Hi friends,
Today, I’m excited to share a dessert that embodies everything I love about pastry: chocolate, raspberry, and pecans. This elegant, indulgent, and perfectly balanced dessert combines the richness of chocolate with the brightness of raspberry, all enhanced by the delightful crunch of pecans.
If you’re looking for a beautiful way to finish a meal or simply want to treat yourself, you’ve come to the right place!
Here is my chocolate, raspberry, and pecan mousse.
A Unique Combination
From the very first bite, you will be captivated. This dessert delights with its rich textures. The chocolate is robust yet never overpowering, creating a creamy and enveloping base that works beautifully with the natural acidity of the raspberry, infusing a fruity freshness and a sparkling note.
The pecans contribute an irresistible textural contrast: a subtle crunch that enlivens the entire dessert without disturbing the harmony of flavors.
The Importance of Quality Ingredients
To achieve this incredibly indulgent flavor, quality ingredients are essential.
Choose a good chocolate for the mousse, ideally with a high cocoa content to fully express its depth without becoming bitter. A 60% cocoa chocolate works well, but if you prefer milk chocolate, feel free to use that instead. The recipe remains the same.
For the raspberries, opt for fresh ones (if in season) or high-quality frozen ones. Personally, I like to anticipate the summer and freeze a good quantity of raspberries for future celebrations.
Organization: The Key to a Stress-Free Day
As always with desserts, organization is vital. The great part is that you can freeze components while following the recipe, allowing you to prepare ahead of time—days or even weeks in advance!
Here’s my recommended schedule for making this chocolate, raspberry, and pecan dessert:
**Two Days Before Serving:**
Make the raspberry compote that will serve as the insert.
Prepare your chocolate génoise and the crispy pecans.
**One Day Before Serving:**
Make your chocolate cream (this can also be done on the second day). Then assemble the dessert.
**On Serving Day:**
Remove your dessert from the freezer, apply the mirror glaze, and feel free to add a final touch, such as meringues or raspberries if desired. However, this step is optional—your dessert will look stunning as is.
Techniques for Your Chocolate, Raspberry, and Pecan Dessert
I often repeat myself, but I strive to offer desserts that are achievable, even if you’re not extensively trained in pastry. Follow my tips closely, and you’ll do great!
Adhere to the recommended chilling times in the refrigerator or freezer, read the entire recipe before starting, and ensure you have all the necessary ingredients and equipment on hand. You’ll surprise yourself by creating beautiful desserts!
My Tip for Soft Lace Cookies
I’m sharing this tip from personal experience! I found myself with a package of crêpes dentelles that turned out soft, not the crispiness I expected.
Rather than throw them away or make a trip to the store, I tried a little trick that worked wonders! I placed them in the oven for 15 minutes at 300°F (150°C) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and they regained their crunch without losing any flavor. 😉
To Glaze or Not to Glaze?
That is the question! To be fully transparent, I intended to use a mirror glaze for this dessert. In hindsight, however, I think it may have been better without it, given the mold I used.
I believe a simple dessert mold without a specific design might benefit more from the glaze. Ultimately, the choice is yours, as I’ve provided the recipe for the glaze. It’s up to you to decide!
The Essential Utensils:
A suitable insert mold for your dessert mold (for me, a 20 cm round mold),
A baking tray lined with parchment paper,
A 20 cm pastry ring (for the sponge cake),
Another ring or insert mold of 20 cm (for the crunchy layer),
A piping bag to fill the mousse into the entremet mold (be sure to fill the corners well),
An immersion blender,
A small offset spatula,
And an entremet mold with a capacity of 1.6 liters.
There you have it; you now know everything!
If you desire a dessert that combines elegance, indulgence, and character, this mousse cake is perfect for you. It showcases the creativity of modern pastry while delivering the simple pleasure of well-balanced flavors. You’re going to love it!
The recipe, Chef!
Chocolate, Raspberry and Pecan Dessert
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Loading...Ingredients
- Raspberry Jam
- 300 g of raspberries
- 1/2 lemon
- 75 g of sugar
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- A pinch of sumac (optional)
- 1 and a half sheets of gelatin (3 g)
- Crisp
- 50 g of milk chocolate
- 95 g of praline
- 33 g of lace pancakes (6 pancakes)
- 40 g of pecans
- Genoise
- 1 large egg
- 40 g of sugar
- 12 g of cornstarch (Maïzena)
- 30 g of flour
- 10 g of unsweetened cocoa powder
- Chocolate Cream
- 3 sheets of gelatin
- 120 g of egg yolks or 6 yolks
- 60 g of sugar
- 330 g of heavy cream (minimum 30% fat)
- 300 g of whole milk
- 240 g of chocolate
- Mirror Glaze
- 150 g of water
- 182 g of sugar
- Red food coloring
- 5 sheets of gelatin (10 g)
- 125 g of heavy cream
Instructions
Raspberry Jam
Squeeze the half lemon.
Soak the gelatin in cold water.
Put all the ingredients (except the gelatin) in a saucepan.
Cook over low heat for 14 minutes covered.
Blend your coulis with an immersion blender.
Pass the coulis through a sieve to remove the seeds.
Add the squeezed gelatin leaf. Mix.
When the coulis starts to cool, pour it into your insert mold and put it in the freezer.
Chocolate Cream
Put the gelatin leaves in cold water.
Mix the egg yolks with the sugar without whitening them.
Bring the milk and cream to a boil.
Pour over the yolk and sugar mixture.
Transfer to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a spatula. (If you have a thermometer, maintain a temperature of 85 degrees).
When the mixture coats the spatula well (a liquid but thick texture), remove from heat. Add the squeezed gelatin leaves, mix.
Pour over the chocolate pieces. When the chocolate is soft, mix well.
Then use the immersion blender, avoiding incorporating air into the preparation.
Reserve in the fridge with a film touching the surface until use.
Crispy Topping
Toast your almonds for 5 minutes in a skillet (without fat). Stir regularly.
Chop them with a good knife once they have cooled.
Melt the chocolate, add the praline and mix.
Crumble the lace crepes on top and add the chopped almonds. Mix.
Pour into your insert mold.
Put in the freezer.
Genoise
Preheat your oven to 190 degrees.
Whisk the egg and sugar in a large bowl.
Put this mixture in a double boiler and whisk with an electric whisk until you obtain a very white mixture and a temperature of about 50 degrees. (the mixture should triple in volume)
Remove from the double boiler and continue whisking until 25-30 degrees (you should be able to touch the bowl without feeling too much heat).
Add the flour, cornstarch, and sifted cocoa in 2 batches, mixing gently with a spatula.
Pour into your buttered and floured mold.
Bake for 13-14 minutes.
Cool on a rack.
Assembly
Loosen the cream with a whisk to achieve a smooth texture.
Line the bottom and sides of the log mold with the cream.
Place your raspberry insert well in the center. Add a layer of cream on the insert.
Then add the disc of genoise and the crispy topping.
Complete with the remaining cream.
Freeze.
Glaze
Put the gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water.
Then put the water, sugar, and cream in a saucepan. Heat until boiling while stirring regularly with a whisk.
Then remove from heat and add the squeezed gelatin sheets.
Also add the coloring. Mix.
Cover with film and let cool while monitoring the temperature (you will need to use this glaze between 30 and 32 degrees). You can tap the bowl against the countertop to release any bubbles from the glaze.
Take the mousse out of the freezer and place it on a rack, which itself is placed over a dish.
Pour the glaze (between 30 and 32 degrees). Let set for 2-3 minutes and add any decoration you may have.
Reserve in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours before tasting.
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