Chocolate Caramel Domes Food

MILK CHOCOLATE DOME WITH CARAMEL CREAM, FLEUR DE SEL AND PISTACHIO CRUNCH ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Mousse:
• Whip the 16 ounces heavy cream to soft peaks. Bring the milk and remaining 4 1/2 ounces of cream to a boil. Beat the sugar and egg yolks until smooth. While whisking egg yolk mixture, add a small ladle of the hot cream and whisk well to temper. Add the yolk mixture to the cream mixture and cook over low heat, while whisking, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat. Strain and pour over the chocolate. Mix to incorporate. Gently fold in the whipped cream.
• Caramel Cream:
• Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture comes to a boil. Once mixture boils, don't stir anymore. Boil until the mixture turns a dark caramel color. Once a dark caramel color is achieved, remove from the heat and carefully add half quart cream and the vanilla bean. Be careful as the mixture may sputter a bit when you add the cream. Bring back to a boil and cook until a uniform consistency is achieved. Strain and let cool overnight. Whip the remaining half quart of cream to soft peaks. Fold in the caramel.
• Assembly:
• While the ice cream is still soft stir in 1 cup of pistachio nougatine. Place in freezer until ready to serve.
• Pipe the mousse into 4-ounce dome molds and gently spoon up the sides to create a shell. Place in the freezer until set. Pipe in about 2 tablespoons of the caramel cream into each dome mold. Top with a chocolate disk and a round of chocolate biscuit. Place in the freezer until set and then unmold and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
• Warm the chocolate glaze. Place a sable round on a plate. Glaze the dome and place it on top of the cookie. Top with a dot of gold leaf. Serve with the pistachio ice cream and chocolate garnishes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the egg whites in a mixer and whisk until frothy. While whisking, slowly add the 1 cup and 1 tablespoon of sugar and whisk to soft peaks. Meanwhile whisk together the yolks, oil and water until frothy. Stir in the remaining 2 cups sugar. Sift the remaining dry ingredients and whisk into the yolk mixture.
• Gently fold in the meringue. Spread between 3 full sheet pans lined with parchment and bake until the cake springs back in the center, about 10 minutes. Let cool. Cut with a round cutter to fit directly at the base of the dome mold.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and yolk, 1 at a time, just to combine.
• Sift all dry ingredients and add a little at a time until just mixed together. Roll out very thin, about 1/8-inch. Cut out with a 1 1/2-inch round cutter. Sprinkle disks with sugar and bake off until dry to the touch, about 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool.
• Bring the water, sugar, cream and corn syrup to a boil. Pour over the chocolates and mix together. Let cool.
• Preheat oven to 325 degree F.
• In a large pot, melt the butter and corn syrup. Stir in the confectioners' sugar and pectin and cook, stirring until you have reached a full boil. Continue to cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the pistachios. Spread onto parchment lined sheet pan and bake in the oven until golden brown. Let cool. Grind in a food processor into small chunks.
• Bring the milk, cream, vanilla beans and half the sugar to a boil. Whisk together the remaining sugar and yolks. While whisking, add a ladle of the hot cream mixture to the yolks. Stir the yolk mixture into the cream mixture and cook over low heat until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and strain. Let cool and process in an ice cream machine.
• Temper chocolate and spread a thin layer out onto parchment. Sprinkle lightly with fleur de sel before it sets. Cut out with a 3/4-inch circle cutter.

CHOCOLATE CARAMELS

Steps:

• Line a 9x5-in. loaf pan with foil and grease the foil with butter; set aside., In a large heavy saucepan, bring the sugar, corn syrup and chocolate to a boil over medium heat; stir until smooth. Add 1/2 cup cream; cook, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer reads 234° (soft-ball stage). Add another 1/2 cup cream; return mixture to 234° (soft-ball stage). Add the remaining cream; cook to 245° (firm-ball stage)., Immediately pour into prepared pan (do not scrape saucepan). Let stand until firm, about 5 hours or overnight. Using foil, lift candy out of pan. Discard foil; cut candy into 1-in. squares using a buttered knife. Wrap individually in waxed paper; twist ends.

DEEP DARK CHOCOLATE CARAMELS

Steps:

• Spray an 11 3/4-by-16 1/4-inch baking pan with vegetable-oil spray. Set aside in a spot where it will not be moved. In a heavy 4-quart saucepan, combine 2 cups cream, corn syrup, sugar, and salt. Clip on candy thermometer. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, 15 to 20 minutes. Wash down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to remove any sugar crystals.
• Cook, stirring constantly, until temperature reaches 220 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes; watch so mixture doesn't boil over. Continue stirring, and add chocolate and butter; keep mixture boiling, and slowly add remaining 2 cups cream. Cook, still stirring, until temperature reaches 240 degrees (soft-ball stage), about 60 minutes, keeping mixture at a low boil.
• Without scraping pot, pour mixture into prepared pan. Let stand uncovered at room temperature for 24 hours without moving.
• To cut, spray a cutting board with vegetable-oil spray. Unmold caramel onto sprayed surface. Using a large knife, cut into 1-by-1 1/4-inch pieces or other shapes. Wrap each piece in cellophane or waxed paper.