Café con Leche Choux by Stefan Riemer

(This recipe appeared in the Summer 2019 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)      

This Café con Leche Choux dessert was created for Toledo―Tapas, Steak & Seafood, a new rooftop restaurant offering dishes and small plates inspired by the flavors of Spain, slated to open this summer at Gran Destino Tower at the newly reimagined Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando. The design of this resort connects the modern with classic Spanish design, inspired by innovative Spanish artists, writers, and architects. This dessert is a perfect representation of that connection with its classic Spanish flavor and creative, contemporary presentation.

Yield: 12 servings

Coffee Custard

• 1 (silver) gelatin sheet
• 50 g brewed espresso
• 50 g whole milk
• 20 g pasteurized egg yolk
• 10 g granulated sugar
• 175 g milk chocolate, melted
• 1 pinch coarse salt
• 137.5 g heavy cream

1. Bloom gelatin sheet in ice water.
2. Heat espresso and milk in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, until warm. Remove from heat.
3. Whisk together egg yolk and sugar in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in half of the warm heavy cream and coffee mixture to temper the egg. Strain egg and sugar mixture into saucepan with heavy cream and stir until combined.
4. Add bloomed gelatin sheet, melted milk chocolate, and coarse salt to custard. Stir until smooth.
5. Whip heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold into custard.
6. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
   

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Chocolate Mousse

• 1 (silver) gelatin sheet
• 337 g heavy cream, divided
• 157 g bittersweet chocolate
• 10 ml orange liqueur
• 56 g pasteurized egg yolk

1. Bloom gelatin in ice water.
2. Heat 138 grams of heavy cream in a medium saucepan until warm. Add dark chocolate chips and stir until smooth. Remove from heat.
3. Heat bloomed gelatin and orange liqueur in microwave for 15 seconds, until 113˚F. Stir in egg yolk, then pour into chocolate and cream mixture.
4. Whip remaining 275 grams of heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold into chocolate mousse.
5. Pour into 4-centimeter molds and freeze for at least 4 hours.
   

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Chocolate Craquelin

• 115 g granulated sugar
• 105 g all-purpose flour
• 7 g cocoa powder
• 115 g unsalted butter
• 2 g coarse salt

1. Place sugar, flour, cocoa powder, butter, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until combined.
2. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 45 minutes.
3. Roll dough to 1/8” thickness and cut into 3-centimeter circles.
4. Set aside until ready to serve.
   

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Chocolate Pâte à Choux

• 125 g water
• 125 g milk
• 100 g unsalted butter
• 5 g granulated sugar
• 5 g salt
• 142 g all-purpose flour
• 7.5 g cocoa powder
• 225 g eggs

1. Preheat oven to 302˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
3. Quickly stir in flour and cocoa powder using a spatula. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 1 minute, until mixture pulls away from sides of the pan.
4. Transfer to electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 2 minutes, until slightly cooled. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until soft peaks form.
5. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe into 3-centimeter circles onto prepared pan
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until they are puffy and bottoms begin to brown.
   

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Vanilla Chantilly

• 1/2 (silver) gelatin sheet
• 250 g heavy cream, divided
• 50 g confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
• 1 pinch coarse salt

1. Bloom gelatin sheet in ice water.
2. Combine 187.5 grams of the heavy cream with the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla bean. Whisk by hand to soft peaks.
3. Place remaining 62.5 grams of heavy cream and bloomed gelatin sheet in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is melted.
4. Add to whipped cream mixture and beat until smooth.
5. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
   

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Dark Chocolate Glaçage

• 4 sheets (silver) gelatin
• 60 g water
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 70 g glucose syrup
• 40 g condensed milk
• 80 g dark chocolate

1. Bloom gelatin sheets in ice water.
2. Combine water, sugar, and glucose syrup in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add bloomed gelatin and condensed milk.
3. Place dark chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour warm gelatin and sugar mixture over chocolate and mix with a hand blender.
4. Keep at 35°C (95°F) until ready to serve.
   

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Plating

• 12 chocolate decorations
• Fleur de sel

1. Whip Vanilla Chantilly and Coffee Custard by hand to soft peaks.
2. Place Coffee Custard in piping bag fitted with a round tip. Fill chocolate pâte à choux with Coffee Custard. Set aside.
3. Spoon Chantilly onto a plate. Top with filled Chocolate Pâte à Choux and Chocolate Craquelin. Remove chocolate mousse from freezer and glaze with chocolate glaçage. Add to top of chocolate craquelin.
4. Garnish with fleur de sel and chocolate decoration.
   

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   Photo Credit: Matt Stroshane