“Circle of Love” - Plated dessert
This year for Valentine's Day, I've created a dessert that's both simple yet complex in flavors - "Circle of Love" plated dessert.
For this plated dessert, I've combined some exciting new ingredients: Rhubarb, Sichuan pepper, Ruby chocolate, Olive oil, Sake, and White chocolate. The outcome is a light, aromatic dessert with a delightful tanginess from the rhubarb and ruby chocolate.
The dessert consists of a Ruby chocolate ring, white chocolate namelaka, olive oil cake, sous vide rhubarb with Sichuan pepper, rhubarb Sichuan pepper gel, sake ice cream, and ruby crumble.
The Sake used in the ice cream has a gentle peachy sweetness. However, any sweet sake will work just fine.
Sichuan pepper adds a unique flavor profile—citrusy, floral, slightly peppery, with a distinctive numbing sensation. Paired with tart rhubarb, it creates a harmonious blend of flavors.
The olive oil cake adds a hint of grassy flavor that blends well with the other tastes. Plus, it brings in a subtle earthy touch that makes the dessert even more interesting.
Ruby rings
Ingredients:
Ruby chocolate (tempered)
Clean, smooth PVC pipe with a 10cm diameter
Acetate sheet
Method:
Select a clean and smooth PVC pipe with a 10cm diameter.
Cut a piece of acetate to fit around the circumference of the PVC pipe. The acetate should be wide enough to create the desired height for your chocolate rings.
Spread the tempered Ruby chocolate evenly onto the acetate strip. Ensure the chocolate layer is smooth and covers the entire surface of the acetate.
Before the chocolate fully sets, use a sharp knife or pastry cutter to cut the chocolate-coated acetate into 2cm strips.
Wrap each chocolate-coated strip around the PVC pipe, overlapping the ends slightly to form a ring shape. Press the ends together gently to ensure they stick.
Allow the chocolate to set completely. You can speed up the process by placing the PVC pipe with the chocolate-covered acetate in the refrigerator for a few minutes.
Once the chocolate has hardened completely, gently remove the acetate from the chocolate rings. The chocolate should hold its shape and slide off the PVC pipe easily.
Carefully slide the chocolate rings off the PVC pipe and store them in an airtight container until ready to use as a delightful garnish or treat.
Ruby hearts
Ingredients:
Tempered Ruby chocolate
Baking paper
Small heart cookie cutter (approximately 3cm)
Method:
Take a square piece of baking paper and crumple it into a ball. Then, flatten it out again, creating a crumpled effect on the surface.
Spread a thin, even layer of tempered Ruby chocolate over the crumpled baking paper. Allow the chocolate to crystallize slightly.
Before the chocolate sets completely, use the small heart cookie cutter to stamp out heart shapes from the chocolate. Press the cookie cutter firmly into the chocolate to ensure clean edges.
Allow the chocolate hearts to crystallize completely until they are firm to the touch.
Once the chocolate is fully set, carefully lift the chocolate hearts from the baking paper.
Store the Ruby hearts in an airtight container until ready to use as a delightful garnish or treat.
White Chocolate Namelaka: recipe here https://www.ilariamarzullo.com/pastry-journal/what-is-the-namelaka?rq=namelaka
Sous Vide Rhubarb with Sichuan Pepper:
Ingredients:
100g caster sugar
100g water
2g Sichuan pepper
200g rhubarb, cut into batons of 20cm
Method:
In a saucepan, combine the caster sugar, water. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved.
Once the sugar has dissolved, add the Sichuan pepper and remove the saucepan from heat and let the syrup mixture cool slightly.
Place cling film on the saucepan, then allow it to cool completely. Leave the saucepan overnight in the fridge.
The next day, strain the syrup to remove the Sichuan pepper, and set the syrup aside.
Place the rhubarb batons into a sous vide bag or divide them between two bags. Pour the prepared syrup into the bag(s).
Vacuum seal the bags.
Preheat the sous vide water bath to 103°F (39.4°C).
Once the water bath reaches the desired temperature, carefully lower the sealed bags into the water bath.
Cook the rhubarb in the water bath for 10-12 minutes. The rhubarb should still be firm to the touch after cooking.
Once cooked, remove the bags from the water bath and immediately transfer them to an ice bath to cool rapidly.
