A spectacular coffee-flavored sphere that combines mousse and glaze—but that's not all: Senio Venturi prepares his dessert with an invigorating whiskey granita.
Ingredients
For the Biancomangiare
- 200 g almond flour
- 50 g sugar (first portion)
- 500 g milk
- 125 g sugar (second portion)
- 1/2 vanilla bean
- 5 sheets of gelatin
For the coffee mousse
- 300 g heavy cream
- 100 g coffee
- 40 g sugar (first portion)
- 4 egg yolks
- 40 g sugar (second portion)
- 4 sheets of gelatin
- 300 g semi-whipped cream
For the coffee glaze
- 500 g coffee
- 160 g glucose syrup
- 160 g water
- 1/2 vanilla bean
- 14 g powdered pectin
- 140 g sugar
For the white chocolate sauce
- 170 g water
- 80 g sugar
- 100 g glucose syrup
- 80 g white chocolate
- 100 g sambuca
For the plum cake
- 125 g softened butter
- 130 g egg yolks
- 120 g egg whites
- 135 g sugar
- 35 g heavy cream
- 120 g sifted chestnut flour
- 8 g baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
For the whiskey granita
- 600 ml burnt whiskey
- 100 ml whiskey
- 200 g water
- 140 g sugar
- 20 g glycerin
Instructions
1. Biancomangiare
- Combine the almond flour with the first portion of sugar (50 g).
- In a small saucepan, combine the milk, the remaining sugar (125 g), and the vanilla, then bring to a boil.
- Combine the two mixtures, cover with plastic wrap, and let infuse for 2 hours.
- Once the time has elapsed, strain the milk, heat it slightly, and add the gelatin that has been previously rehydrated in cold water and squeezed dry.
- Pour the mixture into silicone molds and place them in a blast chiller.
2. Coffee Mousse
- In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream, coffee, and the first half of the sugar (40 g) to a boil.
- Separately, beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar (40 g). Meanwhile, soak the gelatin in cold water.
- Combine the cream and coffee mixture with the egg yolks and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until it thickens (reaching the consistency of custard).
- Remove from the heat and stir in the well-squeezed gelatin.
- Transfer the cream to a mixing bowl and let it cool.
- Whip the cream and gently fold it into the cooled cream.
- Take some spherical molds and pour a finger’s width of mousse into each; place the frozen biancomangiare in the center, cover with more mousse, and return to the blast chiller.
3. Coffee Glaze
- In a small saucepan, bring the coffee, glucose syrup, water, and vanilla to a boil.
- Dry-mix the pectin with the sugar, add them to the saucepan, and mix well with a whisk.
- Bring to a boil and let it reduce over low heat for 30 minutes. Then, let it cool.
4. White Chocolate Sauce
- Combine the water, sugar, and glucose syrup in a small saucepan and heat to 115°C.
- Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler.
- Bring the sambuca to a boil in a small saucepan and “flambé” it to remove the alcohol.
- Combine all the hot ingredients together and let cool.
5. Plum Cake
- In a stand mixer, combine the eggs (yolks and whites) and sugar, then beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Slowly pour in the cream and, in two batches, the softened butter.
- Gently fold in the sifted chestnut flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt by hand.
- Butter a loaf pan, pour in the batter, and bake in a preheated oven at 175°C for 40 minutes.
6. Whiskey Granita
- Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan (burnt whiskey, whiskey, water, sugar, and glycerin).
- Bring to a boil, then immediately transfer the liquid to a blast chiller to freeze and crystallize it.
Plating
- Glaze the still-frozen mousse sphere with the coffee glaze and let it thaw in the refrigerator.
- On the serving plate, draw a dynamic spiral with the white chocolate sauce.
- Place a rectangle of plum cake in the center of the plate.
- Place the coffee-glazed sphere on one side of the plum cake and a scoop of whiskey granita on the other.
- Garnish the sauce spiral with a few coffee beans and fresh mint leaves.
Address
L’Asinello Restaurant
Via Nuova 6 – 53019 Castelnuovo Berardenga (SI)
Tel. +39 0577 359279
Email: info@asinelloristorante.it
