Chocolate Baklava

PASTRY

Sep 17

Walnuts, Pecans, Chocolate Mousse, Coffee Frozen Yogurt, and Honeycomb Candy

Pastry Chef Natalie Saben of Avec | Chicago

INGREDIENTS:

Coffee Frozen Yogurt:
(Yield: 2 third pans)
1 kilogram brewed coffee
1 kilogram heavy cream
250 grams whole milk
1 kilogram sugar
250 grams glucose
14 grams stabilizer
40 grams coffee beans
2 kilograms yogurt
20 grams salt

Honeycomb Candy:
400 grams sugar
100 grams honey
24 grams baking soda
Cooking spray

House Spice Blend:
36 grams cinnamon
12 grams allspice
12 grams ground black pepper
4.5 grams Aleppo pepper
3 grams nutmeg

Nut Mix:
800 grams toasted pecans
800 grams toasted walnuts
14 grams salt

Babka-Style Filling:
680 grams TCHO dark chocolate
112 grams brown sugar
224 grams butter
8 grams cinnamon

Honey Syrup:
680 rgams honey
680 grams sugar
1 whole lemon peel
1 whole orange peel
10 grams vanilla paste

Baklava:
(Yield: 1 half sheet pan)
32 sheets phyllo dough
1 pound butter

Chocolate Mousse:
670 grams cream
400 grams milk
136 grams sugar
270 grams egg yolks
8 sheets gelatin
700 grams TCHO dark chocolate
10 grams salt
1.2 kilograms heavy whipping cream

To Assemble and Serve:
(Yield: 1 serving)
Fresh Origins edible flowers

METHOD:

For the Coffee Frozen Yogurt:
In a pot, combine coffee, cream, milk, sugar, glucose, and stabilizer and bring to a boil. Pour over coffee beans and let steep overnight. Strain liquid into a large, nonreactive container. Add yogurt and salt then, using an immersion blender, blend until uniform and smooth. In an ice cream machine, freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

For the Honeycomb Candy:
In a pot, combine sugar and honey with a little water until it resembles wet sand. Cook until sugar has reached a light amber color. It’s best to go lighter because as you add the baking soda, the sugar continues to cook and darkens more. Remove from heat and whisk in baking soda. Working quickly, whisk in the baking soda fully. Make sure not to whisk too much, or the candy will deflate. Pour into a sprayed, lined, deep half hotel pan. Allow to cool completely before breaking apart. Store in airtight containers to prevent the candy from becoming sticky.

For the House Spice Blend:
Combine all ingredients.

For the Nut Mix:
Add nuts to a food processor then process until they just begin to release their oils. Toss with salt and 43 grams House Spice Blend.

For the Babka-Style Filling:
Over a double boiler, melt to combine all ingredients, stirring often. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the Honey Syrup:
Simmer all ingredients with 680 grams water until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Let cool.

For the Baklava:
Place phyllo dough under a damp towel while you work. Brush 1 sheet with butter and place another sheet over. Repeat the process until 10 sheets are stacked. Transfer to a half sheet pan lined and framed with parchment. Evenly spread on 100 grams Babka-Style Filling then 200 grams Nut Mix. Top with a 4-sheet stack of buttered phyllo. Add another 100 grams Babka-Style Filling, 200 grams Nut Mix, and another 4-sheet stack of buttered phyllo. Repeat twice more, finishing with 10 sheets of buttered phyllo instead of 4. Brush top of the baklava with butter and portion into 9-inch-by-4-inch rectangles. Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes then reduce temperature to 325°F for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 30 minutes. Pour 1 kilogram Honey Syrup over each baklava and let sit overnight.

For the Chocolate Mousse
Combine cream, milk, and sugar in a pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and temper in yolks. Return to heat and cook until temperature reaches 180°F. Strain over gelatin, chocolate, and salt. Let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk together until smooth. Let cool to 86°F. While chocolate is cooling, heavy whipping cream to medium peaks. Once chocolate has reached room temperature, fold in whipped cream. Refrigerate.

To Assemble and Serve:
On a small bed of Honeycomb Candy, stack 2 pieces Baklava with 3 dollops Chocolate Mousse and 1 scoop Coffee Frozen Yogurt. Garnish with edible flowers.

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