Valentine’s Day Dessert Recipe

Your date deserves a special restaurant class dessert. Bruno Albouze on YouTube shares with us this excellent dessert that makes your heart flutter from the moment it’s served.

Ingredients:

Pecan brownie

• 1 1/16 c Butter, softened
• ½ c Bittersweet chocolate 64/70%
• 4 Eggs 
• 1 ½ c Sugar
• ¾ c All-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 ⅔ c Pecans, chopped

Hazelnut Praline/Spread

• 2 ¾ c Hazelnuts
• 1 ½ c Sugar
• 1 1/16 c Salt
• ⅓ tbsp Vanilla

Crunchy Praline

• ⅛ c Milk chocolate, melted
• 2 1/8 c Feuilletine / Dried crepes or crushed corn flakes
• 1 ½ c Hazelnut praliné
• 1/16 c  Butter, melted

White Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse

• 1/16 c  Gelatine
• 1 ½ c Milk
• ¾ c  Hazelnuts, toasted
• ½ c  White chocolate
• ¾ c Heavy cream, hot
• ¾ c Heavy cream, chilled
• 1 ¼ c Hazelnut praline

Lemon Marmalade

• ½ c Lemon juice preferably organic Meyer lemon
• ¼ c Water
• 1/16 c Agar-agar*
• ½ c Sugar
• ⅓ tbsp Olive oil
• ⅓ c Poached lemons

Chocolate Glaze

• ⅔ c Water
• 1 ¾ c Sugar
• ¾ c Corn syrup
• ¾ c Condensed milk
• 1/16 c Gelatin sheets

Directions:

Prepare all the needed ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

For the pecan brownie, slowly melt the chocolate in a bain-marie. Make sure to keep it lukewarm. With the stand mixer bowl or a standard bowl, together with a hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar on high for 5 minutes. Transfer the egg mixture to a pastry bowl. Then, add and beat the softened butter on high. Add the chocolate gradually and beat on high speed until you have a fluffy buttercream texture. If it is too firm, warm it up; if it is too soft, place it in the freezer for a few minutes. Mix a third of the egg-sugar mixture into the butter-chocolate mixture and add the remaining. Sift in the flour and fold. Then, add the pecans.

Spread an 18″ x 13″ sheet pan with oiled parchment paper and put in the the batter. Place the batter in the oven to bake for 20 to 22 minutes at 350F.

When done, let the brownies cool to room temperature and freeze overnight. To remove the brownies from the tray, run a spatula around the edges and heat the bottom over the flame for a few seconds. Flip the brownie onto the counter or a tray. Cut them out into hearts or into desired shapes. Keep frozen. Optional, coat the bottom of the brownie with a mixture of melted dark chocolate and 10% oil.

For the hazelnut praline spread, toast hazelnuts on the stove or bake them in the oven at 350F for 12 minutes.

In a heated pan, cook the sugar to a brown caramel color. Then, add in the vanilla seeds, salt, and nuts. Mix everything until well combined. Transfer it to a baking mat to let it cool completely. When cooled, break the caramelized hazelnuts into pieces and blend them in a food processor until they become paste.

For the crunchy praline, crush and blend cornflakes in the food processor and set aside. Melt chocolate and combine it with the praline. Then, add the melted butter. Mix everything until well combined.

Transfer the mixture to a lined tray between two pieces of parchment paper and roll. Transfer the mixture to the fridge to cool.

After it has completely cooled, cut it into the desired shapes.Keep it frozen until used.

For the mousse, soak gelatin sheets in cold water until softened. Set aside after draining. Boil milk and toast hazelnuts in a pan over medium heat. When finished, use a blender to combine everything.

Place the mixture through a sieve to extract as much flavor from the hazelnuts as possible. Next, spread the solids on a sheet pan and bake them to dry out.

In a heated saucepan, bring the hazelnuts and milk to a boil along with the heavy cream. Pour and mix the white chocolate using an immersion blender, then add the gelatin. Mix until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed. Add the chilled heavy cream and praline, mix, and chill overnight. When ready, beat the ganache montee to soft peaks right before using.

For the lemon marmalade insert, mix sugar and agar together and set aside. Heat up the lemon juice and water. Then, swirl in the sugar-agar mixture and bring to a boil. Let the mixture cool over ice water and chill overnight to let it set.

Then, using an immersion blender, smooth in the olive oil until it resembles corn syrup. Add in the chopped poached lemons. Make an insert with a device that comes with the molding kit or a small cake ring. Freeze overnight.

When frozen, fill the mold with 2/3 cup of the chocolate hazelnut mousse. Then, add in the frozen lemon insert and gently press down. Pipe out more mousse around the edges while smoothing it out with a spoon. Top the marmalade with the frozen praline and add the brownie biscuit. Freeze the cake overnight and de-mold the cake the day you glaze it.

For the Chocolate Mirror glaze, soak a gelatin sheet in cold water until softened. Set aside after draining. Combine water, sugar, and corn syrup in a heated saucepan for 3 minutes. Next, add the condensed milk and gelatin. Pour the hot liquid into a narrow container and add the chocolate. Blend the mirror glaze using the immersion blender. Make sure to keep the nozzle down to prevent air bubbles.

Transfer the frozen cake into a lined tray with plastic wrap and a wire rack.

Valentine’s Day Dessert Recipe