Two Chocolates & Smoked Caramel Beanie Entremets

To make this Two Chocolates and Smoked Caramel Entremets, start by preparing the ingredients for the white chocolate shell.

White chocolate shell: Pour the Mycryo cocoa butter into a saucepan...

...and melt it over low heat. It can also be melted in the microwave.

Place the white chocolate in a pastry bowl, and melt it in the microwave in 20 to 30-second intervals, stirring every time to prevent it from burning. Then pour the melted Mycryo cocoa butter into the melted chocolate while stirring with a rubber spatula. The Mycryo cocoa butter here is used to make the chocolate more fluid; we are not tempering it.

Pour the melted white chocolate into the beanie silicone mould Ø 12cm.

Tilt the mould in all directions so that the white chocolate coats all sides, making sure it goes up to the edges.

You can use a pastry brush to help spread the chocolate into all the small details of the bonnet, to ensure optimal release results later.

Turn the silicone mould upside down over the pastry bowl to remove the excess melted chocolate.

Place the mould upside down on a deep tray lined with parchment paper and a rack, allowing the excess white chocolate to drip off. Leave to crystallize in a cool place.

Hazelnut dacquoise: Prepare all the ingredients.

Pour the egg whites into the stand mixer bowl.

Add a pinch of fine salt...

...and whip the egg whites until stiff.

When the egg whites start to become firm, gradually add the caster sugar in a fine stream to stabilize them.

You should obtain a meringue that holds its shape well.

Add the hazelnut powder to this meringue...

...and mix with a maryse spatula.

Before the egg whites are completely incorporated, halfway through mixing, add the hazelnut praline...

...and mix to incorporate both the egg whites and the hazelnut praline...

...until obtaining a smooth and homogeneous mixture for the hazelnut dacquoise.

Place a silicone baking mat on a baking tray.

Transfer the hazelnut dacquoise batter onto the silicone mat...

...and spread it using a cranked spatula to an even thickness over the entire surface of the tray.

Use the raised edges of the tray as guides to ensure a uniform thickness.

Bake the tray in a fan-assisted oven preheated to 170°C, and cook for 20 minutes, noting that the baking time may vary depending on your oven.

At the end of baking, the dacquoise should be lightly golden.

Remove the tray from the oven...

...and slide the baking mat and dacquoise onto a wire rack...

...for optimal cooling at room temperature.

Vanilla praline crunch: Prepare the ingredients.

Melt the milk chocolate in the microwave in 20 to 30-second intervals, stirring every time.

Add the crunchy-texture Bourbon vanilla praline...

...and mix with the maryse spatula.

Then add the pailleté feuilletine and mix again...

...until obtaining a smooth, homogeneous vanilla praline crunch. Set aside.

Intense vanilla white chocolate mousse: Prepare all the ingredients. Mix the powdered gelatine with the hydration water (tap or mineral water) and leave to hydrate for 15 minutes.

Pour the whole milk into a saucepan.

Add the Tadoka vanilla bean and heat...

...until the vanilla bean has fully melted and the milk reaches boiling point.

Place the white chocolate pistoles in a pastry bowl and melt them partially in the microwave in 20 to 30-second intervals, stirring every time. When partially melted, add the hydrated gelatine.

Pour the hot vanilla milk over the white chocolate and gelatine...

...and mix with a maryse spatula to form an emulsion.

Finish mixing with a whisk until homogeneous.

Pour the whipping cream into the bowl of the mixer and beat it into whipped cream.

You should obtain a soft whipped cream.

Add half of this whipped cream to the chocolate and vanilla mixture, which should be between 30 and 35°C maximum...

...and mix quickly with the whisk.

Add the remaining whipped cream...

...and gently fold with the maryse spatula...

...until obtaining a smooth and homogeneous intense vanilla white chocolate mousse. Set aside.

Remove the silicone mould from the fridge and gently loosen it from the rack with the angled spatula, as it may have stuck to the rack due to the white chocolate drips.

Carefully turn the mould over, handling it delicately so as not to break the chocolate shell, which is very thin.

Pour the intense vanilla white chocolate mousse into the bottom of the silicone mould, filling it up to one third. Place in the fridge if assembling the entremets over several hours, or in the freezer if assembling immediately, so that the mousse firms up.

Smoked salted butter caramel mousse: Prepare all the ingredients. Hydrate the powdered gelatine with the hydration water for 15 minutes.

Measure out the smoked Tadoka cube by cutting it with a knife. This will add a unique smoky flavour to your caramel mousse, but it is optional if you prefer standard salted caramel. Follow the quantities listed in the ingredients to avoid an overpowering or too subtle smoky flavour. I tested various ratios to find the right balance.

Pour the whipping cream into a saucepan and add the smoked Tadoka.

Heat gently while stirring the saucepan slightly so that the smoked Tadoka dissolves easily. You can also whisk it. It will melt, incorporate, and slightly tint the cream orange.

Pour the caster sugar into another saucepan and heat it. We will cook the sugar to make a dry caramel (without adding water).

The sugar should cook gradually over low heat, slowly turning into syrup and then caramel.

