Hazelnut praline by Richard Long

To create a dessert, Richad Long, Executive Pastry chef for The Ritz Carlton in Hong Kong, has a successful formula: premium ingredients, different textures, aesthetics, and a lot of flavor with little sugar. Elements which are combined in this beautiful entremet that can be tasted in this luxurious hotel, one of the highest hotels in the world. Our correspondent Santiago Corral was able to recently check out this chef’s creative philosophy and try this delicious cake with chocolate and Amaretto himself.

Hazelnut praline

hazelnut Joconde (for 1 tray 60 x 40 cm cake)

12 ppl

400 g hazelnut powder
400 g icing sugar
115 g cake flour
560 g whole eggs
730 g fresh eggs white
180 g sugar
90 g melted butter

Mix hazelnut powder, icing sugar, cake flour and whole eggs in the mixing bowl with paddle attached till fluffy. In another bowl, mix egg white and sugar till stiff.
Gently fold the meringue into hazelnut powder mixture last follow by the cold melted butter. Spread 800 g on the 60X40cm baking sheet (total 4 trays) and bake at 230°C till golden brown, the sponge should moist and soft.

crunchy feuilletine (for 1 tray 60 x 40 cm)

625 g pure hazelnut paste (100%)
175 g milk chocolate (40%)
310 g paillete feuilletine

Melt the hazelnut paste and milk chocolate on the double boiler. Fold in the crunchy feuilletine, mix well. Spread evenly on hazelnut Joconde at 1.000 grams per tray.

hazelnut praline cream (each layer 800 g for 3 layers 60 x 40 cm)

500 g liquid cream
300 g milk
270 g sugar
200 g eggs yolks
22 g gelatin sheets
800 g pure Hazelnut paste
900 g soft whipped cream
200 g Amaretto liquor

Bring liquid cream and milk till boiling point. Mix well yolks, sugar and pour half of the boiling milk into yolks mixture, mix well then pour this mixture to the boiling milk and cook till 83°C, add in soft gelatin, and strain this mixture to the praline paste, mix well, follow by Amaretto liquor, when the mixture reach 30°C, fold in soft whipped cream. Ready to spread on the Hazelnut Joconde, 800
grams each layers.

praline glaze

300 g liquid cream
900 g Nappage Neutre/clear glaze
220 g water
630 g milk chocolate
250 g hazelnut praline paste
18 g gelatin sheets

Bring liquid cream and water to boiling point, add in soaked gelatin. Pour into milk chocolate and praline paste, mix well. Last mix in the nappage Neutre by hand blender. Pass through fine sieve. Store in fridge and when need, warm to 40°C and smooth with hand blender, apply on cake.

chocolate pasta (for decoration)

500 g bakery flour (high gluten flour)
120 g icing sugar
5 whole eggs
20 g cocoa powder
15 g caraway seed

Roll 0.5cm thick and 15 cm length, and then cut to thin sticks like pasta, put in to tea strainer, deep fry it till crispy, cold down, spray with silver dust, decor on cake.