Halo White Chocolate Mousse Cake - Chef Recipe by Kirsten Tibballs.

Ingredients

White chocolate mousse with inclusions:

380g fresh cream 35% fat
4g gold gelatine sheets
35g water
65g caster sugar
65g egg yolks
5g Heilala vanilla bean paste
2g sea salt
145g Callebaut velvet white chocolate 32%
55g dried apricots, roughly chopped
30g Callebaut 811 dark couverture 54.5%, roughly chopped
30g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
30g roasted slivered almonds

Note: you can substitute the gold gelatine sheets with 2 individual gelatine sheets or 24g gelatine solution.

Swiss meringue:

190g caster sugar
95g egg whites
Pinch of cream of tartar

To serve:

125g fresh raspberries
125g fresh blueberries
125g fresh strawberries, washed, dried and quartered
30g pistachio nuts, chopped
Fresh mint leaves for garnishing

Method

White chocolate mousse with inclusions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, semi-whip the cream before setting it aside in the refrigerator.

Place the gelatine sheets into a bowl of cold water and set aside.

Boil the water and sugar in a saucepan.

Meanwhile, place the egg yolks into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip on low speed.

Once the syrup reaches 120 C remove it from the heat, it will continue to rise in temperature and is required at 123 C. Immediately increase the speed of the mixer and pour the syrup over the egg yolks to create a pate bombe.

Add the vanilla and salt and continue to whip until it reaches a light and creamy texture.

In a separate bowl, combine the apricots, dark chocolate, pistachio nuts and almonds.

Using a microwave, heat the white chocolate in 15-30 second increments, stirring in between, until it is completely melted and reaches 60 C.

Gently squeeze the excess water out of the pre-soaked gelatine and place the sheets into a bowl. Heat the gelatine in the microwave, in 5-10 second increments, until it has melted.

Whisk a small amount of the semi-whipped cream into the melted chocolate to bring the chocolate to a similar consistency as the pate bombe.

Fold the chocolate mixture through the pate bombe. Add some of the mixture into the melted gelatine and stir to combine before folding back through the pate bombe mixture.

Add the remaining semi-whipped cream and gently fold through. Lastly, fold through the apricot, dark chocolate and nuts mixture.

Transfer the mousse into a piping bag and cut a generous tip off the end. Pipe a third of the mousse into a silicon ring mould and use a spoon to push it up the sides of the mould before piping in the remaining mousse.

Place into the freezer for a minimum of 5-6 hours.

Note: the mousse can be made and moulded in advance. Once frozen, wrap and store in the freezer for up to 8 weeks.

Swiss meringue:

Place the egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and place it on a saucepan of simmering water, ensuring the water does not reach the bowl.

Whisk continuously by hand until you reach 60 C. Transfer the bowl to a stand mixer and whip on a medium-to-high speed until glossy and aerated.

Remove from the mixer and stir by hand before transferring into a smaller bowl. Using an angled palette knife, apply the Swiss meringue to the outside of the frozen mousse cake.

Note: ensure the frozen mousse does not have any moisture on the surface before applying the meringue. The Swiss meringue must be applied to the cake on the same day that it is being served.

It is best to apply the Swiss meringue to the mousse cake a few hours prior to serving. The meringue will slide off the cake if it is left on for more than 12 hours.

To serve:

Prior to serving, arrange the fruit on top of the Halo. Finish with a sprinkling of pistachio nuts and some fresh mint.

Credits: Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School

Photo Credits: Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School