[Recipe] Strawberry, pistachio and balsamic entremet

The first time i've used a dome mold was many years back, when I am just starting out to explore mousse desserts. Amazing how time flies! The dome mold remains as one of my favourite and i probably own 3 different sizes of it. It is really versatile and I absolutely love it :)

I have a bottle of balsamic vinegar sitting in my kitchen for the longest time and I thought it would be great to pair with strawberries (since it's the strawberry season anyway...). The pistachio is like a touch of gold to this dessert, giving the little cake another dimension. In my opinion, i prefer the rice krispies base over the feulleutine base. Of course, there are days when chocolate and hazelnut wins me over and i will go with the feulleutine base. But more often, i find myself whipping this really easy and yummy treat over and over again :)

So here goes, a really simple, yet stunning little cake.

Strawberry, pistachio and balsamic entremet

Ingredients:

Pistachio Rice Krispies base (Measurement in cups/tbsp - because this really doesn't require specific measurement :D)

2 tbsp pistachio paste

1 Tbsp butter

2 cups mini marshmallows

1 cup Rice Krispie Cereal

½ tsp salt

Strawberry soaked joconde:

Strawberry juice from cooking the strawberries

2 room-temperature egg whites 10g granulated sugar 75g almond meal/flour 75g powdered sugar 2 large eggs 25g all-purpose (AP) flour 15g melted butter

Strawberry compote

100g strawberry, chopped into small cubes

15g sugar

50ml water

Vanilla mousse 250g milk 1 tsp vanilla bean paste 50g sugar 2 egg yolks 20g flour 4g gelatin sheets 160g whipping cream

Pink Mirror Glaze

11g gelatin sheet

150g white chocolate

70g water

150g gluclose

150g sugar

100g condensed milk

a few drops of pink colouring

Balsamic reduction

50ml balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Pistachio Rice Krispies Base

1. Melt marshmallow and butter in a pan, be careful not to burn the marshmallow

2. Once the marshmallows are melted, pour in the rice krispies and mix well

3. Once everything is coated, mix in the pistachio paste

4. Before they cool, mold them into your preferred shape

5. Leave in the fridge to set, about 30minutes.

Strawberry compote

1. Boil the diced strawberry, sugar and water together until the strawberries are soft

2. Remove the strawberries from the pot and reserve the juice for the joconde

3. Freeze the strawberries in a smaller mold than the one you are using

Strawberry soaked joconde

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degree celcius

2. In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, whip the egg whites to soft peaks, add the sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks.

3. Remove the whipped egg whites and transfer to another bowl, wash the mixing bowl and beat the almond flour, powdered sugar and eggs with the paddle attachment until they are light and increased in volume. Add the flour and mix at low speed, careful not to overmix.

4. Fold the flour mixture into the egg white mixture. Fold in the melted butter.

5. Spread the batter into a pan, bake for 5-7minutes, until the layers are lightly browned.

6. Remove from oven, let it cool and cut into desired shapes

7. Soak them in the strawberry juice and leave it in the fridge until you need it.

Vanilla Mousse

1. Bloom the gelatin sheets in iced cold water

2. Beat the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla bean paste and flour together.

3. Boil the milk, then slowly whisk it into the egg yolk mixture.

4. Put the saucepan back, but now over low heat. Constantly stir it until it thickens and coats the back of your spoon.

5. Take the pan out of the heat and stir in the gelatin.

6. Pour the custard into a bowl and let it cool completely with a plastic wrap over it.

7. Whip the whipping cream until soft peaks form.

8. Fold 1/3 of the whipping cream into custard.

9. Pour the mixture back into the whipped cream bowl, fold to combine.

10. Pour the vanilla mousse into your preferred mold, with the rice krispies, jocunde and strawberry compote in place.

Pink Mirror glaze

1. Bloom the gelatin in cold water

2. Boil sugar, water and glucose together

3. add in the condensed milk and boil

4. remove from heat and add in the bloomed gelatin

5. Pour over the white chocolate and stir until the white chocolate is dissolved

6. add in the pink colouring

7. using an immersion blender, blend the glaze together.

8. leave it aside until you are ready to use it.

Balsamic reduction

1. Boil the balsamic vinegar over small heat until 50% of the liquid has evaporated.

Assembly

1. pour the vanilla mousse into the dome mold, filling it half way up

2. add in the frozen strawberry compote

3. fill it up with a little more mousse

4. put the rice krispies base on top of the mousse

5. freeze it overnight

6. Once they are frozen, remove from their mold

7. prepare the mirror glaze

8. take the frozen mousse out from the freezer

9. Pour the mirror glaze over the frozen mousse cakes

10. Put it back in the fridge (not freezer)

11. Using a paint brush (one that is only used with food), brush the reduced balsamic on the plate.

12. place the little cake on top of reduced balsamic "paint" and you're done! :)

Enjoy the dessert!! :)