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Snow
Recipe by Darren Purchese
Don't be intimidated by the picture. Darren Purchese's intricate dish, Snow, is worth every bit of sweat, blood, and tears that go into making it. Yes, it is a lot more complex, but follow the recipe and you'll be surprised with the result. Try it now!
- Steps
- Ingredients
Ingredients
Coconut Sponge
White Chocolate and Mint Cream
Red Glaze
Sugar Dome
To serve
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Steps
- Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a 31cm x 17cm shallow baking tray and set aside.
- For the Coconut Sponge, place the caster sugar and butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the creaming attachment. Mix on high speed until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes, scraping down the inside of the bowl as needed.
- Meanwhile, place the white chocolate into a microwave safe plastic bowl and heat in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted. Set aside on the bench.
- Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium. Add the eggs to the bowl, one at a time and mix well after each addition. Scrape down the inside of the bowl occasionally.
- Add the melted white chocolate to the bowl and mix until combined.
- Add the coconut to the bowl and mix until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking tray. Smooth the surface using a small offset spatula.
- Place the sponge into the preheated oven and cook until sponge is lightly golden on top and cooked through, about 23-25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and set aside on the bench to cool in the tin for 15 minutes. Invert cake onto a wire rack, leaving baking paper on and place into the fridge to cool completely.
- Remove from the fridge and remove the baking paper. Carefully slide the sponge onto a clean chopping board.
- Using a 7cm round ring cutter, cut out 6 rounds of sponge and return them, flat side up, onto the wire rack and place the rack onto a large baking tray. Place into the fridge until ready to glaze.
- For the White Chocolate and Mint Cream, place the white chocolate into a microwave safe plastic bowl. Heat in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until just melted. Set aside on the bench.
- Place 80g of the thickened cream into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and pour over the melted chocolate. Stir until combined.
- Add the remaining 170g thickened cream and peppermint extract to the chocolate mixture and stir to combine.
- Pour into a small baking tray and set aside on the bench to cool slightly. Place into the fridge to chill completely, about 60 minutes.
- Once cold, transfer to a medium bowl and whisk by hand until mixture is thick and just holds it shape – a soft piping consistency. Do not overmix.
- Transfer the whisked White Chocolate and Mint Cream to a piping bag and set aside in the fridge until needed for assembly.
- For the Red Glaze, place gelatine into a small bowl and cover with cold water. Allow to soften for 3 minutes then remove from the water, squeeze out the water gently and place the softened gelatine into a large glass bowl.
- Add the white chocolate and red food colouring to the bowl with the gelatine and set aside on the bench.
- Place the milk, glucose syrup and agar agar into a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Whisk regularly until mixture comes to a boil then remove from the heat.
- Pour the hot milk mixture over the white chocolate and leave for 30 seconds.
- Using a stick blender, blend the milk mixture and chocolate together until smooth and shiny. Pour through a fine sieve into a clean plastic bowl. Cover the surface of the glaze with plastic film. Set aside on the bench to cool to 35C.
- For the Sugar Dome, lightly spray the rounded outside of 6 dome moulds with canola spray and rub over to coat evenly. Place onto a large marble chopping board, with the rounded side of mould facing out. Elevate one edge of the board with a 5-6cm thick, heavy weight so that the board and sheet of dome moulds is sitting on the bench at a slant.
- Place the isomalt and water into a medium sized saucepan and cook on a medium sized burner, ensuring the flames don’t reach up the outside of the saucepan (this will prevent outside of the syrup from caramelising first.)
- Cook until the syrup reaches 160C.
- Remove from the heat and pour into a 600ml heat resistant measuring jug. Set aside on the bench to cool to 120C.
- Once the syrup has cooled to 120C, carefully pour over the greased dome mould in a circular motion until each dome is completely covered.
- Immediately sprinkle the tops of the domes with a little desiccated coconut.
- Lightly grease the inside and outside of the cutting edge of a 7cm round handled scone cutter with canola spray. Wipe away excess.
- While the isomalt is still warm, place the cutter over each of the domes and push down to score around and create an indent around the base of each dome. Lightly grease the cutter again and repeat the process with each dome.
- Lightly grease the cutter and place over each dome and press down and twist gently to separate the dome from the excess syrup. Gently peel away the excess syrup around the domes, using the cutter to assist if needed. Allow the domes to harden on the mould and cool completely.
- To assemble the Snow Globes, check the temperature of the glaze is 35C. If below this temperature, heat in the microwave in 10-15 second bursts, stirring in between, until the temperature of the glaze is 35C.
- Remove the tray of sponge rounds from the fridge. Pour the Red Glaze slowly over each round until completely and evenly covered. Allow excess to drain away then return to the glazed sponges to the fridge.
- When ready to serve, carefully transfer the glazed sponges onto serving plates. Pipe the top of each with 5 dots of White Chocolate and Mint Cream. Garnish each with whole raspberries, raspberry halves and micro mint leaves. Cover each with a Sugar Dome.
- Place Fairy Floss over the assembled snow globes and serve immediately.
