Daring Bakers January 2011 - SPUMONI ENTREMET..and I WAS THE HOST!

"Don't confuse: Jell-O with whipped cream for dessert and J-Lo with whipped cream for dessert."

SPUMONI ENTREMET

maraschino cherry cake,

pistachio cremeux,

french chocolate mousse 

maraschino gelee

I was lucky enough to finally host a Daring Bakers Challenge. I have to say it was more difficult than I had imagined. I thought you just give them a recipe a few pictures and off you go. However, everything is checked, double and triple checked by the Daring Baker's admins, Lisa of La Mia Cucina and Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice

I wanted to pick something very daring. Something bordering on professional baking . Here is my post .....

Hello Daring Bakers! I am Astheroshe from the Blog, accro. Accro is French for addicted. I, like everyone here, love to bake. I graduated in 2009 from Culinary School as a Pastry Chef. I however, did it for fun, and do not work professionally as one. One day, I may own my own place. Even though I have the “professional “credentials, my skills are still “green”. I love this forum to challenge and improve my skills. I hope we are not all baked out from the December/New Year’s holidays?

Joconde imprime /entremets. A joconde imprime (French Baking term) is a decorative design baked into a light sponge cake providing an elegant finish to desserts/torts/entremets/ formed in ring molds. A joconde batter is used because it bakes into a moist, flexible cake. The cake batter may be tinted or marbleized for a further decorative effect.

This Joconde/spongecake requires attentive baking so that it remains flexible to easily conform to the molds. If under baked it will stick to the baking mat. It over baked it will dry out and crack. Once cooled, the sponge may be cut into strips to line any shape ring mold.

Entremets (French baking term)- an ornate dessert with many different layers of cake and pastry creams in a mold, usually served cold. Think Trifle in a mold vs. a glass bowl.

http://sum.ptuo.us/roller/ks/entry/entremets
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bossacafez/sets/72157594343549858/

A joconde imprime is the outside cake wrapper of the Entremets dessert. (See photo below - the striped cake at the bottom of this dessert is the Joconde imprime) 

Recipe Source: I received this recipe from Chef John O. while attending The International Culinary School in Atlanta, Georgia USA.

Blog-checking lines: The January 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Astheroshe of the blog accro. She chose to challenge everyone to make a Biscuit Joconde Imprime to wrap around an Entremets dessert.

Joconde Sponge

YIELD: Two ½ size sheet pans or a 13” x 18” (33 x 46 cm) jelly roll pan

Ingredients:
¾ cup/ 180 ml/ 3oz/ 85g almond flour/meal - *You can also use hazelnut flour, just omit the butter
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons/ 150 ml/ 2⅔ oz/ 75g confectioners' (icing) sugar
¼ cup/ 60 ml/ 1 oz/ 25g cake flour *See note below
3 large eggs - about 5⅓ oz/ 150g
3 large egg whites - about 3 oz/ 90g
2½ teaspoons/ 12½ ml/ ⅓ oz/ 10g white granulated sugar or superfine (caster) sugar
2 tablespoons/ 30 ml/ 1oz / 30g unsalted butter, melted

*Note: How to make cake flour: http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/09/how-to-make-cake-flour/

Directions:

1. In a clean mixing bowl whip the egg whites and white granulated sugar to firm, glossy peeks. Reserve in a separate clean bowl to use later.
2. Sift almond flour, confectioner’s sugar, cake flour. (This can be done into your dirty egg white bowl)
3. On medium speed, add the eggs a little at a time. Mix well after each addition. Mix until smooth and light. (If using a stand mixer use blade attachment. If hand held a whisk attachment is fine, or by hand. )
4. Fold in one third reserved whipped egg whites to almond mixture to lighten the batter. Fold in remaining whipped egg whites. Do not over mix.
5. Fold in melted butter.
6. Reserve batter to be used later.

Patterned Joconde-Décor Paste

YIELD: Two ½ size sheet pans or a 13” x 18” (33 x 46 cm) jelly roll pan

Ingredients
14 tablespoons/ 210ml/ 7oz/ 200g unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups plus1½ tablespoons/ 385ml/ 7oz/ 200g Confectioners' (icing) sugar
7 large egg whites - about 7 oz / 200g
1¾ cup/ 420ml/ 7¾ oz/ 220g cake flour
Food coloring gel, paste or liquid 

COCOA Décor Paste Variation: Reduce cake flour to 6 oz / 170g. Add 2 oz/ 60 g cocoa powder. Sift the flour and cocoa powder together before adding to creamed mixture.

Directions:

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (use stand mixer with blade, hand held mixer, or by hand)
2. Gradually add egg whites. Beat continuously.
3. Fold in sifted flour.
4. Tint batter with coloring to desired color, if not making cocoa variation.

Preparing the Joconde- How to make the pattern:

 

1. Spread a thin even layer of décor paste approximately 1/4 inch (5 millimeter) thick onto silicone baking mat with a spatula, or flat knife. Place mat on an upside down baking sheet. The upside down sheet makes spreading easier with no lip from the pan.
2. Pattern the décor paste – Here is where you can be creative. Make horizontal /vertical lines (you can use a knife, spatula, cake/pastry comb). Squiggles with your fingers, zig zags, wood grains. Be creative whatever you have at home to make a design can be used. OR use a piping bag. Pipe letters, or polka dots, or a piped design. If you do not have a piping bag. Fill a ziplock bag and snip off corner for a homemade version of one.
3. Slide the baking sheet with paste into the freezer. Freeze hard. Approx 15 minutes.
4. Remove from freezer. Quickly pour the Joconde batter over the design. Spread evenly to completely cover the pattern of the Décor paste.
5. Bake at 475ºF /250ºC until the joconde bounces back when slightly pressed, approx. 15 minutes. You can bake it as is on the upside down pan. Yes, it is a very quick bake, so watch carefully. 
6. Cool. Do not leave too long, or you will have difficulty removing it from mat.
7. Flip cooled cake on to a powdered sugared parchment paper. Remove silpat. Cake should be right side up, and pattern showing! (The powdered sugar helps the cake from sticking when cutting.)

