Plated dessert chocolate with Chai spices by Mark Welker

At the Eleven Madison Park (EMP) restaurant in New York, Mark Welker carefully designs elegant desserts that, under an appearance of simplicity, hide an elaborate execution. He confesses that he follows four parameters when creating a dish: flavor, beauty, intention, and creativity. Four characteristics that we find in this Chocolate with Chai Spices recipe, which complements the interview we published in so good # 24 and completes the cast of creations that the chef shared with us.

The simple appearance of this dessert is deceiving. Beneath the lighter piece, coated in caramelized white chocolate, a Chai-spiced ice cream and a spiced shortbread disc are hiding. The piece in the middle is coated in caramelized milk chocolate and filled with milk chocolate mousse and a spiced caramel insert. And the darker one hides a roasted dark chocolate glaze and a caramelized dark chocolate sorbet. The latter piece has been topped with sorne spiced sea salt. Underneath the three pieces, a thin layer of molasses cream and ginger bread crumbs can be found.

Indian flavors

“We are very lucky to get to travel all over the world representing Eleven Madison Park. In 2018 we did a series of dinners in Mumbai and New Delhi. Whenever we return home we always try and take inspiration back with us. The spices in this dessert is something you see and smell all over India ”.

Chocolate with Chai Spices

Chai spiced ice cream

8 g cinnamon bark, Vietnamese
6 g ginger, fresh
7 g cardamom
3 g star anise
1 g clove
2 g mace
1 g black peppercorn
1242 g whole milk
400 g cream
60 g trimoline
120 g milk powder
120 g glucose powder
156 g sugar
15 g Cremodan 30
8 g salt

Combine the whole spices, milk and cream in a sauce pan over high heat and bring to just under a boil. Cover the pot and let the spices steep for 30 minutes. Strain the spices through a chinois and make sure the liquid weighs 1642 grams adding more milk to make up the difference. Combine sugar, salt, glucose powder and Cremodan 30 in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Combine the infused dairy, trimoline and milk powder in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk until combined and fully dissolved. Slowly whisk in the sugar mixture and cook to 91°C, whisking constantly. Strain and chill over the ice bath. Spin in an ice cream machine and store in plastic piping bags.

Spiced shortbread discs

320 g all-purpose flour
148 g whole wheat flour
38 g cornstarch
2,6 g baking soda
6 g cinnamon, Vietnamese, ground
6 g cloves, ground
6 g nutmeg, ground
6 g ginger powder
6 g salt
148 g brown sugar
118 g sugar
16 g honey
354 g butter
240 g grapeseed oil

Preheat the convection oven to 160°C low fan. Combine the flours, cornstarch, spices, salt, sugars and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and paddle until crumbly. Spread the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet in an even layer. Bake in the oven, cutting the mixture and stirring it every 5 minutes until dried, about 20 minutes. While still warm, transfer to a food processor and process until the shortbread is all in uniform pieces and all the large pieces have been ground down. With the processor running, slowly add the grapeseed oil. In three batches, transfer the mixture to a blender and blend on high speed until very smooth. Strain the mixture through a chinois. Let the mixture cool slightly so it thickens then sheet the mixture between 2 pieces of soft acetate to 1 mm thick and freeze. Using a 3.2 cm ring cutter punch the shortbread into discs and reserve.

Caramelized white chocolate glaze

2 g gelatin, gold
525 g white chocolate
50 g cocoa butter
392 g cream
150 g glucose syrup

Seal the white chocolate airtight in a sous vide bag. Submerge the bag in boiling water for about 4 hours or until the chocolate turns a dark caramel color. You will need to take the bag out every so often and knead the chocolate so it caramelizes evenly. Once the chocolate has caramelized, remove the bag and place in an ice bath until cooled and solidified. Bloom the gelatin in cold water. Place the caramelized white chocolate and cocoa butter in a mixing bowl. In a saucepan heat the cream and glucose to a simmer and pour over the chocolate mixture, add the bloomed gelatin. Using an immersion blender, blend the glaze until everything is smooth. Strain and store in a sealed container.

Spiced caramel insert

450 g cream
180 g glucose syrup
270 g sugar
45 g milk chocolate 40%
113 g butter
10 g salt
1,5 g cinnamon, Vietnamese, ground
1,5 g ginger powder
1,5 g anise, ground

In a saucepan heat the cream and glucose together to under a simmer and set aside. In a larger saucepan make a dry caramel with the sugar. Deglaze the sugar with the cream mixture and cook the caramel to 95°C. Once the caramel is cooked pour into a mixing bowl to cool down at room temperature to 80°C. Add the butter, milk chocolate, salt, and spices and blend using an immersion blender. Strain, and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Put in a squeeze bottle with a 5mm hole.

Milk chocolate mousse

5 g gelatin, gold
341 g cream
81 g milk
2 g cinnamon, Vietnamese, ground
2 g salt
46 g sugar
58 g egg yolks
282 g milk chocolate 40%

Bloom the gelatin in cold water. Whip the cream to soft peaks and set aside in the refrigerator. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, cinnamon and salt. In a saucepan heat the milk to just under a simmer and temper into the egg mixture. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook on medium heat stirring constantly until the custard reaches 84°C. Strain it over the milk chocolate and blend until smooth and shiny. Gently fold in the whipped cream.

