milk chocolate
- 200g dark chocolate (52-60%)
- 100ml vegetable oil
- 50g almond slices
- 50g paillete feuilletine
Whipped coffee ganache:
- 200ml heavy cream A
- 30g glucose syrup
- 5g instant coffee
- 180g white chocolate
- 300ml heavy cream B
Directions:
Almond sponge cake:
- Preheat your oven to 180C and line a 25x35cm pan with parchment paper.
- Sift the cocoa powder with the flour and salt
- Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave or a hot water bath.
- Mix the almond praline with the sugar and eggs in the bowl of your mixer for 5-8 minutes or until double in volume and light, airy.
- Fold in the chocolate and butter, followed by the dry ingredients.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level it well.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes.
- Allow to cool down in the pan before serving.
*Almond praline:
- Caramelize the sugar until light in color.
- Add the almonds then transfer the mixture into a pan lined with baking paper. Allow to cool down completely then break into smaller pieces and place in a food processor.
- Pulse until powdery then add the oil and continue pulsing until a paste forms.
- Use right away or store in an airtight container until needed.
Chocolate cremeux:
- Bloom the gelatin in cold water.
- Combine the heavy cream and milk and place on low heat.
- Combine the egg yolk with the sugar in a bowl. Stream in the hot milk and cream then place back on heat and cook on low heat until the mixture reached 82C.
- Remove from heat and add the gelatin. Pour over the chocolate through a fine sieve.
- Using an immersion blender, mix the cremeux until smooth and creamy.
- Add the vanilla and mix well.
- Pour the cremeux over the sponge cake then place in the freezer for at least 4 hours.
Gourmet glaze:
- Melt the two types of chocolate.
- Add the vegetable oil and mix well then stir in the almond slices and paillete feuilletine.
- Place aside until needed.
Whipped chocolate ganache:
- Heat the heavy cream A and glucose in a pot.
- Remove from heat and stir in the coffee. Pour over the chocolate then blend well.
- Add the heavy cream B, unwhipped, and blend well.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
To assemble the cake:
- Remove the cake from the freezer and cut into your desired shape and size.
- Carefully, dip the sides of each cake into the gourmet glaze.
- Whip the ganache until stiff then place it in a pastry bag fitted with a petal tip.
- Decorate the cakes with whipped ganache and chocolate.
- Enjoy!
ROMANIAN
O noua saptamana, o noua provocare, de aceasta data din partea Nestle Dessert Romania care mi-au trimis cateva tablete de ciocolata cu rugamintea sa le transform intr-un desert. Cumva s-au aliniat bine stelele caci aveam in asteptare o reteta incredibil de ciocolatoasa pe care asteptam sa o fac cu ocazia potrivita. Reteta este adaptata dupa Opera a lui Antonio Bachour si recunosc ca, desi nu mai sunt asa o mare ciocoholica, am mancat doua bucati din aceasta prajitura. Este absolut delicioasa si are o textura incredibila. Un blat pufos, delicat, o crema atat de fina si cremoasa si glazura usor crocanta care le imbraca uniform pe cele doua sunt perfecte chiar si asa. Insa Bachour pulseaza cu un ganache batut cu cafea care are o textura din alta lume! Este prajitura cu ciocolata perfecta!
Prajitura cu ciocolata si cafea
Author: Olguta - Pastry Workshop
Ingredients:
Blat:
- 210g pralina cu migdale*
- 80g zahar alb
- 210g oua intregi
- 55g ciocolata Nestle Noir
- 55g unt
- 15g cacao pudra
- 60g faina alba
- 2g sare
*Pralina de migdale:
- 200g migdale fara coaja, usor coapte
- 200g zahar alb
- 2 linguri ulei de cocos
Cremeux de ciocolata:
- 375ml smantana pentru frisca
- 375ml lapte integral
- 150g galbenus
- 175g zahar alb
- 490g ciocolata Nestle Dessert Romania
- 4g gelatina foi
- 2 lingurite extract de vanilie
Glazura "crocanta":
- 300g ciocolata cu lapte
- 200g ciocolata Nestle Dessert Romania
- 100ml ulei vegetal
- 50g fulgi de migdale, faramitati
- 50g paillete feuilletine
Ganache batut cu cafea:
- 200ml smantana pentru frisca A
- 30g glucoza lichida
- 5g cafea instant
- 180g ciocolata alba
- 300ml smantana pentru frisca B
Directions:
Blat:
- Preincalziti cuptorul la 180C si tapetati o forma de 35x25cm cu hartie de copt.
- Cerneti faina cu cacaoa si sarea.
- Topiti ciocolata si untul pe baie de aburi sau la microunde.
- Mixati pralina cu migdale, zaharul alb si ouale intregi pentru 5-8 minute sau pana amestecul isi dubleaza volumul si devine pufos, deschis la culoare.
- Incorporati ciocolata si untul topite, iar la final adaugati ingredientele uscate cernute.
- Turnati aluatul in tava pregatita si coaceti pentru 15-20 minute.
- Lasati la racit in tava. (veti monta prajitura in aceeasi tava)
*Pralina de migdale:
- Caramelizati zaharul pana obtineti un caramel deschis la culoare.
