Meringue Spheres with Chocolate Mousse, Ginger & Cherry Compote

Before starting this Meringue Spheres with Chocolate Mousse, Ginger and Cherry Compote recipe, organise the necessary ingredients for the meringue.

Pour the egg whites and castor sugar in the stand mixer recipient.

Combine with a whisk.

Place the recipient over a bain-marie prepared in a saucepan...

... and whip until hot. When touching the preparation with the tip of your finger, you should feel a stinging sensation due to the heat. Excessive heating could cause the eggs to coagulate.

Place the recipient in the stand mixer and beat at maximum speed...

... until cooled down completely.

Transfer the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle (diameter 5mm).

Fill the cavities of a Gastroflex half-sphere silicone mould...

... piping the preparation into a spiral shape. Start from the bottom centre, then work up the cavity to the rim.

The meringue should be rather thick so it doesn't break when releasing it from the mould.

Leave the meringue to dry at room temperature for 30 minutes, then bake at 80°C for about 2 hours. When cooked, leave to cool in the oven turned off.

For the cherry compote: Stem and pit the cherries, then place them in a saucepan. When cherries are not in season, you can use frozen griotte cherries.
Add the chunk of ginger, sliced...

... the honey...

... and the four spice mix.

Cook over low heat...

... for approximately 10 minutes. Remove the ginger and set aside.

For the chocolate mousse: Place the whipping cream in the stand mixer recipient.

Beat until you obtain a whipped cream. The whipping cream should be very cold before use..

In the meantime, melt the dark chocolate over a bain-marie or in a microwave.

Pour the melted chocolate over the whipped cream...

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

... until the consistency and colour are homogeneous.

Scoop the chocolate mousse into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle (1cm diameter). Set aside.

Release the meringue half spheres from the silicone mould. Proceed gently as the shapes are very fragile.

Place half of the shapes back into the mould cavities.

Fill with chocolate mousse, creating a nest shape with a hole in the centre.

Fill the hole with cherry compote...

... and sprinkle a few white chocolate shavings on top.

Cover with an empty meringue half sphere.

For the finish: Dip a pastry brush in the cherry compote sauce and draw a line on the serving plate.

Using the remaining chocolate mousse, pipe a small knob in the centre of the plate.

Sprinkle cocoa powder over the sphere...

... and arrange it in the centre of the plate, the chocolate serving as an adhesive. Serve immediately. Enjoy!