White Chocolate Bavarian Cream

Tips: If you don't know, a Bavarian cream is a cooked custard with unflavored gelatin dissolved in it; whipped cream is folded into the mixture, and it is then poured into a mold. Once chilled, it is unmolded and sliced for serving. This is a not-too-sweet white chocolate version--cool, delicate, and creamy--with an easy milk chocolate sauce.

You'll need a five-cup mold for this, in addition to a candy thermometer for the custard. If you use a ring mold, consider filling the center with fresh berries for a pretty serving presentation (you might even use blueberries and strawberries/raspberries for a red, white, and blue dessert!).

For Sauce: Combine finely chopped chocolates and salt in heatproof medium bowl. Set over very warm water on low heat (water should not touch bottom of bowl); stir frequently until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and warm water. All at once, add 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. hot water. Whisk well to combine ingredients; sauce should be perfectly smooth (if it isn't, process in food processor fitted with steel blade just until any lumps are gone). Cool to room temperature before serving; store airtight at room temperature. Note that this sauce can be made up to several days in advance, though it may be necessary to thin it with a little warm water to a thick pouring consistency before serving.

About 1-1/4 cups sauce

For Bavarian Cream: Lightly oil a five-cup mold with tasteless vegetable oil (I use a paper towel to do this) and set it aside. Chill a medium bowl and the beater(s) from a hand-held electric mixer.

Place chopped white chocolate into small heatproof bowl. Heat 1/2 cup heavy cream (reserve remainder) in small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until very hot. Pour about half of hot cream over chocolate. Place this mixture over warm water on low heat (water should not touch bottom of bowl); stir often until melted and smooth. Gradually whisk in the rest of the heated cream; set aside near stovetop. Note: White chocolate is often stubborn about melting. If you cannot get this mixture smooth, turn it into a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Cover to keep warm, but do not process yet.

In small cup, sprinkle gelatin over cold water. Stir to combine. Set aside near stovetop.

In medium heatproof bowl, combine egg yolks, sugar, and about 1/4 cup milk (reserve remainder). By hand, beat to combine. In small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, place remaining milk. Heat over low heat, stirring often, until very hot. Gradually, stirring constantly, add hot milk to egg mixture. Turn this custard back into the small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until custard reaches a temperature of 172 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Immediately remove from heat!

If your white chocolate mixture is in the food processor, process it now, just until there are no lumps remaining. Add the white chocolate mixture to the cooked custard and stir it in thoroughly (make sure to scrape the sides of the pot). Add soaked gelatin and stir in until gelatin grains are dissolved (it's easier to see this if you use a metal spoon for stirring). Strain through a fine strainer into a large, nonreactive metal bowl.

You'll need another bowl or frying pan, which should be larger in diameter but not deeper than the bowl with the white chocolate mixture in it. Partially fill this larger-diameter bowl with ice and cold water, and set the bowl of white chocolate custard into the ice and water. BE CAREFUL!! You don't want to get any of the ice-and-water into the white chocolate custard! Gently whisk the custard occasionally. After 10 to 15 minutes, when the custard begins to thicken, whisk a bit more frequently until it is about the consistency of raw egg whites. Do not let the custard set now. While the custard cools, check your mold. I usually need to even out the light coating of oil I've given mine, as the oil tends to bead up. Do this if required.

When the white chocolate custard is of the right consistency, whisk well and remove from ice-and-water. In chilled medium bowl with chilled beater(s), beat the remaining 1 cup heavy cream at high speed just until it holds a soft shape (this is before soft peak stage). Whisk cooled custard once more to loosen, then quickly but gently and thoroughly fold in the cream. Don't handle any more than necessary. Mixture will be thin at this point--OK. Quickly pour into oiled mold; spread evenly. With a toothpick, prick any large air bubbles. Place Bavarian Cream in refrigerator. Chill at least 4 hours before serving, covering tightly after an hour or two.

To unmold: Have ready a container of hot water. Your mold must be able to fit entirely into this container, but the container must not be deeper than the mold.

Gently loosen Bavarian Cream from sides of mold (I use a plastic knife). Dip mold into hot water for a count of 10; the hot water should come almost all the way up the sides of the mold, but be careful not to get any hot water into the Bavarian Cream. Quickly dry the bottom and sides of the mold with a dish towel. Turn serving plate upside down on top of Bavarian Cream. Holding plate and mold together, invert. The Bavarian Cream should slide out of the mold. If it doesn't, re-invert and dip mold into hot water a few seconds longer, then proceed as above. Serve with milk chocolate sauce and fresh berries.

6 to 8 servings