Christmas Pine Cone

Before starting this Christmas Pine Cone, organise the necessary ingredients for the chocolate sacher biscuit.

For the chocolate sacher biscuit: Place the almond paste in a food processor.

Add 20 grams of castor sugar...

... and mix for a few seconds until homogeneous.

Add the egg yolks...

... and the whole eggs, beaten beforehand...

... and mix for a few minutes...

... until smooth and homogeneous. The preparation should become pale.

Place the egg whites (at room temperature) in the food mixer recipient and start beating.

Add the rest of the sugar gradually, in 3 or 4 batches, until the egg whites are foamy...

... and beat until you obtain a meringue.

Pour the marzipan preparation into a mixing bowl.

Melt the butter in the microwave and add some of the marzipan preparation to make a pre-mix...

... and combine with the rubber spatula. This premix is necessary for a good incorporation of the butter.

Add the premix to the marzipan preparation...

... and combine carefully until the butter is completely incorporated.

Sift the flour and cocoa powder over a bowl.

Add the sifted mix to the preparation...

... and fold gently with a rubber spatula...

Add 1/3 of the meringue to the chocolate preparation...

... and combine with the rubber spatula. This will soften the preparation.

Add the rest of the meringue...

... and fold gently with a rubber spatula.

The chocolate sacher preparation is ready.

Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat. Spread the preparation over the baking mat.

Spread to an regular thickness and even the surface with a cranked spatula.

Bake in a fan-assisted oven preheated at 160°C (gas 3) for about 20 minutes.

When cooked, remove from the oven.

Leave to cool at room temperature.

For the cocoa streusel: Organise the necessary ingredients.

Place the ingredients in the stand mixer recipient...

... and mix with the flat beater...

... until homogeneous.

The cocoa streusel preparation is ready.

Pass the dough through a spätzle grater, over a Silichef® perforated baking sheet lined with a Silpain silicone baking mat.

The result is a cocoa streusel crumble.

Bake the crumble in a fan-assisted oven preheated to 150°C (gas 2) for 12 minutes.

When cooked, remove from the oven...

... and leave to cool at room temperature.

For the crunchy cashew praline insert: Organise the necessary ingredients.

Place the cashew and almond praline paste in a mixing bowl and add the pailleté feuilletine flakes...

... dark chocolate and milk chocolate (melted beforehand over a bain-marie or in the microwave...

... as well as 35 grams of cocoa streusel (cooled down beforehand).

Combine all the ingredients with the rubber spatula...

... and transfer the preparation over a sheet of greaseproof paper.

Cover the preparation with another sheet of greaseproof paper and spread to a thickness of 0.5cm, using a rolling pin.

Slide the baking parchment over a baking sheet and store in the freezer.

For the chestnut mousse: Organise all the necessary ingredients.

Hydrate the gelatine powder with 18 grams of water. Set aside.

Place the chestnut paste and cream in a mixing bowl...

... and whisk until smooth.

Add the warm whipping cream (heated in the microwave beforehand) as well as the gelatine (rehydrated and melted in the microwave beforehand).

Combine carefully...

... until smooth and homogeneous.

Add the rum and combine again.

Beat 190 grams of whipping cream until you obtain a whipped cream, using an electric whisk. Make sure the whipped cream has a soft texture.

Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to the chestnut preparation...

... and whisk vigorously. Add the rest of the whipped cream and fold gently with a spatula.

Add the candied chestnut chunks...

... and combine again.

Transfer the chestnut mousse into a piping bag. The use of a nozzle is not necessary.

Place a baba silicone mould on a baking sheet.

Pipe the chestnut mousse in the cavities.

Even the surface with a small cranked spatula.

Cover with cling film and store in the freezer.

For the milk chocolate and cashew cream: Organise the necessary ingredients. Place the gelatine in 18 grams of water.

In a saucepan, heat the whole milk and 85 grams of whipping cream.

Place the egg yolks in a bowl.

Add the invert sugar...

... and blanch with a whisk.

Melt the milk chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 20 or 30 seconds to make sure the chocolate doesn't burn.

When the milk and cream start boiling, pour over the blanched preparation and combine carefully with a whisk.

Transfer the preparation into the saucepan used to boil the milk and cream...

... and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the first simmer.

Take the pan away from the heat and pour the hot cream over the melted milk chocolate. Combine.

Finish mixing with a whisk.

Add the cashew and almond praline paste...

... and combine again.

Mix with a Bamix hand blender...

... until smooth and homogeneous.

Beat 250 grams of whipping cream until you obtain a whipped cream.

Make sure the whipped cream has a soft consistency.

Melt the hydrated gelatine in the microwave and add to the chocolate preparation...

... and combine carefully with a whisk.

Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to the chocolate preparation...

... and whisk vigorously.

Add the preparation to the rest of the whipped cream...

... and whisk until smooth and homogeneous.

Finely chop the cashews with a knife...

... and add them to the chocolate preparation. Combine gently until the cashew are incorporated.

Transfer the preparation into a piping bag. The use of a nozzle is not necessary.

Take the crunchy cashew insert out of the freezer and remove the baking parchment on top.

Flip the insert over a sheet of greaseproof paper and detach the sheet on top.

Cut the crunchy insert into small discs, using a round plain cutter Ø 3.5cm.

This is what the result should look like at this stage. Proceed quickly while the insert is still frozen.

Detach the chocolate sacher biscuit from the silicone mat, using a small palette knife.

Cut it into small discs, using a round plain cutter Ø 4cm.

Assembling the pine cones: Prepare all the elements.

Release the frozen chestnut mousse cones from the silicone mould.

Arrange the chestnut mousse cones with the wide base facing up. Place a disc of crunchy cashew praline insert over the base of each cone.

Fill the cavities of a Silikomart pine cone silicone mould with the milk chocolate and cashew cream.

Using a palette knife, create a volcano shape so that the mousse goes all the way up the rim.

Arrange the chestnut cream insert in the centre of the pine cone cavities.

Cover the chestnut insert with milk chocolate and cashew cream.

Seal each cavity with a disc of chocolate sacher biscuit.

Cover with cling film and store in the freezer.

For the finish: Take the pine cone silicone mould out of the freezer and remove the cling film.

Gently release the pine cone shapes. They should be completely frozen for perfect results.

This is what the result should look like.

Arrange the pine cones on a turntable covered with cling film.

Spray the surface of the cakes with the chocolate velvet icing...

... while rotating the tray to make sure the whole surface is coated. The pearl velvet icing will set instantly.

Place the pine cones on a serving plate. Pipe a small drop of clear mirror glaze on the top of each pine cone...

... and stick a small piece of gold leaf, using decorating tweezers. The gold leaf will instantly stick to the clear mirror glaze.

The Christmas pine cones are ready. Leave to defrost in the fridge for at least 3 hours before serving. Enjoy!