Caramelized milk chocolate glaze

2 g gelatin, gold
472 g milk chocolate 40%
459 g cream
135 g glucose syrup
45 g cocoa butter

Heat a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Seal the milk chocolate airtight in a sous vide bag. Submerge the bag in the boiling water for several hours (about 4 hours). You will need to take the bag out every so often and knead the chocolate so it caramelizes evenly. Once the chocolate has caramelized, remove the bag and place in an ice bath until cooled and solidified. Bloom the gelatin in cold water. Place the caramelized milk chocolate and cocoa butter in a mixing bowl. In a saucepan heat the cream and glucose to a simmer and pour over the chocolate mixture, add the bloomed gelatin. Using an immersion blender, blend the glaze until everything is smooth. Strain and store in a sealed container.

Caramelized dark chocolate sorbet

495 g chocolate 70%
100 g cocoa nibs
1237 g water
113 g trimoline
250 g sugar
8 g salt
5 g Cremodan 64
15 g chocolate 99%

Heat a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Seal the chocolate 70% airtight in a sous vide bag. Submerge the bag in the boiling water for about 4 hours. You will need to take the bag out every so often and knead the chocolate so it caramelizes evenly. Once the chocolate has caramelized, remove the bag and place in an ice bath until cooled and solidified. Roast the cocoa nibs in a 180°C oven for 15 minutes. Place the cocoa nibs and water into a saucepan and bring up to just under a simmer. Once the water is heated, cover with a lid and let infuse for 30 minutes. Strain the nibs and disregard. Weigh the water again and add more water to equal 1237 grams. In a mixing bowl blend together the sugar, salt and Cremodan 64. In a saucepan heat the water and trimoline on high heat. Whisk in the dry ingredients and cook to 91°C. Place the caramelized dark chocolate and 99% chocolate in a mixing bowl and pour the sorbet syrup over the chocolate. Blend, strain and cool in an ice bath. When it is time to spin the sorbet, heat the mixture to 91°C and place in the ice cream machine hot.

Roasted dark chocolate glaze

200 g fondant
100 g glucose syrup
100 g Isomalt
50 g milk chocolate

Cook glucose, fondant, and isomalt to 160C. Cool to 120C and add chocolate. Pour onto silpat and cool completely. When cool blitz to a fine powder in the robot coupe. Using a tamis tap onto a greased tray and bake @ 350 until translucent, remove from oven and cut out 3 inch circles. Remove from tray and allow to cool, completely flat on marble. Store in airtight container until needed.

Molasses cream

250 g water
5 g agar agar
400 g carob molasses
100 g milk chocolate 40%
100 g brown butter
4 g salt

In a saucepan combine the cold water and agar agar. Bring the water to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes stirring with a whisk constantly. Once the mixture is finished cooking add the rest of the ingredients and blend using the immersion blender. Place in a container and set it the refrigerator. Once set blend the mixture until smooth in a blender and pass through a fine tamis. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Chai extract

5 g star anise
2 g clove
10 g cinnamon bark, Vietnamese
5 g cardamom
375 g vodka, 150 proof

In a dry sauté pan heat the whole spices until they become lightly toasted and fragrant. In small container pour the vodka over the spices and let infuse for 4 weeks. Strain and reserve in a bottle.

Chai sea salt

37 g fleur de sel
chai extract

Place the Fleur de Sel on a parchment paper lined baking tray. Spray the chai extract on the salt until damp like wet sand. Dehydrate the salt at 70°C. Repeat this process for 5 days. Once the salt is finished store in a sealed container for finishing.

Chai spiced ice cream montage

Heat the caramelized white chocolate glaze between 35-40°C. Mold the chai spiced ice cream in a round silicone mold (3.2 cm diameter and 1.5 cm thick), capping it off with the spiced shortbread disc so it is flush in the mold. Dip the mold in to the liquid nitrogen to remove it. Using the cake tester stab the ice cream in the shortbread side and dip back into the liquid nitrogen to freeze. Then dip the ice cream into the glaze and place on a baking tray and store in the freezer.

Milk chocolate mousse montage

Pipe the milk chocolate mousse inside of a crescent moon shaped mold (4.5×3.72 cm, 1.5 cm thick) leaving a little space for the insert. Place in the refrigerator for 5 minutes. During the 5 minutes take the spiced caramel and pipe it into a crescent moon shape on the anti-griddle to freeze. Once frozen place the caramel inserts inside of the mousse and freeze overnight. Heat the caramelized milk chocolate glaze between 35-40°C. Dip the mold in to the liquid nitrogen to remove it. Using a cake tester stab the mousse and dip back into the liquid nitrogen to freeze. Then dip the mousse into the glaze and place on a baking tray. Store in the refrigerator.

Caramelized dark chocolate sorbet montage

Heat the caramelized dark chocolate glaze between 35-40°C. Mold the chocolate sorbet in a crescent moon shaped silicone mold (5.2×3.81 cm; 1.5 cm thick) so it is flush in the mold. Dip the mold in to the liquid nitrogen to remove it. Using a cake tester stab the sorbet and dip back into the liquid nitrogen to freeze. Then dip sorbet into the caramelized dark chocolate glaze and place on a baking tray. Store in the freezer.

Montage

In the center of the plate lay down a silicone template the shape of the finished dessert, 1 mm thick. Spread a thin layer of molasses cream. Cover the cream with the gingerbread crumbs and knock them off. Using a wide spatula, assemble the Crescent moons in line from biggest to the small circle. Place this directly on the matching part on the crumbs on the plate. Sprinkle the chai spiced fleur de sel only on the dark chocolate sorbet.