Project Patisserie : Adventure #4
Chocolate, cake, and coffee- they sound like
components of a leisurely dessert course. But what if they were magically
combined into one bite-sized little package? Well, this week they are. Chocolate
and coffee lovers, allow me to introduce the Opera. The Opera is a bite-sized
rectangular cake composed of three thin layers of almond cake soaked in coffee,
layered with coffee flavored buttercream filling, and chocolate-coffee ganache.
As if that weren’t decadent enough, true chocoholics then have the option of
enrobing each piece in additional chocolate.
According to culinary historians, the Opera, named
after the Paris Grand Opera, was invented in 1955 by a well –established French
pastry house named Dalloyau (pronounced dahl-why-yo.)
The Dalloyau brothers got their break in 1682 after one of their desserts
impressed French King Louis XIV. The King not only offered the Dalloyaus a position
in his court but also conferred upon them an aristocratic title- only in France
can masterful dessert wield political influence!
Operas are of the petit fours category, that is, miniature, meticulously executed desserts
that are intended to deliver the varied tastes and textures of an entire cake
in one or two bites. Petit fours are by
definition petite- not meant to be larger than 1 ½ -2 inches tall; they’re also
intended to be visually striking due in part to their uniform presentation. Not
only are petit-fours my latest
culinary obsession but I’m so enamored of the concept, in fact, that I’ve been
contemplating writing a petit fours
series for this column- maybe with a little North Country flare? “Project Patisserie Goes Petite-Four Wheeling” comes to mind as a possible
title.
But let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. What the
results of my first Opera attempt lack in uniformity and stature they made up
for in flavor- they tasted like a richer version of a tiramisu. On that point
they were successful. I was a little generous with the layers of cake and
filling, and as a result, the finished Operas were more like a slice of cake
than a small, delicate dessert- towering way over the 1 ½ – 2 inch height restriction.
“Elegance is refusal” - or at least Coco Chanel
thought so. I admit that quote has always seemed a bit enigmatic but I find
that the petit four is a perfect
didactic tool to explain it. In order to
achieve the elegance of the petit four
it’s important to practice some restraint – refusal, if you will- when applying
the layers of buttercream and ganache. Though not my natural tendencies, I will make
a concerted effort to muster up some restraint and refusal next month when I
make my second Opera attempt for a Watertown charity event.
OPERA Recipe- Start the day before you plan on
serving it.
Like a lot of European desserts, the Opera has multiple
components- in this case only three: almond cake, chocolate ganache, and coffee
flavored buttercream.
Almond
cake:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line three jelly roll pans with
parchment paper. Whip together 4 egg whites and ½ cup of sugar until stiff
peaks form. Whisk in 4 whole eggs. When fully incorporated, gently fold in 1 ¼
cups of ground blanched almonds (also called almond flour), 2/3 cup of
confectioner’s sugar, 5 Tbsp. of all-purpose flour, and 5 Tbsp. of instant
coffee. The dry ingredients will sink right to the bottom of the bowl so when folding
the batter be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl well in order to incorporate
the ingredients completely. The first time I made a cake with an egg white base
I didn’t pay much attention to my folding and when I poured the batter into the
baking pan I was not happy to see that a good chunk of the dry ingredients were
never fully mixed in! Finally, when everything is thoroughly folded, mix in 2
Tbsp. of melted butter- still liquid but slightly cooled. Divide the batter
between the three pans
and
top with slivered almonds (about 1/3 cup total.) The batter will be spread very
thin but that’s what you want- remember that petit-fours aren’t meant to be
towering stacks of cake (like mine turned out to be!) Bake the cake until springy to the touch and
golden brown- about 5 minutes, depending on the size of your pan.
When the cake has baked, flip each pan over onto a
piece of parchment paper dusted with a little flour; peel the parchment paper
off of the top and allow the cake to cool completely.
Buttercream: Remember last week’s Italian meringue that we used
for the Crème Chiboust? We’re doing
that again, but just adding a few ingredients- specifically, butter. Lots of
it. Before I give you the exact number I recommend that you take a moment to
think about the importance of the dairy industry in our local economy. Dairy
farming’s huge in the North Country, right? Supporting the dairy industry is
good for Northern New York and it’s every citizen’s duty to do so. Right? OK.
