Perfect for sharing… instead of cakes or cheese, for once!
Fondant chocolate with rice cereal and tropical fruit
Serves 12 – 14
Heat 1 kg of coarsely chopped dark chocolate in a 45 °C bain-marie (it must not melt completely!). Remove from heat, add another 50 g chocolate and stir until the temperature drops to 32 °C. Spread melted chocolate on a baking sheet covered with baking paper to form a compact “sheet,” about 5 mm thick. Let it solidify and before it is completely hardened, garnish with pistachios, pistachio powder, pieces of dried papaya, coconut and pineapple, rice cereal and cornflower petals.
Shortbread with gianduja and caramelized hazelnuts
Serves 8 – 10
Mix 500 g of all-purpose flour with 40 g of almond flour, 160 g of sugar, a pinch of salt and 280 g of butter until mixture appears grainy. Whisk two eggs, one at a time, into the mixture. Cover shortcrust pastry with plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for two hours. Lay cooled dough on a baking sheet covered with lightly floured baking parchment to obtain a “sheet” that’s about 3 mm thick. Pierce with fork tines and bake at 350° F for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare a syrup by melting 50 g of sugar with 50 g of water over high heat. Boil the rind of half a pink grapefruit (that’s been washed and cut into pieces). Change the water and repeat the grapefruit rind process a second time. Then cook both peels in the syrup for a couple of minutes and turn off the heat, leaving rinds to infuse. Melt 400 g of chopped gianduja chocolate in a bain-marie and spread it evenly over the shortcrust pastry. Garnish with chopped almond, hazelnut and caramelized almond slices, alkekengi (Chinese lanterns), apple slices and grapefruit zest.
Marbled chocolate with raspberries and rose petals
Serves 6 – 8
Heat 350 g of chopped white chocolate in a bain-marie at 115° F (it must not melt completely!). Then remove from chocolate from heat, adding the remaining 50 g chocolate and stir until temperature drops to 80° F. Melt 50 g of pink chocolate separately. Spread the melted white chocolate on a baking sheet covered with baking parchment to form a compact slab that’s about 2 mm thick. Sprinkle with pink chocolate, spreading it with the help of a spatula. Allow mixture to solidify and before the surface hardens, garnish with dried raspberries, dried rose petals and other flowers as you wish!
Wafers with mostarda and candied fruit
Serves 4
Mix 100 g of Grana Padano DOP cheese with 40 g of corn flour, 25 g of hemp seeds and 10 g of black sesame seeds. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet covered with baking parchment to form a compact sheet about 3-4 mm thick. Bake at 400° F for about 8 - 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with pieces of cherry mostarda, candied orange, citron peel and mint leaves. Serve it near mealtime or with an apéritif!