/fdata%2F4207725%2Favatar-blog-1205951185-tmpphpbgLO7l.jpg){kind=avatar}
After the opening of Pierre Herme’s first shop in Hong Kong, I decided it was time to try one of his recipe.
I tried his macarons recipe from his book but it seems I still have some improvments to be done to be able to eat them ;) so here is a pastry cake and easier to bake than macarons I swear !
This is a 3-layers cake called “ Fraicheur Chocolat” for the one who love chocolate... and the others too!
You can find the recipe from P. Herme’s book or googled it and you will find plenty of explanations from baking addicts. I have found the steps as per this blog the most detailed and easy to follow (but it is in French sorry)!
You’ll need:
1st layer – the brownie
115 g of butter
70 g of dark chocolate at 70%
2 eggs
100 g white sugar
60 g flour
100 g whole hazelnuts
2nd layer – the chocolate cream
16 cl of milk
16cl of liquid full cream
2 egg yolks
50 g white sugar
125 g of dark chocolate at 70 %
2 gelatin sheets
3rd layer – the chocolate coating
115 g of dark chocolate
10cl of liquid full cream
10 g of butter
45 g of white sugar
12.5 cl of water
Here is the recipe; there are many steps but don’t worry this is not as difficult as it looks and you should try it too!
The brownie
Pre-heat the oven to 160 C.
Melt the dark chocolate with the butter in the microwave. At the same time, in another bowl, mix the sugar and the eggs together. Add the melted chocolate to the eggs.
Add the flour and make sure it is fully combined before adding the hazelnuts.
Spread the mixture in a round pan and bake for 15 minutes. Allow the biscuit to cool before removing it from the baking mould.
The chocolate cream
Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave.
At the same time, heat slowly the cream and the milk. Remove from the heat before the mixture is boiling and keep aside.
In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs and the sugar. Add the hot cream/milk mixture in the bowl and mix until fully combined. Put back the mixture in the pan and heat it slowly while stirring with a wooden spoon. Once the cream is becoming thicker, remove from the heat.
Add the melted chocolate and mix until fully combined. Add the melted gelatin to the hot cream.
Put back your biscuit in your round pan or in a circle ring. Pour the chocolate cream on top of the biscuit.
Allow cooling down for at least 4 hours in the freezer – leaving it for the night is perfect. I forgot about it and it stays in my freezer for 3 days ;) but I wouldn’t recommend keeping it there any longer than that as the biscuit and the cream might become too humid.
The chocolate coating
We are almost there, you will soon be able to eat your cake!
Melt half the chocolate with half the cream in the microwave.
Add the butter and stir with a wooden spoon until fully combined. Keep this mixture aside for now.
In a saucepan, pour the water, the remaining half of the cream and chocolate. Heat slowly the mixture until the chocolate is fully melted. Keep on the heat until the mixture thickens.
Add this hot mixture to the first chocolate mixture. Stir until fully combined with a wooden spoon.
Allow the chocolate coating to cool down for 45 min to 1 hour.
When the coating is not hot anymore but not yet solid, remove the cake from the freezer and pour the coating on top of the chocolate cream. You can either choose to remove the mould and pour the coating all over your cake and smooth it with a spatula (like I did with the cheerings of Mara and Xavier) or keep the mould and pour the coating on top of the chocolate cream.
Keep it in the fridge until it is time to serve it. This dessert is better served with a vanilla ice-cream or a vanilla custard cream!
/image%2F0559972%2F201309%2Fob_27746ee0a820626cd4819e8a75064438_brioche-au-sucre.JPG)
/image%2F0559972%2F201309%2Fob_cf192fb4e5c23ace9cd41385be0dd911_panini.JPG)
/image%2F0559972%2F201305%2Fob_8c549bd6d6f62e307101c5aeceb477df_photo-30.JPG)
/image%2F0559972%2F201305%2Fphp8nVEin)
/image%2F0559972%2F20140227%2Fob_cde827_2c0a1397.jpg)
/image%2F0559972%2F20140212%2Fob_8694f8_pregnancy-1.jpg)
/image%2F0559972%2F20140212%2Fob_f02933_maison-1.jpg)
/https%3A%2F%2Fassets.over-blog.com%2Ft%2Felegant_press%2Fimages%2Fthumb.jpg)