Chocolate Raspberry Indulgence by Matthew Ratliff

This dessert highlights the classic combination of raspberry and chocolate. With the deep and robust chocolate flavor of Ghirardelli 100% cacao wafers, this chocolate tart is a new level of indulgence. Contrasted with bright and tart Raspberry Compote and Raspberry Chantilly, the richness in this dessert will satisfy your greatest chocolate craving.

Yield: 16 portions

Chocolate Pebbles

• 100g Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Chocolate Chips                                      
• Maltodextrin, as needed (about ¾ cup)

1. Melt the chocolate, then stir in the maltodextrin until the chocolate starts to get crumbly. 
2. While the chocolate still has some mass, chill until set.
3. Place the chocolate in a Robot Coupe® and process until you reach the desired size.
4. Sift out the dust with a fine sieve, and sift out large pieces, if wanted.
5. Reserve in a cool place as you would chocolate.

Cocoa Sablé for the Tart Shell

• 4 g salt 
• 820 g cake flour
• 50 g cornstarch
• 125 g Ghirardelli Majestic Premium Cocoa Powder
• 270 g confectioners’ sugar
• 500 g butter, soft
• 150 g eggs
• Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Chocolate, as needed

1. Sift all of the dry ingredients together, including the Majestic Cocoa Powder. 
2. Add the soft, room-temperature butter and mix with a paddle until the butter is in super-fine pieces.
3. Add the eggs and mix until the dough almost comes together. Take the dough out of the mixer and knead by hand until it comes together.
4. Press the dough flat and plastic wrap it, then refrigerate the dough overnight.
5. Take the dough out and sheet it down to 2 mm (1/8^th of an inch).
6. Using a 2 ½-inch tart ring, cut out a circle with the ring and place it onto the baking sheet.
7. Cut a 1-inch-wide strip that is 8-inches long. Take the strip of dough and line the tart ring, pressing down gently into the bottom. Trim off excess from the top of the ring.
8. Bake the tart shells at 320°F (160°C) in a convection oven with medium fan speed for about 10 minutes.
9. Let the shells cool, and brush the inside with 60% Ghirardelli Chocolate. Dip the rim of the tart in the chocolate and dip into the chocolate pebbles.

Chocolate mousse

• 15 g Knox powdered gelatin
• 71 g water, divided
• 553 g Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Chocolate
• 1360 g cream
• 213 g yolks
• 298 g granulated sugar

1. Combine the powdered gelatin and 71 grams of the water (make sure that the water is cold) and set aside to hydrate.
2. Melt the chocolate and keep warm at 115°F (46°C).
3. Whip the cream to soft peaks and reserve.
4. Combine the sugar and the 128 grams of water and boil to 240°F (116°C) or bubble stage.
5. When the sugar reaches the correct temperature, remove it from the heat immediately and stream the sugar into the yolks, while whipping on low speed. After the sugar is all in, increase the speed to medium and whip until warm, around 105°F (41°C).
6. Melt gelatin mass and reserve hot, stirring as needed.
7. Remove the yolks and sugar from the machine and temper in the melted gelatin solution.
8. Fold half of the chocolate into the yolk mixture, add 1/3 of the cream, then add the remaining chocolate. Last, add the remaining cream.
9. Fold all together and pipe into molds. Here, I used Silkomart® Stone Mold SF163

Joconde

• 88 g almond Flour
• 88 g confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 28 g cake flour
• 7 g glucose
• 119 g whole eggs
• 18 g melted butter
• 28 g granulated sugar
• 77 g egg whites

1. Combine the almond flour, confectioners’ sugar and flour and mix well.
2. Add the glucose and whole eggs and whip for three minutes on high speed.
3. Heat the butter and keep it hot.
4. Add the sugar to the egg whites and whip to soft peaks
5. Temper the butter into the batter and then fold in the meringue in by thirds.
6. Spread the batter onto a ½ sheet pan.
7. Bake at 375°F (191°C) in a convection oven for 5-7 minutes.

Vanilla Syrup

• 200 g water
• 120 g granulated sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
• 30 g light rum

1. Bring the water, sugar and vanilla seeds to a simmer.
2. Let cool, and add the rum

Raspberry Compote

• 1 g Knox powdered gelatin
• 5 g water, cold
• 200 g raspberry puree, divided
• 3 g NH pectin
• 40 g granulated sugar
• 4 g lemon juice
• Fresh raspberries, as needed

1. Bloom the powdered gelatin in the water mixed with 10 grams of the puree.
2. Mix the NH pectin with the sugar.
3. Bring the rest of the pure to a boil, sprinkle in the pectin sugar mix while whisking. Cook for 30 seconds at a boil.
4. Add the bloomed gelatin and lemon juice and stir until the gelatin is fully melted.
5. Fill a 15g mold ½-way up and add 1-2 fresh raspberries and cover if needed with more raspberry compote.

Raspberry whipped cream

• 3 g Knox powdered gelatin
• 15 g water, cold
• 200 g raspberry puree, reduced to 120 g
• 5 g lemon juice
• 250 g cream, whipped
• 30 g granulated sugar
• 8 g cocoa butter

1. Mix gelatin powder with cold water.
2. Bring the raspberry puree to a boil and reduce to 120 grams. Add the lemon juice, sugar and bloomed gelatin solution, cool to 80°F (27°C) and add cream.
3. Let rest for 6 hours or overnight.
4. Whip in a mixer until stiff peaks form.
5. Pipe with a large rose or St. Honoré tip

Chocolate Glaze

• 19 g Knox powdered gelatin
• 231 g water, divided
• 200 g granulated sugar
• 140 g water
• 62 g cream
• 90 g glucose
• 55 g Ghirardelli Majestic Premium Cocoa Powder
• 85 g Ghirardelli 100% Unsweetened Chocolate Wafers

1. Mix the powdered gelatin into 91 grams of the water (make sure that the water is cold) and allow it to bloom.
2. Bring the sugar, cream, glucose and the remaining 140 grams of water up to a simmer.
3. Whisk in Ghirardelli Majestic Premium Cocoa Powder.
4. Mix in the bloomed gelatin.
5. Cool to 105°F (41°C); mix with immersion blender to remove air.
6. Pour over frozen mousse, swiping off excess from the top as you are glazing.

Dark Chocolate Crémeux

• 100 g cream
• 15 g glucose
• 5 g vanilla paste
• 100 g milk
• 35 g granulated sugar
• 38 g yolks
• 65 g Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Chocolate
• 65 g Unsweetened 100% Unsweetened Chocolate Wafers

1. Heat the cream, glucose, vanilla paste, milk and sugar to a simmer.
2. Temper in the yolks and cook to 182°F (83°C) over low-medium heat while stirring the bottom of the pot.
3. Immediately pour over the Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Chocolate and Ghirardelli 100% Unsweetened Chocolate Wafers.
4. Emulsify with an immersion blender. 
5. Portion into tart shells over the Joconde.

Raspberry Balsamic Sauce

• 15 g granulated sugar
• 7 g Ultra-Sperse® 3 cold starch
• 15 g high-quality balsamic vinegar
• 150 g raspberry puree
• 3 g lemon juice
• 10 g glucose

1. Mix sugar and starch together.
2. Mix balsamic, raspberry puree, lemon juice and glucose together.
3. Whisk in sugar and starch, and let set for ten minutes.
4. Mix with an immersion blender.
5. Reserve in a squeeze bottle.

(This recipe appeared in the Fall 2024 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)