“tourmaline” mousse cakes

The calculation is for a mold 16x16 cm (6.3x6.3 inch).

For the almond biscuit:

• 47 g flour | 1.65 oz
• 100 g almond praline | 3.55 oz
• 33 g sugar | 1.15 oz
• 73 g eggs | 2.60 oz
• 27 g egg yolks | 0.95 oz
• 46 g egg whites | 1.60 oz

For the passion fruit confit:

• 180 g passion fruit puree | 6.35 oz
• 35 g sugar | 1.25 oz
• 6 g corn starch | 0.20 oz
• 4 g gelatin | 0.15 oz

For the almond ganache:

• 83 g cream 33% | 2.95 oz
• 8 g trimolin | 0.30 oz
• 75 g almond flavored chocolate | 2.65 oz
• 29 g soft butter | 1.00 oz

For the almond mousse:

• 225 g cream 33% | 7.95 oz
• 22 g almond praline | 0.80 oz
• 225 g milk | 7.95 oz
• 50 g egg yolks | 1.75 oz
• 50 g sugar | 1.75 oz
• 5 g gelatin | 0.20 oz

For the crumble:

• 30 g butter 82.5% | 1.05 oz
• 30 g sugar | 1.05 oz
• 30 g flour | 1.05 oz

Tighten the metal mold 16x16 cm (6.3x6.3 inch) with the cling film, and place it on a cutting board. Lay the sides with acetate foil from the inside.

For the almond biscuit, whisk the yolks, the eggs and the almond praline. Whip the egg whites with sugar until a steady peak. Sift the flour. Mix half of the egg whites with the egg mixture, stirring gently with a spatula. Next, add the flour, and mix again. Add the other half of the whipped egg whites, and stir.

Pour the resulting dough in a 18x18 cm (7x7 inch) metal mold, wrapped in the baking paper and foil. Bake at 170C (338F) for 10 minutes. Check the readiness with a skewer. Cool the finished biscuit, and cut out a 16x16 cm (6.3x6.3inch) blank. Place in the appropriate frame.

For the ganache, bring the cream with the trimolin to a boil, and pour over the melted chocolate. Mix well, and then punch the mix with a blender. Cool it to 30C (86F), and add the soft butter; whip again with a blender. Spread the ganache in a mold on a biscuit, and freeze.

For the passion fruit confit, soak the gelatin in ice water. Place the puree, sugar and starch in a saucepan. Stir the mix constantly, and bring it to a boil; simmer for a minute. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and add the squeezed gelatin; stir until completely dissolved. Pour the confit over the ganache, and freeze completely.

For the crumble, mix all the ingredients in a mixer with the paddle attachment. Collect the dough into a lump, and place it in the freezer for half an hour. Grate the frozen dough on a coarse grater. Bake the resulting crumbs on a baking sheet covered with the baking paper at 180C (356F) for 7 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Cool the crumble completely.

For the almond mousse, soak the gelatin in ice water. Mix the egg yolks with the sugar. Place the milk with the almond praline in a saucepan, and heat until the first steam appears. Pour the milk onto the yolk mixture in a thin stream, stirring constantly. Then, return it back to the saucepan, and cook over a low heat until 82C (179F), stirring. Remove the mass from the heat immediately, and strain it through a sieve; add the squeezed gelatin, and stir until it is completely dissolved. Cool the resulting mousse to 35C (95F), and mix it with the half-whipped cream.

Pour the finished mousse into the mold on the confit. Freeze it for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the mousse starts acquiring firmness. Sprinkle the mousse with the cooled crumble, and freeze completely.

Remove the frozen blank from the freezer, and remove the mold and the films. Place them in the fridge. When the piece thaws a little (after 30-60 minutes), cut it into cakes of the desired size. Return them to fridge until complete defrosting.

Decorate the cakes with almonds, covered with the golden powder and the passionfruit seeds.

Bon Appetit!