Ready? Drum roll please. You will need no less that 4 and ½ sticks of unsalted
butter at room temperature, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces. That’s a box and
a bit - or just over a pound. Take a deep breath and keep thinking about those grateful
dairy farmers.
Mix 1 ¼ cups of sugar with 6 Tbsp. of water in a
small saucepan and heat over low heat until a candy thermometer registers 250
degrees Fahrenheit. While the sugar syrup
is heating up, put 5 large egg whites and ¼ cup of sugar in the bowl of a stand
mixer until stiff peaks form. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a
hand-held mixer and a large bowl but you’ll need an extra set of hands- call up
your friend from last week to come over and help out again if they’re so
inclined. Once the syrup has reached the right temperature, with the whisk on
high speed, pour the syrup into the egg whites in a slow and steady stream,
taking care to keep it away from the whisk or you’ll send molten syrup flying
through the air. Keep whisking until all the syrup is incorporated, the
meringue is glossy, and both the meringue and the bowl itself are at room
temperature- this will take a number of minutes. After the meringue and the
bowl have cooled, begin adding the butter one tablespoon at a time. Wait until
the first chunk of butter has been fully incorporated before adding another.
After about the third stick of butter the texture of the meringue will suddenly
change- that’s normal, you didn’t ruin anything. When all of the butter is
mixed in, add 1 shot of espresso or 1/3 cup of instant coffee granules. If you
taste it at this point, you will note that the buttercream has an intense
coffee flavor and (depending on the coffee used) is even a little bitter. That
taste will mellow out a bit during its 8 hour rest in the freezer.
Chocolate Ganache: Pour 1 ½ cups of whipping cream in a small saucepan
and bring to a boil over low heat. Put 1 pound, 2 oz. of dark chocolate, 3 ½ oz
of milk chocolate, 3 pinches of salt, and 3 Tbsp. of butter (more butter!) into a mixing
bowl. When the cream is at a boil, pour
it into the bowl containing the chocolate. Start to mix the ingredients
together using a circular motion just in the center of the bowl. Keep mixing in
a tight circle until the chocolate starts to melt and emulsify with the liquid.
Gradually widen the circle to incorporate more of the mixture until everything
is emulsified, smooth and shiny. Allow to cool slightly. While it’s cooling,
brew a cup of coffee- two if you’re in the mood for one as well.
Assembly: Cut out three 8 x 12 inch rectangles from the cake
slabs. If you have a cake frame, this will be a great time to use it. If not,
don’t worry- the edges of the finished Opera can be cleaned up after
everything’s cooled. Place one cake rectangle on a parchment lined baking sheet
(in your cake frame if you are using it) and brush the top with coffee. Spread
half of the buttercream on top of the cake and level it with a spatula- trying
keeping the buttercream layer about as thick as the cake. Freeze for 10 minutes
to set, then spoon ¼ of the ganache over the buttercream, again trying to
maintain a uniform thickness. Spread level. Place a second cake slab on top of
the ganache, brush with the remaining coffee, buttercream, and one quarter of
the ganache as before, leveling it with a spatula. Freeze for 30 minutes to
set. Place the last slab on top and spread with another quarter of the ganache.
Level it and freeze for 8 hours or overnight. Refrigerate the remaining
ganache.
The next day, gently heat the ganache over a pan of
simmering water to liquefy it and remove the cake from its frame if you were
using one. If you have no idea what a cake frame is and weren’t using one- take
out the sharpest, biggest kitchen knife that you own and run it under hot water
to heat up the blade. Wipe off the excess water with a towel and, working quickly,
trim the sides of the cake to give it a clean edge. Using the hot-blade
technique, cut the cake into twelve small, equal sized rectangles, wiping down
the blade after each cut. This is a delicious place to stop and enjoy them as
is. If, however, you’re craving the ultimate decadence, cover the Opera fingers
with ganache by putting the slices on a wire rack over a jelly roll pan and
pouring the warmed ganache over each slice to coat them. Give them a few
minutes to set before serving. Between bites, be sure to take a moment to send
some thoughts of love and gratitude to the dairy farmers, the cows, and the
glory of butter!
On the left, the ganache covered Opera, on the right the
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