- Adaugati migdalele apoi turnati amestecul intr-o tava si lasati la racit.
- Rupeti bucati si bagati in robotul de bucatarie, pulsand pana obtineti o pudra. Adaugati uleiul si continuati sa blenduiti pana obtineti o pasta.
- Folositi imediat sau pastrati intr-un vas inchis ermetic.
Cremeux de ciocolata:
- Hidratati gelatina in apa rece.
- Combinati smantana pentru frisca si laptele si puneti pe foc mic pana se incalzeste.
- Amestecati galbenusul cu zaharul alb intr-un bol. Turnati in fir subtire laptele fierbinte, apoi intoarceti pe foc. Gatiti pe foc mic pana amestecul atinge 82C.
- Luati de pe foc si adaugati gelatina, apoi strecurati peste ciocolata intr-un alt bol.
- Folosind un blender de mana, omogenizati foarte bine cremeux, apoi adaugati vanilia.
- Turnati crema peste blat si dati la congelator cateva ore.
Glazura crocanta:
- Topiti cele doua tipuri de ciocolata.
- Adaugati uleiul si omogenizati, apoi incorporati fulgii de migdale si paillete.
- Dati deoparte.
Ganache batut cu cafea:
- Incalziti smantana pentru frisca A si glucoza intr-un vas.
- Luati de pe foc si adaugati cafeaua instant apoi turnati peste ciocolata alba.
- Omogenizati cu un blender de mana apoi incorporati si smantana pentru frisca B (nebatuta).
- Dati la frigider cel putin 8 ore.
Pentru a finisa prajitura:
- Taiati prajitura in dreptunghiuri dupa marimea dorita (8x3cm am ales eu, gandindu-ma ca e o prajitura suficient de consistenta si ciocolatoasa).
- Cu grija, glazurati laturile prajiturii in glazura crocanta.
- Mixati ganache-ul pana devine pufos si ferm apoi puneti intr-un pos cu dui pentru petale si decorati.
- Sa aveti pofta!!
Multumim frumos, Olguta! Prajitura asta….e din alta lume!!!!! 🙂
Olguta,cat e tava de mare?Cate prăjituri ies din compozitia dată?
35x25cm, am scris in reteta :P. Numarul prajiturilor depinde de cat de mari le tai. 🙂 Spor la treaba!
OMG!! Looks so yummy, I love to eat almond combination
Ah, arata dumnezeiește, ca de altfel tot ce iese din mâinile tale! Esti un model demn de urmat, felicitări si spor in tot ce faci!
Multumesc din suflet, Diana! 🙂
Buna Olguta, imi poi spune de unde se poate cumpara glucoza?
http://www.desertonline.ro in cantitati mai mici.
Poti insa folosi miere, nu e chiar acelasi lucru, dar e un inlocuitor mai la indemana tuturor.
Ne poti spune cum se pot face paillete feuilletine?multumesc
Nu am o reteta incercata, as prefera sa nu ma pronunt. Eu ii cumpar, nu cred ca merita efortul de a-i produce in casa. Dar gasesti in mod cert pe google tot felul de retete. 🙂
Buna ziua! As vrea sa incerc aceasta reteta in wk. Doar 60 gr de faina la blat? nu este prea putina? Ma gandesc ca inseamna aprox 3 linguri.
Nu e o greseala.
Bună, nu stiu ce am greșit dar cremeux nu a iesit fin ci se simt zgrumturele de ciocolata (se simte ca se topesc repede dar mi se pare neplăcut mai ales ca asteptarea este sa simti ceva foarte fin). Sigur nu am tinut prea mult pe foc gălbenușul, pare ca nu s-a topit complet ciocolata. Oare am sanse sa repar cu ceva? Am constatat asta abia dupa ce s-a racit in jur de 8ore.
De cate ori este implicata ciocolata intr-o crema, cel mai bine e sa folosesti un blender pentru a omogeniza toate particulele de grasime.
Buna,
Am facut prajitura, care este pur si simplu minunata insa glazura crocanta de deasupra este foarte tare, ceea ce o face dificil de taiat cu lingurita. Este cumva de la ulei? Il pot scoate din compozitia glazurii? Multumesc!
Ma bucur ca ti-a placut, Monica. Nu stiu daca se vede in poze, insa eu deasupra nu am pus glazura, doar pe parti. Uleiul e cel care o face chiar o idee mai moale. Altfel, ciocolata la frigider se intareste foarte mult.
Am inteles 🙂 multumesc tare mult pentru promptitudine 🙂
HI
This recipe looks great. Can you please tell me what bloom gelatin do you use.
Thank you and have a nice day !
220 bloom
Minunata combinatie! numai ca mi-a iesit glazura foarte tare….am taiat-o destul de greu…ce as putea sa fac sa nu mai iasa atat de tare? pentru ca zi il fac din nou…
I’m new to this, but what do you mean by heavy cream A and heavy cream B? Is it just that you use heavy cream twice, or are they actually two different kinds of cream altogether? Thanks!
They are both just regular heavy cream, but they come in the recipe in different steps so they are separately listed.