Chocolate Raspberry Moelleux By Pierre Hermé Recipes

Steps:

• To make the sugar: Put the sugar, extract and a few drops of coloring in a small zipper-lock plastic bag, seal the bag and shake until the color is even. Add more color if you'd like.
• To make the sablés: Put the raspberries between sheets of wax paper, and crush them with a rolling pin or the bottom of a skillet. Don't expect perfection - it's fine to have mostly powder and a few small nuggets. Whisk the raspberries into the flour.
• Working with a mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until it's soft and creamy, but not airy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar, extract and fleur de sel, and beat 3 minutes more. Turn the mixer off, scrape down the bowl, add the flour mixture all at once and pulse the mixer on and off to begin incorporating the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until the dough forms soft curds and then starts to clean the sides of the bowl. Give it a few last turns with a spatula, then scrape it out onto the counter. Divide the dough into 4 pieces, and roll each into an 8-inch-long log.
• Spread the sugar out on a piece of wax paper, and roll the logs in the sugar until they're completely coated. Wrap each log in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days.
• When you're ready to bake, position the racks to divide the oven into thirds, and preheat it to 325. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Unwrap the logs, trim the ends if they're ragged and cut the logs into ½-inch-thick rounds. Place them on the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each round.
• Bake the cookies for 19 to 21 minutes, rotating the sheets top to bottom and front to back after 10 minutes, or until the cookies are firm around the edges and golden brown on the bottom; the tops will remain pale. Rest the sablés for 2 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks. Serve - or pack into a container - when the cookies come to room temperature.

Steps:

• For the Ganache:.
• Place the chocolate in bowl over a pan of hot water. Allow to melt slowly without stirring too often - don't allow any water to get into the chocolate bowl.
• Liquidise the raspberries in a small blender. Push the raspberries through a sieve to extract 100g of juice. Heat the raspberry juice in a small saucepan and add the cream.
• Mix the chocolate with the raspberry juice and cream and whip slowly, without adding any air, to gently combine the ingredients.
• Slowly pour the raspberry chocolate ganache through a funnel into an icecube bag. When all the ganache is finished, seal the bag & massage to spread the ganache evenly throughout the ice cube pockets. Place in the freezer.
• For the Chocolate Batter:.
• While the ganache is firming in the freezer, prepare the chocolate batter by creaming the butter & sugar until light, fluffy & creamy coloured.
• Melt the chocolate using the same method as for the ganache & add to the butter cream. Lightly beat the eggs & mix into the chocolate buttercream.
• Gently add the flour to the bowl.
• Once the ganache cubes are solid, heat the oven to 170°C.
• Using a pastry bag, fill each hole of 12 muffin pan, to 1/3 of it's capacity with chocolate batter. (or use two 6 holed muffin pans).
• Carefully place one teaspoon of raspberry preserve in the center of the third-filled pans. Place a frozen ganache cube on each & cover with the remaining batter. Take care that the cubes are completely covered.
• Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes.
• Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before unmolding. It is easier to unmold the moelleux onto a sheet of aluminium foil.
• Cut the foil around the moelleux and carefully lay them on individual serving plates. When done, remove the foil by sliding it carefully from under the moelleux.
• Serve immediately with a few fresh raspberries & a quenelle of mascarpone or whipped cream.