Strawberry and Coconut Spheres

Strawberry and Coconut Spheres

by:Tereza Alabanda,The Pastry Maestra

Prep. time : 40 minutes

Cook time : 10 minutes

Ready in 50 minutes plus cooling

Level : Advanced

INGREDIENTS

Almond Sablé Cookies:

• Almond flour 55g (2oz)
• All purpose flour 115g (4oz)
• Sugar 55g (2oz)
• Salt 1g (1/4Tsp)
• Butter 100g (3.5oz)
• Vanilla powder
• Egg yolk 20g (1 egg yolk)

• Strawberry puree 85g (3oz)
• Sugar 30g (1oz)
• Gelatin 3g (1.5 sheets)
• Cream 35% 85g (3oz)

• Coconut milk 115g (4oz)
• Sugar 30g (1oz)
• Gelatin 3g (1.5 sheets)
• Cream 35% 150g (5.3oz)

• White chocolate 200g (7oz)
• Vegetable oil 30g (1oz)
• Finely chopped almonds 55g (2oz)

• Pink chocolate or candy melts 250g (8.8oz)

1. To make almond sablé cookies place sifted flour into a food processor. Add almond flour, sugar, vanilla powder and salt, and pulse to combine. Then, add cold butter cut in cubes, and pulse until you get crumbly mixture. Add one egg yolk, and pulse a couple of more times until you make the dough.
2. Place one piece of parchment paper onto the counter and put the dough onto it. First press it with your fingers to flatten it a bit. Then, put another piece of parchment paper onto the dough and press it to stick to it. Roll out the dough to 3mm (1/8″) thickness using an adjustable rolling pin. Put everything in the fridge for about 20 minutes to chill.
3. Cut out chilled pastry into four oval shapes. Transfer the cookies onto a baking tray lined with perforated silicone mat. Cover them with another perforated silicone mat and bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 10 minutes, until golden.
4. To make strawberry mousse soak gelatin in cold water. As soon as the gelatin softens take it out and squeeze to get rid of the excess water. Put strawberry puree into a bowl, add sugar and stir with a whisk. Heat up this mixture in the microwave. Add soaked gelatin into the hot puree and stir until it melts. Leave this mixture to cool down a bit. Put cream into a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, and whip it on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add lukewarm puree into the whipped cream and stir with a whisk until the mixture becomes uniform. Then, transfer the mousse into a piping bag without tip and pipe it into small half sphere silicone mold. Place everything in the freezer to set. Once the mousse is set, take frozen half spheres out from the mold, and stick two by two together. Put them in the freezer until needed.
5. To make coconut mousse, soak gelatin in cold water. As soon as the gelatin softens, take it out and squeeze to get rid of the excess water. Put coconut milk into a bowl, add sugar and stir with a whisk. Heat up this mixture in the microwave. Add soaked gelatin into the hot milk and stir until it melts. Leave this mixture to cool down a bit. Whisk cream in a stand mixer to soft peaks. Add lukewarm coconut mixture into the whipped cream, and stir with a whisk to combine. Place the mousse into a piping bag without tip, and fill medium sphere silicone mold halfway. Insert one frozen strawberry mousse sphere into each cavity. Fill the mold all the way to the top and put everything in the freezer to set.
6. To make white chocolate rocher glaze melt white chocolate in the microwave on low heat. Add vegetable oil and stir to combine. Add finely chopped almonds and stir well. Leave the glaze to cool down to 35°C (95°F).
7. Insert a wooden skewer into each frozen mousse sphere and dip it into the glaze. Shake to get rid of the excess glaze, and rub the sphere against the parchment paper to smooth the bottom. Leave the glaze to set and carefully remove the skewer.
8. To make pink chocolate strips temper pink chocolate (or just melt candy melts), and pour it onto a piece of acetate sheet. Spread the chocolate using a small spatula and make strips using a comb. Place it in the fridge to set.
9. To make pink chocolate discs temper pink chocolate (or just melt candy melts), and pour it onto a piece of acetate sheet. Spread the chocolate using a small spatula and leave it on the counter until it starts to set. Then, cut out 5cm (2″) in diameter discs. Place everything in the fridge to set completely.
10. Place three glazed spheres onto each sablé cookie. Pipe some melted pink chocolate and place one pink chocolate disc onto each sphere. Decorate your cake with two pink chocolate strips.
11. There, your delicious strawberry and coconut spheres are done! Enjoy!

Copyright© PastryMaestra.com^TM