Chocolate Mousse and Meringue Cake, The Ultimate Book of Chocolate: Make your chocolate dreams become a reality by Melanie Dupuis. Photography by Pierre Javelle.
In The Ultimate Book of Chocolate trained pastry chef Melanie Dupuis will teach you how to make your chocolate dreams become a reality. Learn how to temper, mould and decorate like a pro with the complete guide to everything chocolate.
Starting with the basics, Melanie will take you through all the different varieties of chocolate you will be working as all the other basic ingredients required. She then explains in detail, accompanied with step-by-step pictures, all the various techniques in the book, from tempering to making ganache, chocolate mousse, creme anglaise, biscuit bases, meringue and more. The main recipes include every chocolate dessert you could ever imagine, plus more, from caramel bonbons and millionaire’s shortbread to Easter eggs, truffles, macarons, cakes, Swiss rolls, eclairs and more: this truly is a chocoaholic’s dream book!
With step-by-step photographs and beautiful illustrations, this is a masterclass in making chocolate desserts, from an expert pastry chef. This stunning, large volume with delight anyone with a sweet tooth, or any home cook who wants to take their dessert skills to the next level.
The Ultimate Book of Chocolate: Make your chocolate dreams become a reality is available at Amazon.com and Indigo.ca.
Chocolate Mousse and Meringue Cake
A dessert made of meringue discs and chocolate mousse, decorated with dark chocolate.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
Preparation: 2 ½ hours
Cooking: 90 minutes
Standing: 3 hours
EQUIPMENT YOU WILL NEED
22 cm (8 ½ in) pastry ring
24 cm (10 in) 10 cm (4 in) deep pastry ring Piping bag fitted with No 12 plain nozzle Transparent acetate strip
Polyethylene sheet
Paintbrush
SKILLS REQUIRED
Coating with a thin layer of chocolate (chabloning; page 273)
Piping (page 278)
Using a double-boiler (page 276)
PLANNING AND PREP
The day before: Meringue
On the day: Chocolate mousse – assemble – decorate
ADVICE
If you do not have a pastry ring deep enough for assembling the dessert, double the height of the transparent acetate strip, overlapping the ends and holding them together with adhesive tape, and use a standard-depth ring.
SERVES 10
1. SWISS MERINGUE
150 g (5 oz) egg whites (5 whites)
150 g (5 oz) white caster (superfine) sugar 150 g (5 oz) icing (confectioner’s) sugar
2. CHOCOLATE COATING LAYER
100 g (3 1/2 oz) dark chocolate (66% cocoa)
20 g (3/4 oz) cocoa butter
3. CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
300 g (10 1/2 oz) dark chocolate (minimum 60% cocoa)
60 g (2 oz) water
150 g (5 oz) white caster (superfine) sugar 120 g (4 oz) egg yolks (8 yolks)
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) whipping cream
4. DECORATION
600 g (1 lb 5 oz) dark chocolate (66% cocoa)
Making the cake
Preheat the oven to 90°C (200°F/gas 1/4). Draw 3 x 22 cm (8 1/2 in) circles on a sheet of baking paper using the pastry ring as a template. Make the Swiss meringue (page 68). Put in a piping bag fitted with the No 12 nozzle, then pipe out 3 discs. Cook for 90 minutes, then cool completely.
To make the chocolate coating layer: melt the cocoa butter and chocolate in a double-boiler (page 276) and coat the meringues completely using a paintbrush. Leave to harden for 15 minutes in the refrigerator. Make the chocolate mousse (page 48). Place the 24 cm (10 in) pastry ring on a polyethylene sheet and put a double layer of transparent acetate strips on the sides if necessary. Pipe out the mousse 2 cm (3/4 in) thick (page 278), making it thicker along the outer edge, then use a spatula to bring the mousse up along the inside of the pastry ring.
Place the first disc of meringue inside and press down gently, pipe out another 2 cm (¾ in) chocolate mousse and add the second meringue disc.
Repeat until the last disc of meringue is level with the top of the pastry ring. Leave to set for 3 hours in the refrigerator.
Take the dessert out of the refrigerator, turn it out onto a serving dish, remove the pastry ring, the transparent acetate strips and the polyethylene sheet.
Make the chocolate decorations (page 38): cover the sides of the dessert with a wide strip of chocolate and decorate the top with wolf fangs.
The recipe reprinted with permission from Hardie Grant Books.