Island Pralines

Ingredients

Chocolate Spong Cake

• 75 g 63% Vanuari chocolate couverture
• 4 eggs
• 75 g unsalted butter , softened
• 65 g icing sugar
• 60 g sugar
• 75 g pastry flour

Soft Vanilla Caramel

• 163 g whipping cream (35%)
• 1 vanilla pod , split
• .35 g baking soda
• 27 g glucose
• 216 g sugar
• 2 g salt
• 50 g 39% Milk Vanuari chocolate couverture
• 45 g unsalted butter

Rum Mousseline Cream

• 325 g homogenized milk
• 60 g whipping cream (35%)
• 1 vanilla pod , split
• 50 g muscovado sugar
• 75 g egg yolks
• 35 g cornstarch
• 30 g 200º bloom powder gelatin
• 200 g praline
• 50 g dark rum
• 180 g unsalted butter , softened

Assembling

• 15 dark delta
• 30 small dark delta (optional)

Instructions

Chocolate Sponge Cake

1. Preheat an oven to 180º C. Butter and line a baking pan with parchment.
2. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate couverture, and let cool slightly. Separate the egg whites and yolks.
3. In a mixer, beat the butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the melted chocolate and egg yolks and beat for 5 minutes. Beat the egg whites with the sugar.
4. Gently fold the egg whites and flour into the chocolate mixture. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until just set.

Soft Vanilla Caramel

1. Bring the cream, vanilla, baking soda, glucose, and half the sugar to boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes. Pass through a sieve.
2. Caramelise the remaining sugar up to 170º C and deglaze with the still-warm cream. Reheat to 110º C and add the salt.
3. Whisk in the chocolate and butter until emulsified. Refrigerate for 24 hours.

Rum Mousseline Cream

1. In a pot over medium-high heat bring milk, cream, and vanilla to just under a boil. Cover and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain.
2. Heat the strained milk to just under a boil. In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Pour the hot milk over and mix. Return to the pot and cook, constantly stirring, until it is thick.
3. Soften the gelatin in a little water. Whisk into the hot pastry cream. Whisk in the praline, dark rum, and butter. Cool.

Assembling

1. Cut and fit the sponge cake into the chocolate deltas. Pipe a small amount of soft vanilla caramel onto the sponge cake. Fill with the rum mousseline and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Pipe the rum mousseline again using a star-tipped pastry bag and decorate.