Mint Physalis Chocolate Entremet

I love physalis, I like mint and I enjoy white chocolate, so I imagined this dessert using all of them. It’s creamy, soft and it tastes like Heaven 🙂

INGREDIENTS Mint Physalis Chocolate Entremet

(for 6 mini cakes)

► Almond sponge cake (Biscuit joconde)

For the meringue

• 100 g egg white (at room temperature)
• ½ teaspoon of fresh lemon juice
• 30 g granulated sugar

For the almond mixture

• 150 g almonds
• 150 g powder sugar
• 50 g wheat flour (all purpose)
• 3 large eggs (about 160 g)
• 250 g butter (melted)

►Mint jelly

• 50 g fresh mint leaves
• 50 ml fresh lemon juice
• 100 ml hot water
• 100 g granulated sugar
• 10 g unflavored gelatin powder
• green food coloring

►White chocolate mousse

• 80 g white chocolate, melted (in the microwave or in double boiler)
• 2 egg yolks
• 100 ml milk
• ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 10 g unflavored gelatin powder
• 200 g whipped cream

►White mirror glaze

• 150 g white chocolate, chopped
• 250 g heavy cream
• 60 g powder sugar
• 50 ml glucose syrup
• 10 g gelatin
• 100 ml cold water
• ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract

►Also

150 g fresh physalis fruits

DIRECTIONS Mint Physalis Chocolate Entremet

► Preparing the almond sponge cake

Preparing the meringue:  Whisk egg whites with lemon juice and 1/3 of the sugar until stiff, then add gradually the rest of sugar and continue to whisk until the mixture is stiff and glossy.

Preparing the almond mixture:  Grind together almonds, powder sugar and wheat flour in a food processor. Transfer them into a bowl and add the whole eggs, one by one, then add the melted butter and mix well.

Preparing the almond sponge:  Fold the meringue into the almond mixture, 1/3 at a time, until well incorporated. Line a baking tray (25/35 cm) with parchment paper and spread the batter evenly on it. Bake the cake in a 220ºC preheated oven for about 7 minutes (or until it gets golden brown). Remove the tray from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, then flip the cake over a wire rack and take off the parchment paper.

With a circle cutter, divide the cake into 12 discs of 7 cm diameter each.

► Preparing the mint jelly

Combine gelatin with 50 ml water and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

Muddle mint leaves with lemon juice, then pour over the hot water. Add the sugar and whisk well, until sugar is dissolved. Boil the mixture for about 3 minutes. Combine with the gelatin-water mixture and homogenize. Add the food coloring and stir. Strain the mint leaves. Pour composition into each cavity of a silicone mini muffin pan, up to 1 cm from the bottom. Put the pan into the freezer. It will be take off the freezer just before assembling the cakes.

► Preparing white chocolate mousse

Sprinkle the gelatin over 50 ml cold water in a small bowl and let soften for 10 minutes. Bring milk to a boil and pour it gradually over the egg yolks and vanilla extract, stirring quickly. Add soften gelatin and homogenize; then pour the melted chocolate and mix well. Finally fold in the whipped cream.

► Preparing white chocolate glaçage

Mix the gelatin with the 100 ml cold water and set aside for about 10 minutes. Put heavy cream, sugar, glucose syrup and vanilla extract into a pan and bring to boil, then pour it over the white chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted. Then stir in the gelatin.

► Assembling the cakes

I used some improved mini cake rings, from 500 ml pet water like on this recipe. I used strips of acetate to line the inside of every cake ring. This made easier the process of extracting cakes from the molds (cake rings).

Put into each  cake ring, in order, from the base to the top:

• 1 disc of sponge cake
• white chocolate mousse
• 1 disc of mint jelly
• white chocolate mousse
• some pieces of chopped physalis
• white chocolate mousse
• 1 disc of sponge cake

Put the cakes into the fridge until they set, then take them off the cake rings, place them over a wire rack and pour the glaçage. Decorate with physalis fruits.