Pears are so delicate! I guess that is why I love them so much! No matter how you cook them, they are tasty, textured and have a gorgeous color as well. However, they need to be paired with ingredients that can make them shine, otherwise the risk to overpower them is really high. I find spices, wine, caramel, chocolate, tonka beans, honey, walnuts, hazelnuts working well with pears. So this pear chocolate entremet fits this scheme perfectly with its walnut sponge, brown sugar roasted pears, dark chocolate honey ganache and milk chocolate mousse. Covered in velvet, this cake is a delight for both the eyes and the taste buds!
What I always suggest is using good quality ingredients. Only doing so, your final result will feel like it was worth it. Otherwise, it’s work in vain only to find a final product that has not the proper taste or texture. You can replace the walnuts with hazelnuts, but make sure to use a good honey, with intense flavor.
Pears and chocolate work so well together! Now add a touch of honey and molasses and you are set for a delicious dessert! Just like this pear cheesecake or pear marzipan cupcakes! Pears are delicate and yet their taste and texture cannot go unnoticed so they work so well with a lot of other ingredients, from butter to oranges, dark chocolate or white chocolate, ginger, almonds, hazelnuts, caramel, tonka beans, you name it! And they truly shine in this pear chocolate entremet.
I decided to keep the decor simple for this one so I made 2 pear cutouts from pate sucree I had from a tart. It’s a pretty cool decor option, isn’t it?! Just a touch of gold shimmer and the final cake looks elegant, minimalist and delicious!
Ingredients
- Walnut sponge
50g butter, soft
30g dark chocolate 70%, melted
35g white sugar A
100g egg yolk
80g egg white
30g white sugar B
85g walnuts, finely ground
15g all-purpose flour
15g cocoa powder
1g salt
- Dark chocolate croustillant
80g praline paste
10g cocoa butter, melted
30g dark chocolate 50-60%, melted
65g paillete feuilletine
- Brown sugar roasted pears
500g pears, peeled and cut into 1/8
70g butter, cut into pieces
85g dark brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
4 pieces orange zest- Dark chocolate honey ganache
20g milk
60g heavy cream
45g honey
70g milk chocolate
55g dark chocolate 70%
30g butter, softened
- Dark chocolate mousse
6g gelatin + 36g water
200g heavy cream
35g milk
150g dark chocolate 70%
45g milk chocolate
10g cocoa butter
490g heavy cream, semi whipped
Instructions
- Walnut sponge cake
- Mix the walnuts, flour, cocoa powder and salt.
- Mix the butter, chocolate, sugar A and egg yolk in a bowl.
- Whip the egg whites with the sugar B until soft and glossy.
- Start folding the meringue and the dry ingredients in the chocolate base, alternating them.
- Spread the dough into a 5mm thick layer and bake in the preheated oven at 160C for 10-12 minutes.
- When done, cut two 14cm discs and place aside.
- Dark chocolate croustillant
- Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
- Split in half and spread over the two discs of sponge.
Freeze. - Brown sugar roasted pears
- Combine the ingredients in a small tray.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven at 150C for 30 minutes.
- Allow to cool down then remove the pears from the syrup and press them in two 14cm cake rings.
Freeze. - Dark chocolate honey ganache
- Heat up the milk, cream and honey. Separately, melt the chocolate.
- Pour the hot liquid over the chocolate and blend well.
- Add the butter and blend.
- Split the ganache in two equal parts and pour each over the pressed pears. Freeze.
- Dark chocolate mousse
- Bloom the gelatin in water.
- Heat the cream A and milk in a saucepan. Add the gelatin to melt.
- Pour over the two chocolates and cocoa butter (melted in advance preferably) and blend well.
- Cool down to 30C then fold in the semi whipped cream.
- To assemble the entremet
- Secure 2 16cm cake rings with plastic wrap and acetate roll.
- Fill the rings half way with mousse, then place the pear and ganache insert in the center. Pour a bit more mousse and finish with the sponge and croustillant.
- Freeze both cakes for at least 8 hours.
Remove from the rings and decorate with velvet spray.
Buna! Incerc sa calculez proportiile prajiturii, gresesc daca folosesesc cantitatea de ingrediente recomandate pentru o singura prajitura intr-o tava de 20 cm diametru?
Multumesc!
Cred ca este suficient pentru un astfel de inel, cantitatile sunt destul de mari. De regula eu fac 2 torturi de 16cm diametru.