Once completely cold, store the rhubarb in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Rhubarb and Sichuan pepper gel
Ingredients:
150g juice from leftover sous vide Rhubarb and Sichuan pepper
1,5g agar
5g caster sugar
Method:
In a small bowl, combine the agar and caster sugar.
In a saucepan, bring the juice from leftover sous vide Rhubarb and Sichuan pepper to a boil over medium heat.
Once boiling, add the sugar-agar mixture to the saucepan, stirring continuously to ensure it dissolves completely.
Boil the mixture for 1 minute, continuing to stir constantly.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the mixture into a jug or tall container.
Allow the gel mixture to set completely until it reaches room temperature and becomes firm.
Once set, use a hand blender to blend the gel until it reaches a smooth, gel-like consistency.
Transfer the gel to a piping bag and store tin the fridge.
Sake ice cream
Ingredients:
10g Milk powder
70g Caster sugar
1g Stab2000 (stabilizer)
190g Heavy cream
200g Whole milk
25g Inverted sugar
25g Sake
Method:
In a small bowl, combine the milk powder, caster sugar, and Stab2000.
In a medium saucepan, pour the heavy cream, whole milk, and inverted sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
Once the mixture is boiling, add the dry ingredients from step 1. Stir continuously to ensure they are fully incorporated.
Allow the mixture to boil for an additional 2 minutes to activate the stabilizer and ensure proper thickening.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the mixture to a clean bowl. Place the bowl in an ice bath to cool down rapidly.
Once the mixture has cooled completely, add the sake and stir well to combine.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture for at least 4 hours or overnight to chill thoroughly.
The next day, churn the chilled mixture in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency.
Transfer the churned ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze for several hours or until firm.
Olive oil cake
Ingredients:
2 whole eggs
50g caster sugar
Zest of Half lemon
70g plain flour
1g salt
35g olive oil
Method:
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and grease a 25x25cm square pan with baking spray.
In a mixing bowl, whip the eggs with the caster sugar and lemon zest until fluffy and tripled in volume.
Sift the plain flour and salt into the egg mixture. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, being careful not to deflate the batter.
Slowly add the olive oil to the batter, mixing until well combined.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
Once cooled completely, cut the cake into strips approximately 1cm wide. Then, cut the strips into cubes approximately 1cm in size.
Ruby Crumble:
Ingredients:
100g plain flour
50g caster sugar
2g table salt
70g cold butter
30g ruby chocolate, melted
Method:
Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
In a food processor, combine the plain flour, caster sugar, table salt, and cold butter. Pulse the ingredients together until they resemble coarse crumbs.
Spread the crumb mixture evenly onto the prepared baking tray.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the crumble turns golden brown.
Once baked, remove the crumble from the oven and allow it to cool completely on the baking tray.
Transfer the cooled crumble into a clean bowl.
Drizzle the melted ruby chocolate over the crumble and gently toss to coat evenly.
Allow the crumble to sit for a few minutes, then mix every 10-15 minutes until the chocolate solidifies and the crumble is evenly coated.
Once the chocolate has hardened and the crumble is fully coated, it is ready to use.
Extra for Plating:
Micro lemon balm leaves
Freeze-dried raspberry powder
Plating:
Divide the white chocolate namelaka into two piping bags, one fitted with a simple nozzle and the other with a star nozzle.
Place the Ruby chocolate ring in the center of the plate as the base.
Pipe small dots of white chocolate namelaka, inside the ruby chocolate ring, alternating between the two piping bags to create visual interest. Leave a space on the side, for the ice cream.
Arrange 3-4 cubes of olive oil spongeon the namelaka.
Add 3-4 pieces of rhubarb.
Pipe small dots of rhubarb and Sichuan pepper gel onto the plate, around the chocolate ring and sponge cubes.
Fill the space left in the ring with a teaspoon of ruby crumble.
Place a scoop of sake ice cream on top of the ruby crumble
Dust a sprinkle of freeze-dried raspberry powder over the sake ice cream.
Place a ruby heart on the side of the chocolate ring on top the namelaka.
Finish the plating by adding micro lemon balm leaves.
P.S. I will soon publish the full video on my YouTube channel. Keep an eye out for updates by subscribing to the channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@ilariamarzullo