Miso Cashew Mysore Pak Entremet

Ingredients

For the Coffee Sablé Base

• 500 g Unsalted butter, softened
• 250 g Icing sugar
• 4 Egg yolks
• 520 g All-purpose flour
• 40 g Cocoa powder
• 20 g Instant espresso powder
• a pinch Salt

For the Miso Cashew Praline Crunch

• 500 g Cashews, toasted
• 500 g Sugar
• 100 ml Water
• 25 g White miso
• Feuilletine – 250 g (optional, for extra crispness)

For the Cashew Joconde Sponge

• 500 g Cashew flour
• 500 g Icing sugar
• 15 Whole eggs
• 125 g All-purpose flour
• 100 g Melted butter
• 9 Egg whites
• 120 g Caster sugar

For the Miso Caramel Mysore Pak Crémeux

• 600 g Sugar
• 200 ml Water
• 800 ml Heavy cream
• 8 Egg yolks
• 20 g White miso
• 600 g Mysore Pak, finely grated or pureed
• 8 g Gelatin, bloomed in water

For Assembly & Garnish

• as required Mysore Pak crumble, gold-dusted
• as required Coffee leaf-shaped tuile
• as required Miso caramel drizzle
• as required Edible gold leaf

Optional Pairing: Palm Jaggery & Pepper Ice Cream

• Milk
• Cream
• Palm jaggery
• Black pepper
• Egg yolks

For the Coffee Brittle

• as required Sugar
• Instant espresso powder – a little

Method of Preparation

Chef Ajay Chopra

1. Prepare the Coffee Sablé Base

   Cream together the softened butter and icing sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and mix until smooth. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt. Fold gently into the butter mixture. Wrap the dough in cling film and rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Roll out to 4–5 mm thickness, cut into the desired shapes and bake at 170°C for 12–15 minutes until crisp. Cool completely.

2. Prepare the Miso Cashew Praline Crunch

   Make a dry caramel with the sugar and water and cook until amber. Add the toasted cashews and coat well. Spread onto a Silpat and allow to cool. Blitz into a coarse praline in a food processor. Mix in the white miso and feuilletine, if using. Reserve in an airtight container.

3. Prepare the Cashew Joconde Sponge

   Whisk together cashew flour, icing sugar and whole eggs until pale and airy. Fold in the flour and melted butter. Separately, whip the egg whites with caster sugar to soft peaks. Gently fold the meringue into the cashew mixture. Spread the batter evenly on a lined tray and bake at 180°C for 12–14 minutes, until lightly golden. Cool and cut to the required size and shape.

4. Prepare the Miso Caramel Mysore Pak Crémeux

   Heat the sugar and water to make a golden caramel. Warm the cream and gradually add it to the caramel carefully. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl and temper with the hot caramel cream. Return to the pan and cook to nappé consistency at 82–84°C. Add white miso and grated Mysore Pak and whisk until smooth. Stir in the bloomed gelatin. Blend until silky and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set.

5. Prepare the Palm Jaggery & Pepper Ice Cream (Optional Pairing)

   Heat milk and cream together. Add palm jaggery and allow it to dissolve fully. Infuse with crushed black pepper. Temper with egg yolks and cook until thickened to 82°C. Strain, chill and churn in an ice cream machine. Freeze until set.

6. Prepare the Coffee Brittle

   Make a caramel with sugar and stir in a little espresso powder. Spread thinly on a Silpat and allow to harden. Break into shards for garnish.

7. Assembly & Plating

   Place a disc of Coffee Sablé at the bottom. Layer with the Miso Cashew Praline Crunch. Add a slice of Cashew Joconde Sponge. Pipe or spoon the Miso Caramel Mysore Pak Crémeux generously over the sponge. Garnish with gold-dusted Mysore Pak crumble, coffee leaf-shaped tuile, miso caramel drizzle and edible gold leaf. Serve with a quenelle of Palm Jaggery & Pepper Ice Cream on the side, if using.