Chocolate Dome with Caramel Cream, Fleur de Sel and Pistachio Crunch Ice Cream
Pastry Chef Nicole Kaplan of Eleven Madison Park – New York, NY
Adapted by StarChefs

Yield: 8-10 Servings

Ingredients:

Vanilla ice cream:
• 1 quart milk
• ½ quart cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 10 yolks

Pistachio nougatine:

• 6 ounces pound butter
• 2 ½ ounces corn syrup
• 6 ½ ounces 10X confectioners’ sugar
• ¼ teaspoon pectin
• ½ pound chopped pistachios

Chocolate mousse:

• 16 ounces whipping cream
• 4 ½ ounces milk
• 4 ½ ounces cream
• ¾ ounce sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 16 ounces milk chocolate, chopped

Caramel cream:

• ½ pound sugar
• 4 ounces water
• 1 quart cream, divided
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

Chocolate biscuit:

• 12 egg whites
• 1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 8 yolks
• 11 ounces canola oil
• 8 ounces water
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 ½ cups cake flour
• 6 ounces cocoa
• ½ Tablespoon baking soda
• ½ Tablespoon baking powder

Chocolate sablée:

• 7 ounces butter, room temperature
• ½ cup plus 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 yolk
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 3 ounces cocoa
• Pinch of salt
• Sugar for sprinkling

Chocolate glaze:

• 3 ½ ounces water
• ½ cup sugar
• 9 ounces cream
• 2 ounces corn syrup
• 3 ½ ounces 58% chocolate, chopped
• 2 cups chocolate pâte a glacer brune (dark coating chocolate)

Chocolate disks:

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (72%)
• Fleur de sel
• Gold leaf and chocolate shavings for garnish

Method:
For vanilla ice cream:
In a saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil the milk, cream, vanilla bean and one cup of the sugar. Whisk together remaining 1 cup sugar and yolks in a separate mixing bowl. Slowly add egg mixture to milk mixture, whisking constantly; strain through a fine chinois into a bowl. Allow mixture to cool. Process in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions.

For pistachio nougatine:
Preheat over to 325° F. In a large pot, melt butter and corn syrup. Stir in confectioners’ sugar and pectin and cook, stirring until a full boil has been reached. Continue to cook for 2 minutes. Stir in pistachios. Spread nougatine onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake until golden brown. Let cool completely. Grind nougatine into small chunks in a food processor.

For chocolate mousse:
In a large bowl, whip 16 ounces whipping cream to soft peaks. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring milk and remaining 4 ½ ounces cream to a boil. Mix sugar and egg yolks in a bowl. Slowly whisk milk mixture into egg yolks. Have chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Strain egg mixture through a chinois and pour over the chocolate. Mix thoroughly. Gently fold in whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate.

For caramel cream:
Boil sugar and water in a saucepan until a dark caramel color is achieved, wiping down sides of pan with a wet brush to prevent crystals from forming. Add ½ quart cream and vanilla bean. Return to a boil until a uniform consistency is achieved. Strain mixture into a bowl and let cool overnight in the refrigerator. In a mixing bowl, whip ½ quart cream to soft peaks. Gently fold cream into the caramel.

For chocolate biscuit:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line three full sheet pans with parchment paper. Place egg whites and 1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon sugar in a large bowl and whisk to soft peaks, forming a meringue. In a separate bowl whisk together egg yolks, canola oil and water until frothy. Stir in the remaining 2 cups sugar. Sift cake flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda and mix into the yolk mixture. Gently fold in meringue. Divide batter equally among the three sheet pans and bake until the cake springs back in the center. Allow cake to cool completely. Cut with a round cutter to fit in the base of the dome mold.

For chocolate sablée:
Preheat oven to 300° F. Cream butter and sugar using an electric mixer. Add egg and yolk, one at a time, mixing to just combine. Sift flour, cocoa, and salt and gradually add to the butter mixture until just incorporated. Spread mixture onto sheet pan, about 3-millimeter thick. Cut with a 1 ½-inch round cutter. Sprinkle disks with granulated sugar, transfer to prepared baking pan, and bake until dry to the touch. Let cool.

For chocolate glaze:
Bring water, sugar, cream and corn syrup to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Have chocolates in a large bowl, pour cream mixture over chocolates, and stir to combine. Let cool.

For chocolate disks:
Heat chocolate over a double boiler to temper. Stir constantly until chocolate is fully melted, remove from heat and continue stirring. Spread a thin layer of chocolate on parchment paper. Sprinkle lightly with fleur de sel before it sets. Cut out disks with a ¾- inch circle cutter.

To assemble:
While the ice cream is still soft, stir in 1 cup of pistachio nougatine. Place in freezer until ready to serve.

Pipe mousse into 4-ounce dome molds and gently push the mousse to the sides to create a shell. Place in the freezer until set. Fill a pastry bag with the caramel cream and pipe about 2 Tablespoons into each dome mold. Top with a chocolate disk and a round of chocolate biscuit. Place in the freezer until set. Unmold and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Gently warm the chocolate glaze. Pour over the dome. Place a sablée round on a plate. Place the dome on top of the cookie. Serve with pistachio ice cream. Garnish with a dot of gold leaf and chocolate shavings.

Wine Pairing:
A well-made cream sherry such as the Lustau “Capataz Andres” Deluxe (Cream Sherry)

^ Top of page