When the caramel starts to form, stir with a spatula to ensure even cooking.

The caramel will form gradually; continue mixing. If lumps appear, that's fine — they will dissolve as cooking continues. Be careful not to overcook it to a dark colour, as that would make it bitter.

When the caramel turns light brown, deglaze it with the boiling cream...

...stirring with the spatula to fully dissolve the caramel into the cream.

Once the mixture is smooth, add the hydrated gelatine...

...and stir until completely incorporated.

Add the butter and fleur de sel...

...and mix again.

Transfer the smoked salted butter caramel into a food container and let it cool at room temperature.

When the caramel reaches 30 to 35°C maximum, pour it into a mixing bowl.

Whip the cream until soft peaks form — it should be easy to pipe and will prevent air bubbles. Add half of this whipped cream to the caramel...

...and whisk vigorously.

Add the remaining whipped cream...

...and gently fold it in with a maryse spatula...

...until smooth and homogeneous. You'll obtain a mousse with a bright caramel colour, thanks to the smoked Tadoka.

Place a piping bag on a piping bag holder.

Transfer the smoked salted butter caramel mousse into this piping bag. No nozzle is needed for this step.

Remove the silicone mould from the fridge or freezer and pipe the smoked salted butter caramel mousse directly on top of the intense vanilla white chocolate mousse, up to the same height as shown in the photo. Chill in the fridge or freezer, depending on whether you're continuing the recipe immediately.

Take the cooled hazelnut dacquoise (at room temperature) and cover it with a sheet of parchment paper.

Quickly flip it over onto the work surface...

...and gently peel off the silicone mat from the biscuit.

Place a 12cm stainless steel tart ring on the biscuit and cut out a disc by running a knife along the inside edge of the ring.

This is what the result should look like.

Remove the hazelnut dacquoise disc and smooth the edges with the back of a mini offset spatula to obtain a perfectly round, even disc.

Take the tart ring again...

...and place it back onto the biscuit.

Spread the vanilla praline crunch over the hazelnut dacquoise...

...and smooth it evenly to about 0.5cm thick, using the mini offset spatula.

Remove the tart ring and refrigerate this preparation.

Dark chocolate mousse: Prepare all the ingredients.

Pour the water and sugar into a saucepan to make a cooked sugar syrup.

Bring to a boil and cook until the mixture reaches 118°C.

Meanwhile, pour the whole egg into the bowl of a stand mixer. Don't rely on the quantities in the photo — several entremets were made that day.

Once the cooked sugar reaches 118°C, stop heating and allow the bubbles to subside.

Then, while the mixer runs on low speed with the whisk attachment, slowly pour the hot sugar syrup in a thin stream into the bowl. Avoid pouring directly onto the whisk wires.

Beat the mixture until completely cooled. It should lighten in colour and increase in volume. Once cooled, you'll obtain a 'pâte à bombe'. Set aside.

Pour the heavy cream into another bowl...

...and whip it into soft peaks using an electric mixer.

You should obtain a soft whipped cream — this will ensure the mousse keeps its structure once chilled.

Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave, in 20-30 second intervals, stirring every time.

Add the pâte à bombe...

...to the melted dark chocolate...

...scraping down the bowl well.

Then mix quickly with a maryse spatula...

...until smooth and homogeneous. You can finish mixing with a whisk if needed. Be careful to avoid chocolate crystallizing too fast, which could cause small drops in the mixture.

Add half of the whipped cream...

...and fold it in with the maryse spatula.

Add the remaining whipped cream...

...and gently fold until smooth and uniform.

Your dark chocolate mousse is now ready.

Transfer the mousse into a piping bag (without a nozzle).

Take the silicone mould out of the fridge or freezer, along with the hazelnut dacquoise and vanilla praline crunch disc.

Pipe the dark chocolate mousse into the silicone mould, directly over the smoked salted butter caramel mousse, leaving a 0.5cm gap.

Take the biscuit and crunch disc...

...and place it into the mould, with the vanilla praline crunch facing down, in direct contact with the dark chocolate mousse — the hazelnut dacquoise side should face up.

Gently press down with your fingertips to help the biscuit adhere to the mousse.

Smooth the edges with a mini offset spatula and cover the surface with a sheet of plastic wrap. Place in the freezer. The recipe can be made up to this stage several days or even weeks in advance.

Finish: On the day, remove the mould from the freezer...

...and take off the plastic wrap.

Turn the mould over onto the work surface and carefully peel it away to release the entremets. It must still be completely frozen for a clean release.

Here is the unmoulded beanie entremets. The release should be done right away while it's still frozen, as it will be coated immediately.

Place the entremets on a baking tray lined with plastic wrap. Set the tray on a turning tray to make the spraying process easier.

Shake the white velvet spray before use until you hear the mixing ball rattle inside the can — this means the colour is uniform and ready to apply. Spray the entire entremets from about 30-40cm away while rotating the tray so all sides are evenly coated.

Here is the entremets fully covered with the velvet spray.

Using two offset spatulas, carefully lift the two-chocolate smoked caramel entremets and place it on its serving plate. Allow 4 to 5 hours of defrosting in the fridge before serving. Enjoy!