Chestnut dessert
Amazing multiple layer chestnut dessert with bavarian cream, caramel, and chocolate.
Prep Time1 hr 40 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Setting time3 hrs 35 mins
Total Time2 hrs 25 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Keyword: caramel, chestnut, chocolate
Cookie base
- 2 egg yolks
- 80 g sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 80 g butter at room temperature
- 115 g flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Chocolate caramel ganache
Caramel
- 50 g sugar
- 20 g butter
- 30 ml whipping cream
- pinch of salt
Chocolate ganache
- 75 g dark chocolate
- 25 ml whipping cream
Chestnut and cocoa bavarian cream
- 125 ml milk
- 125 ml whipping cream
- 2 egg yolks
- 40 g sugar
- 120 g chestnut puree
- 10 g cocoa powder
- 3 g powdered gelatin
- 15 ml cold water
- 220 ml whipping cream
Mascarpone mousse
- 130 ml whipping cream
- 100 g mascarpone
- 60 g powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Almond sponge
- 3 eggs
- 60 g sugar
- 60 g flour
- 20 g almond flour
Chestnut mousse
- 280 g cooked chestnuts
- 120 ml milk
- 40 g sugar
- 130 ml whipping cream
- 6 g powdered gelatin
- 140 ml whipping cream
Decoration
- whipped cream
- cookie crumbs
- tempered chocolate leaves painted with gold lustre dust
Cookie base
In a bowl beat the sugar and egg yolks for 2 min on medium-high speed.
Add vanilla extract and butter. Beat for another 2 min or until creamy then add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low speed just until everything is combined.
Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for at least an hour. In the meantime, you can make other components.
Preheat the oven to 170°C and line a 24 x 32 cm baking pan with parchment paper. Roll out the dough to fit the prepared baking pan and bake until golden brown.
Chocolate caramel ganache
Caramel
Heat up the cream until hot and set aside. Put the sugar into a wide pan and melt over medium heat. Slowly swirl the pan to make sure the sugar is dissolving evenly and not getting burnt.
Once all the sugar is dissolved completely, wait for the color to change to amber.
Stop the cooking when the colour is dark amber (be careful not to burn).
When the sugar reaches the desired color, remove the pan from the heat, add the butter and whisk vigorously until it’s all mixed up.
Now add the cream and salt and whisk again, until it’s incorporated. Set aside and cool.
Almond sponge
Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a 24 x 32 cm baking pan with parchment paper.
Mix the eggs with sugar until light and doubled in volume, about 4 min.
Mix the flour and almond flour together then gently fold them into the egg mixture with a spatula.
Put the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 5 min or until golden-brown. Cool down.
Chestnut and cocoa bavarian cream
Prepare the gelatin by the instructions on the packaging.
Put milk, 125 ml cream, sugar and egg yolks in a pan and mix.
Cook on low-medium heat, whisking constantly until it reaches 82°C. You can check if the cream is done by placing a spoon in the cream and then making a line with your finger across the spoon. If the line stays clean and the cream is slightly thickened, it’s done.
Add cocoa powder, chestnut puree and gelatin to the cream and mix until well combined. I used an immersion blender to really make sure everything is smooth.
Leave to cool a bit but not enough to let the gelatin set. Whip up the whipping cream to soft peaks and with a spatula gently fold it into the cooked and cooled cream.
Chestnut mousse
Make this after everything else is done and set so that you can use it as soon as it’s done. Otherwise, the mousse could start to set before you use it for the dessert.
Prepare the gelatin by the instructions on the packaging.
Place the chestnuts, milk, 130 ml cream and sugar in a pan and heat up until the sugar is melted and the mixture is hot.
Remove from the heat and use the immersion blender to smooth out the mixture. Add gelatin and mix it in until it’s melted.
Set aside to cool down.
The chestnut cream should be just cool enough to fold in the whipped cream without melting but if you let it cool too much the gelatin will start to set the cream, so be careful to fold in the whipped cream before that! Whip up the remaining whipping cream to soft peaks and fold it gently to the cool chestnut cream.
Assemble
Place the cookie base in the pan that you baked it in, then pour the caramel chocolate ganache over it and distribute evenly.
Pour the chestnut and cocoa bavarian cream over the ganache, distribute evenly and place in the fridge (or a freezer, if you don’t want to wait as long) to set.
After the bavarian cream is set, distribute the mascarpone mousse over it.
Place the almond sponge over the mascarpone mousse and press slightly then distribute the chestnut mousse over it and put in the fridge to set.
When the mousse is set, pour over the chosen chocolate glaze and let it set. All that’s left to do now is cut the dessert to whatever shape you wish and have fun with the decorating!