Chocolate Sphere
Recipe courtesy of Sean Dwyer, Pastry Chef, Hamilton Harbor Yacht Club, Naples, Fla.
Ingredients
- For Chocolate Mousse
- silver gelatin - 6 sheets
- whole milk - 500 gr.
- dark chocolate - 645 gr. (over 58% cocoa content)
- heavy cream - 980 gr., whipped soft peaks
- For Whipped Caramel Ganache
- caramel chocolate - 210 gr.
- heavy cream - 365 gr.
- vanilla bean - 1 ea.
- For Almond Crumble
- almond flour - 110 gr.
- all-purpose flour - 85 gr.
- brown sugar - 85 gr.
- unsalted butter - 100 gr.
- salt - 3 gr.
- For Chocolate Almond Cake
- powdered sugar - 235 gr.
- cocoa powder - 70 gr.
- almond flour - 235 gr.
- whites - 280 gr.
- sugar - 100 gr.
- For Chocolate Done
- tempered dark chocolate - as needed
- tempered red cocoa butter - as needed
- tempered yellow cocoa butter - as needed
- round cutters
Instructions
Procedure:
- For chocolate mousse: Soak gelatin in ice water until soft, about 10-15 minutes. Squeeze out excess water and set aside. In a pot, bring milk to a boil. Mix gelatin into hot milk until dissolved completely. Strain over dark chocolate and whisk until smooth. Put in hotel pan and cover with plastic wrap. Leave at room temp and cool to 95°F. Fold into heavy cream.
- For whipped caramel ganache: Bring cream to a boil. Pour over chocolate, add vanilla and process with a blender. Refrigerate overnight. Whip ganache until medium peaks form.
- For almond crumble: Beat all ingredients in a mixer with a paddle until it becomes a crumble texture. Bake on a sheet tray with parchment paper at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely at room temperature. Grind in a food processor until soil consistency.
- For almond cake: Sift powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and almond flour, then set aside. Whip egg whites on medium speed, adding the sugar slowly. Whip until medium peaks form. Fold dry ingredients into whites. Bake on a sheet tray with parchment paper at 350°F for 10-15 minutes until firm to the touch. Freeze and cut into cubes.
- For chocolate dome: In a 2½-inch diameter polycarbonate sphere mold, paint red and yellow cocoa butter in bottom of mold and let set. Fill molds with tempered dark chocolate. Tap the side with spatula to remove air bubbles. Turn mold over and pour out excess chocolate in mold. Tap the side with spatula until it stops coming out. Set on side to crystalize. With a flat spatula remove extra chocolate on mold, making it perfectly smooth. Remove spheres from mold when completely set. With a heat gun, heat round cutter and cut holes out of the top chocolate sphere.
