(Experiment 96) Trianon

I discovered this dessert at former patisserie Gascogne but they went bankrupt a few years ago due to poor administration. In any case, this was my go-to choice when we had an occasion to celebrate.

Now that they are closed, the only way I can get my hand on one is doing it myself. It’s not hard to do but there are several steps and that leads to lots of dishes 😉

You need

Mousse

265g dark chocolate ( I’m using Callebaut 811)
400g cream 35% ( Heavy)
4 eggs (separated)
100g sugar
45g water
dash vanilla extract

Dacquoise

4 egg whites
40g flour
100g almond flour
100g icing sugar
40g sugar

Hazelnut layer

30g chopped hazelnut ( not too big or small piece)
85g milk chocolate
60g crepe dentelle in crumble ( about 12)
80g hazelnut praline

Note I’m using a 7×7 square mold, so adjust the quantity to match the one you will use.

Instructions

The bottom layer is the dacquoise, this will provide a solid base for the cake. In a stand mixer beat the egg whites while slowly adding the sugar and keep beating until you get some nice peaks. Remove bowl from the stand mixer. Sift the icing sugar to prevent clumps and add it to the mix. Add the flour and almond flour and using a spatula gently fold everything together.
We now need to cook the mix to get a “cookie” like layer. In a pan, cover with parchment paper and dump the mixture. Spread it, not too thinly but make sure it’s at least larger than the mold you will use. The thickness should be about 1/4″. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Afterward, flip it over and cut it to the proper size of the frame you will use. I simply pressed down my frame and it chopped it to the right size.
The second layer is with the hazelnut. First, we will melt the chocolate in a bain-marie( double boiler), once melted stir in the praline. Add the crepe and chopped hazelnuts and mix them all together. Spread this on the dacquoise.
The last step is the mousse, since this is a cake, we cannot use my mousse recipe because it’s too “sloppy” it won’t hold.
In a pot, put the water and sugar and bring it to a boil. Let cook until it’s a bit thick. At the same time set up a bain-marie( double boiler) and slowly melt the chocolate on low heat)
In a stand mixer, put the yolks and start beating them then slowly add the sugar mixture in. If you do it too fast you get scrambling eggs. Beat until the mixture gets paler ( will take 3-4 minutes) and it forms a ribbon ( this is when if you put a spatula in, it will drip slowly making a “trail”). Keeping mixing and slowly add in the melted chocolate. Transfer to a mixing bowl as we will use the stand mixer again to the Chantilly cream. Put the cream in the stand mixer with a dash of vanilla extract and whip it until you have hard peak.
Add a little bit of the cream to the chocolate mixture and mix it in vigorously; it will make the mixture easier to play with and easier to fold in the remaining. Then add half the cream in and gently fold it in. If you are too rough, you will lose the air pocket in the cream. Add the remaining cream and fold it in.
Lay the third layer, cover loosely and place it in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally 8. Carefully remove the frame and dust cocoa powder on top. It will last 3-4 days in the fridge ( if you can resist )