Chinese New Year 2020: Red Lampion Pastry

Mini cakes inspired by the famous Chinese red lantern. The logo on the front is the symbol of the Year of the Rat: 2020. The mini cakes are made with lime financier, milk chocolate mousse, almond biscuit, raspberry-rose anglaise and red glaze.

I. INGREDIENTS

• Emotion 58 Belgian dark chocolate couverture
• Intense 35 Belgian milk chocolate couverture
• Obsession 30 Belgian white chocolate

MATERIALS

• Silicon mat SF 233 (Silikomart)
• Cutter rings, Ø 4.5 cm and Ø 2 cm (interior)
• Cutter ring Ø 4 cm
• PVC tube, Ø 4 cm

Recipe makes ca. 12 cakes

II. INTENSE 35 MILK CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

• 5 g Gelatine
• 25 g Water (1)
• 55 g Egg yolk
• 55 g Sugar
• 18 g Water (2)
• 315 g Cream
• 106 g Milk
• 35 g Emotion 58 Belgian dark chocolate couverture
• 160 g Intense 35 Belgian milk chocolate couverture

METHOD

1. Dissolve the gelatine in cold water (1) and leave to soak.
2. Whip the cream until you get soft peaks and then place it in the fridge.
3. Heat the sugar in water (2) to 120°C.
4. Whisk the egg yolk until light and add the sugar syrup (pâte à bombe).
5. Heat the milk and dissolve the gelatine in the warm milk.
6. Pour the warm milk over the chocolates and whisk until smooth.
7. When the mixture has cooled to 35°C, fold in the pâte à bombe with a spatula.
8. Finally, fold the whipped cream into the mixture with a spatula.

III. ALMOND BISCUIT

• 180 g Fresh egg white
• 174 g Sugar (1)
• 258 g Whole egg
• Sugar (2) 36 g
• 180 g Almond powder
• 54 g Flour
• 3 g Salt
• 34 g Butter

METHOD

1. Whisk the egg white and sugar (1) until light.
2. Whisk the almond powder, sugar (2), salt and whole egg until light.
3. Melt the butter and add it to the almond powder mixture.
4. Using a spatula, fold the light almond mixture into the egg foam.
5. Fold the flour into the batter.
6. Mix briefly and cut out at 0.75 cm thickness.
7. Bake at 220°C.

IV. RASPBERRY-ROSE ANGLAISE

• 140 g Raspberry puree
• 25 g Rose water/liqueur
• 159 g Cream
• 30 g Milk
• 29 g Sugar
• 55 g Egg yolk
• 6 g Gelatine powder
• 30 g Water
• 140 g Obsession 30 Belgian white chocolate

METHOD

1. Dissolve the gelatine powder in cold water.
2. Bring the cream, milk and raspberry puree to the boil.
3. Mix the egg yolk with the sugar.
4. Mix the hot cream with the egg yolks and heat the mixture to 82°C.
5. Once heated, add the soaked gelatine.
6. When the gelatine has dissolved, pour the warm anglaise over the white chocolate.
7. Add the rose water.
8. Whisk well and cool before use.
   (Optional: add a drop of red colouring)

V. RED GLAZE

• 112 g Water (1)
• 225 g Glucose
• 225 g Sugar
• 150 g Condensed milk
• 15 g Gelatine powder
• 75 g Water (2)
• 150 g Obsession 30 Belgian white chocolate
• 75 g Emotion 58 Belgian dark chocolate couverture
• 5 g Red food colouring powder

METHOD

1. Mix the gelatine with cold water (2) and leave to soak.
2. Boil the water (1), glucose and sugar.
3. Once it has boiled, add the gelatine.
4. When the gelatine has dissolved, stir the condensed milk into the mixture.
5. Lastly, add the chocolates and the food colouring powder and whisk the glaze until smooth using a stick blender.
6. Cool before use.
7. Heat and glaze at 40°C.

VI. KAFFIR LIME FINANCIER

• 80 g Almond powder
• 120 g Sugar
• 100 g Egg white
• 72 g Butter
• 28 g Flour
• 2 g Salt
• 4 g Kaffir lime zest

METHOD

1. Mix the flour, almond powder sugar, salt and the kaffir lime zest.
2. Stir the egg white into the mixture at room temperature.
3. Melt the butter and stir it through the mixture.
4. Pour the mixture in a mould up to 2 cm in height.
5. Bake the financier at 190°C.
6. After baking, cut out 4 cm slices.

VII. CONSTRUCTING THE DESSERT

• Prepare the raspberry-rose anglaise as described in the method.
• Bake the almond biscuits as described in the method.
• Cut two square slices measuring 18 x 18 cm out of the biscuit to fit a square mould (or other size if mould is available).
• Place one slice of biscuit in the mould, spread the anglaise over it and top it off with the other biscuit slice. The final height is about 2.5-3 cm.
• Freeze the raspberry-rose anglaise interior and then cut out Ø 4.5 cm with a round cutter. From the middle, you then cut out a Ø 2 cm hole to create a ‘doughnut’.
• Prepare the Intense 35 milk chocolate mousse as described in the method.
• Pipe the chocolate mousse into the silicon mould and press the frozen interior in the mousse.
• Place the silicon mould in the freezer.
• Prepare the red glaze according to the recipe and method.
• Prepare the lime financier according to the method.
• Make the white chocolate rings around a PVC tube measuring Ø 4 cm and 2 cm high (2 per dessert).
• Use one chocolate ring for the bottom of the dessert (around the financier biscuit).
• Make chocolate strings on a frozen marble stone and fix these to the inside of the chocolate ring with chocolate.
• Spray both chocolate rings with gold glitter sparkle.
• After freezing the chocolate mousse, remove the desserts for the mould and glaze straight away with the red glaze.
• Then place the dessert on the financier biscuit with a band of chocolate around it.
• Place the other chocolate ring with slithers on top of the cake (see photo).
• Lastly, stick the chocolate Year of the Rat logo on the front.