Preparing the MOLD for entremets:

You can use any type of mold. I would suggest:

1. Start with a large piece of parchment paper laid on a very flat baking sheet. Then a large piece of cling wrap over the parchment paper. Place a spring form pan ring, with the base removed, over the cling wrap and pull the cling wrap tightly up on the outside of the mold. Line the inside of the ring with a curled piece of parchment paper overlapping top edge by ½ inch. CUT the parchment paper to the TOP OF THE MOLD. It will be easier to smooth the top of the cake.
2. A biscuit cutter/ cookie cutter- using cling wrap pulled tightly as the base and the cling covering the outside of the mold, placed on a parchment lined very flat baking sheet. Line the inside with a curled piece of parchment paper overlapping.
3. Cut PVC pipe from your local hardware store. Very cheap! These can be cut into any height you wish to make a mold. 2 to 3 inches is good. My store will cut them for me, ask an employee at your store. You can get several for matching individual desserts. Cling wrap and parchment line, as outlined above.
4. Glass Trifle bowl. You will not have a free standing dessert, but you will have a nice pattern to see your joconde for this layered dessert.

Preparing the Jaconde for Molding:

Video: MUST WATCH THIS. This is a very good demo of the joconde and filling the entremets:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca4eLDok-4Q

1. Trim the cake of any dark crispy edges. You should have a nice rectangle shape.
2. Decide how thick you want your “Joconde wrapper”. Traditionally, it is ½ the height of your mold. This is done so more layers of the plated dessert can be shown. However, you can make it the full height.
3. Once your height is measured, then you can cut the cake into equal strips, of height and length. (Use a very sharp paring knife and ruler.)
4. Make sure your strips are cut cleanly and ends are cut perfectly straight. Press the cake strips inside of the mold, decorative side facing out. Once wrapped inside the mold, overlap your ends slightly. You want your Joconde to fit very tightly pressed up to the sides of the mold. Then gently push and press the ends to meet together to make a seamless cake. The cake is very flexible so you can push it into place. You can use more than one piece to “wrap “your mold, if one cut piece is not long enough.  

5. The mold is done, and ready to fill.

 

*Note: If not ready to use. Lay cake kept whole or already cut into strips, on a flat surface, wrap in parchment and several layers of cling wrap and freeze

Entremet- Filling Options:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e1DsyDtcd0&feature=related

It is nice to have a completed dessert so you can unmold and see the Joconde working. Fill with anything you desire. Layers of different flavors and textures! However, it needs to be something cold that will not fall apart when unmolded.

My Entremet

I started with the decor paste/joconde batter listed above and made vertical stripe pattern.( the outer wrapper)

Maraschino Cherry Cake -from Cake Central

Ingredients

• 2/3 Cup butter, softened
  1 1/2 Cups sugar
  5 egg whites, beaten until stiff peaks form
  2 2/3 Cups flour, unsifted
  2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  1 tsp salt
  3/4 Cup milk
  1/4 Cup Maraschino cherry juice
  16 Maraschino cherries, cut into eighths
  1/2 Cup chopped nuts (optional) (I use pecans)

Instructions

1. Grease and flour two 9-inch pans. 2. Cream together butter and sugar 3. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together. 4. Mix milk and cherry juice together. 5. Add flour mixture to creamed butter and sugar mixture, alternating with milk and cherry juice mixture, in thirds. 6. Stir in chopped cherries and (optional) nuts. 7. Gently fold in egg whites until well incorporated into batter. 8. Pour into pans 9. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. 

 Cherry cake punched out with cutter

Pistachio Cremeux - like a Bavarian, but made with a nut base.

 Ingredients 

140g Heavy Cream

34 gs egg yolks 

27 g sugar

3.5 grams gelatin

9 g Pistachio paste 

1/2 cup toasted ground pistachios 

1/4 teaspoon almond extract 

Directions

1. Prepare cream, yolks, sugar, extract - as for a cream anglaise.

2. Add gelatin and pistachio paste while still hot

3. Mix well and then strain

4.Pour into a ring mold and freeze until set.

 French Chocolate Mousse- Tyler Florence recipe

Ingredients

• 6 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, chopped
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 3 eggs, separated*
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, cold
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Whipped cream and chocolate shavings, for garnish

Directions

Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler). Melt the chocolate and butter together and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add the egg yolks to the chocolate, 1 by 1, beating with a whisk until incorporated. Set aside.
In another bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat. Gradually whisk in 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
Beat heavy cream in a chilled bowl until it begins to foam and thicken up. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and vanilla. Continue to whip the cream until it holds soft peaks.
Gradually and gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Then, delicately fold in the whipped cream. Take care not over work the mousse. Divide mousse into 4 individual glasses. Cover and chill for several hours. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings before serving.

 Here are the layers

 Next time I make this I will use a full chocolate Bavarian so the layer is more stiff. Also, less chocolate layer and more pistachio...my favorite:)

                                                   I am happy with 4 matching desserts!

Looking foward to FEBRUARY challenge ............