Antonio Bachour Black Forest École Valrhona Brooklyn

Black Forest with kirsch namelaka, cherry jelly and chocolate mousse by Antonio Bachour

Antonio Bachour and Carles Mampel were at L’École Valrhona Brooklyn in July to share their views on entremets and petits gateaux.

The chefs, who have taught joint master classes all over the world for a long time, returned to unite talents to teach the techniques behind creating innovative entremets and petits gâteaux and to show different styles of finishing, from glazes to handmade decorations.

Students were able to make multi-layer entremets of various textures and fillings, as well as combining textures, colors, and flavors in verrines and petits gateaux alongside the chefs. In short, exploring exciting flavor combinations with gâteau bases.

Among all the creations made during the course, here we highlight one of Antonio Bachour’s: the Black Forest. Note the ingredients, its step-by-step instructions, and assembly.

Photos: Nitzan Rubin

Black Forest

yields 3 cakes of 18 cm

almond cake

340 g Valrhona 70% almond paste
340 g unsalted butter
340 sugar
1 ea vanilla bean (split lengthwise & scraped)
6 ea whole eggs
260 g all-purpose flour
2 tbps baking powder
pinch of salt
340 g sour cream

Preheat oven to 163°C (325°F).
Beat 70% almond paste, butter, sugar and vanilla bean until light and smooth. Add eggs slowly, mixing between each addition.
Sift all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt together over egg mixture. Add sour cream and don’t overmix.
Lightly grease a full sheet tray and line with parchment paper, then grease the parchment as well.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, rotating halfway through.
Cool on a wire rack, then trim edges and reserve. Cut in round pieces and reserve.

kirsch namelaka

8.5 g silver gelatin sheets
200 g whole milk
10 g glucose syrup
400 g Ivoire 35% chocolate
375 g heavy cream
30 g kirsch liquor

Soak gelatin in ice water until softened; squeeze out excess water and set aside.
In a small pot, bring milk and glucose to a boil. Add gelatin and stir to dissolve.
Place Ivoire 35% chocolate into a bowl and pour glucose mixture over it, whisking until smooth.
With a hand-held blender, combine chocolate mixture and kirsh, and blend well to emulsify.
Line 3 ring molds of 16 cm (6 inch) with acetate, pour in mixture and freeze until ready for use.

cherry jelly

210 g sugar
28 g pectin NH
800 g cherry purée
100 g water
150 g glucose

In a small bowl, mix sugar and pectin.
In a medium sized pot, bring cherry purée, water, glucose, and sugar-pectin mixture to a boil. Remove from heat.
Line 3 ring molds of 16 cm (6 inch) with acetate, pour the mixture into molds and freeze until ready for use.

glaze

45 g silver gelatin sheets
250 g water
450 g sugar
450 g glucose syrup
450 g Ivoire 35% chocolate
320 g condensed milk
180 g Absolu Cristal Neutral Glaze
AN red colorant
AN black colorant

Soak gelatin in ice water until softened; squeeze out excess water and set aside.
In a medium size pot, bring sugar and glucose to a boil. When hot, stir in the drained gelatin.
Place the Ivoire 35% chocolate in a medium size bowl. Pour the hot mixture onto the Ivoire 35% chocolate and emulsify.
Stir in the condensed milk and Asolu Cristal. Using a hand blender, add food color.
The glaze will be ready when it reaches 35ºC (95ºF).

Caraïbe Chocolate Mousse

15 g silver gelatin sheets
330 g whole milk
330 g heavy cream
130 g egg yolks
70 g sugar
3 ea vanilla beans (split & scraped)
800 g Caraïbe 66% couverture(chopped)
400 g Jivara Milk 40% couverture
1200 g heavy cream (whipped to soft peaks)

Soak gelatin in ice water until softened; squeeze out excess water and set aside.
In a medium sized pot, boil the milk and the first cream.
Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a small bowl to combine. Tranfer mixture into a medium size pot, and slowly add hot milk and cream to temper. Cook mixture to 82°C (185°F). Stir in gelatin to dissolve.
Place Caraïbe 66% and Jivara Milk 40% couverture in a medium size bowl. Strain hot mixture over couvertures. Whisk to emulsify.
When mixture is cool 30°C (86°F) fold in whipped cream.