This decadent marriage of cherries and dark chocolate makes an indulgent and spectacular dessert, perfect for entertaining. Layers of airy chocolate sponge are combined with Kirsch soaked cherries and chocolate mousse before being topped with various pistachio elements to add an array of interesting textures. A smooth and silky pistachio ice cream recipe finishes the dish perfectly.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Chocolate Genoise Sponge
– 2 eggs
– 50g plain flour
– 15g cocoa powder
– 55g sugar
Chocolate Mousse
– 200g dark chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids)
– 160ml cream (1)
– 2 eggs
– 300ml cream (2)
Black Cherries
– 16 black cherries
– 1 tbsp Kirsch cherry liqueur
– 50g sugar
– 100ml water
Cherry Gel
– 250g black cherries
– 2.5g (½ tsp) agar agar
Pistachio Tuile
– 60g sugar
– 30g milk
– 40g butter
– 10g plain flour
– 15g (1 tbsp) pstachio paste
– 1 tsp shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
Crystallised Pistachios
– 50g sugar
– 20ml water
– 100g shelled pistachios
Pistachio Ice Cream
– 750ml milk
– 25g glucose
– 60g pistachio paste
– 75g sugar
– 8 egg yolks
To finish
– Edible Flowers
Method:
Chocolate Genoise Sponge
1. Place the eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl suitable for a stand mixer, over a pan of simmering
water.
2. Whisk the eggs and sugar continuously until the mix reaches 55C.
3. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in a stand mixer for 5-10 minutes until cold. The
mix will be light and voluminous.
4. Fold in the flour and cocoa powder gently in three stages, continuing to fold in until
thoroughly mixed and there are no lumps.
5. Pour the mix onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper and smooth the sponge out
very thinly using a palette knife or a spatula.
6. Bake in an oven at 180C for four minutes.
7. Remove the tray from the oven and leave the sponge to cool.
8. Once cool, cut the sponge into squares, roughly 6cm x 6cm. Store in an airtight container
until required. The sponge can also be frozen at this stage.
Chocolate Mousse
1. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Remove
from the heat once melted.
2. While the chocolate is melting, whip the cream (2) to soft peaks.
3. Bring the cream (1) to a boil in a small saucepan. Once boiling, pour the cream over the
chocolate, whisking to combine.
4. Add the eggs one by one, whisking all the time.
5. Once all the eggs have been added, fold in the whipped cream until thoroughly combined.
6. Chill the mousse in a container for 3-5 hours until set. Once set, place the mousse in a piping
bag fitted with a round nozzle and keep chilled in the fridge until ready to serve.
Black Cherries
1. Make a syrup by bringing the water and sugar to a boil. Leave to cool.
2. Add the Kirsch to the syrup. Halve the cherries and discard the stones. Place the cherries in
the syrup and keep chilled until ready to serve.
Cherry Gel
1. Halve the cherries and discard the stones. Place the cherries in a blender and blitz to make a
puree.
2. Put the puree in a pan with the agar agar and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute and
remove from the heat. Pour the gel into a container and leave to set.
3. Once set, blend the gel in a blender until smooth. Add 1 tsp of the Kirsch syrup to loosen if
required.
4. Place the gel in a squeezy bottle or a small piping bag until ready to serve.
RECIPE BY AOIFE NOONAN
Aoife Noonan from Dublin, is the Executive Pastry Chef of John Farrell’s restaurant empire; comprising five of Dublin’s top restaurants; 777, Super Miss Sue, Dillinger’s, The Butcher Grill, and RAI’s Best Restaurant of Ireland 2016; Luna.
Formerly the Head Pastry Chef of Ireland’s only two Michelin starred Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud for over three and a half years, she is the winner of the Valrhona Patisserie Championship, and has become accustomed to giving demos and teaching, as chef tutor in Dublin Cookery School and various food festivals in Ireland.
Aoife has featured in the Irish Times, Image Magazine, John & Sally McKennas’ Guides and worked with Rachel Allen on her TV programme All Things Sweet. Aoife has a love of exploring simple flavours that use classic patisserie techniques with a contemporary twist.
aoifenoonan_ aoifenoonan_