Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Petit Gateau by Nicholas Forte

(This recipe appeared in the Fall 2021 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)      

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This dessert truly showcases the versatility of Ghirardelli products, using it in seven of the recipes below. In addition to the chocolate products, raspberry adds a bright, refreshing taste throughout the cake. This petit gateau is composed of a crunchy layer of salted cocoa sable, an insert of raspberry confit, dark chocolate and raspberry ganache, chocolate biscuit, and a light airy chocolate mousse. To finish, the cake is glazed and garnished with chocolate macarons and gold butterflies, giving it a complex taste and whimsical appearance.

Yield: 12 petits gateaux 

Chocolate Macarons

• 63 g almond flour
• 65 g confectioners’ sugar 
• 10 g Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate & Cocoa Sweet Ground Powder
• 50 g aged egg whites
• 50 g granulated sugar

1. Place the almond flour, confectioners’ sugar and Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate & Cocoa Sweet Ground Powder in food processor. Pulse a few times to combine, then sift mixture. 
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, start to whip the egg whites. Once foamy, slowly add the sugar a little bit at a time. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Fold in the almond mixture.
3. Line two sheet pans with silicone baking mats. On one sheet pan, pipe macarons the size of a nickel. On the other sheet pan, pipe them the size of a quarter. Gently tap the pans with your hand to flatten macarons a bit. Let the macarons dry for 30-60 minutes, depending on your environment, until they are dry to the touch.
4. Bake at 275˚F (135˚C) for 15 minutes, turning the sheet pans halfway through. Then turn off the oven and let the macarons continue to dry out. Once cool, reserve in airtight container. 

Chocolate Shiny Glaze

• 10 g gold gelatin sheets
• 160 g heavy cream
• 160 g water
• 100 g Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate & Cocoa Sweet Ground Powder
• 200 g granulated sugar

1. Bloom gelatin in ice water; reserve. 
2. In a saucepan, bring the heavy cream, water, Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate & Cocoa Sweet Ground Powder and sugar to a boil. Add the bloomed gelatin and blend with an immersion blender. Cover the surface of the glaze with plastic wrap and reserve in the refrigerator overnight. 

Chocolate Biscuit

• 30 g Ghirardelli Bittersweet 60% Cacao Baking Chips
• 30 g unsalted butter
• 74 g almond flour
• 15 g Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate & Cocoa Sweet Ground Powder
• 50 g whole eggs
• 88 g egg yolks
• 108 g egg whites
• 108 g granulated sugar

1. In a small container, melt the Ghirardelli Bittersweet 60% Cacao Baking Chips and butter. Set aside.
2. Combine the almond flour and Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate & Cocoa Sweet Ground Powder in a small bowl. Add the whole eggs and yolks and whisk until smooth. Add the dark chocolate and butter mixture to the egg mixture and whisk until smooth.
3. Make a meringue with the egg whites and granulated sugar. Fold the meringue into the chocolate mixture, but being careful not to deflate the batter.
4. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper, and gently spread the chocolate biscuit evenly over it. Bake at 400˚F (204˚C) for 10 minutes. Let cool and then place in freezer.
5. Cut out rounds of chocolate biscuit, then place back in freezer.

Raspberry Confit

• 335 g raspberry purée
• 135 g granulated sugar
• 8 g pectin
• 12 fresh raspberries, halved

1. In a saucepan, heat the raspberry purée to 122˚F (50˚C).
2. In small bowl, mix together the pectin and sugar. Add this mixture to the raspberry puree, and bring to a boil. Fill insert molds 1/3 full, and place 2 raspberry halves inside confit. Freeze. Reserve remaining Raspberry Confit for macarons.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Ganache

• 156 g raspberry purée
• 75 g glucose
• 165 g Ghirardelli Bittersweet 60% Cacao Baking Chips
• 33g unsalted butter

1. Bring the raspberry puree and glucose to 149˚F (65˚C). Pour the mixture over the dark chocolate and emulsify with immersion blender. Add the butter and emulsify again.
2. Pour the ganache on top of the frozen raspberry confit, filling up 2/3 of the insert mold. Place the reserved chocolate biscuit on top of ganache, completing the insert. Freeze.
3. Reserve the remaining ganache into a container in the refrigerator for filling the macarons.

Salted Cocoa Sablé

• 122 g all-purpose flour
• 12 g Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate & Cocoa Sweet Ground Powder
• 45g confectioners’ sugar
• 2 g salt
• 18 g almond flour
• 64 g unsalted butter, cold, cubed
• 25 g whole eggs

1. Place the flour, Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate & Cocoa Sweet Ground Powder, confectioners’ sugar, salt and almond flour into a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix briefly.
2. Add the cold butter, and mix with paddle until mixture becomes sandy and butter cubes disappear. Be careful not to over-mix. Add the whole eggs and mix just until combined.
3. Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and then refrigerate for 2 hours.
4. Cut out rounds from the dough, then bake between two perforated silicone baking mats at 349˚F (176˚C) for 12 minutes. Cool and reserve for assembly.

Light Chocolate Mousse

• 610 g heavy cream, divided
• 4.5 g gold gelatin sheets
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 143 g Ghirardelli Bittersweet 60% Cacao Baking Chips

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk 420 g of the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Reserve in cooler.
2. Bloom gelatin sheets in ice water, reserve.
3. Place remaining 190 g heavy cream and sugar in small pot and bring to simmer. Add bloomed gelatin.
4. Pour this mixture over the Ghirardelli Bittersweet 60% Cacao Baking Chips, then emulsify with immersion blender. Once chocolate mixture reaches 95˚F (35˚C), carefully fold in the reserved whipped to achieve a light airy mousse. Place in pastry bag and use immediately.

Chocolate Butterfly Tuiles

• 30 g unsalted butter, softened
• 50 g confectioners’ sugar
• 32 g egg whites
• 40 g all-purpose flour
• 10 g Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate & Cocoa Sweet Ground Powder

1. Using a spatula, cream together the softened butter and confectioners’ sugar. Slowly add the egg whites and mix until combined. Add the flour and Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate & Cocoa Sweet Ground Powder and mix until combined.
2. Spread over chablon or stencil and bake at 329˚F (165˚C) for 6-7 minutes.

Cake Assembly

1. Fill up petit gateau mold halfway with chocolate mousse. Place insert into mousse (raspberry confit-side down) until the chocolate biscuit is flush with the top. Place a reserved sable on top of the chocolate biscuit. Freeze overnight.

Final Assembly

• Gold luster dust

1. The next day, unmold the petit gateau and place on glazing rack. Place back in freezer.
2. Fill macarons with reserved ganache and confit. Warm glaze to 64˚F (18˚C) and blend with immersion blender, being careful not to incorporate bubbles. Pour glaze over frozen cake, sliding an offset spatula over the top to remove excess glaze. Transfer glazed cake to serving plate. Garnish by placing small macarons around the bottom, and a large macaron and raspberry on top. Top the macaron with a gold-dusted butterfly tuile.