Milky Praline
Guest Chef Recipe by Richard Hawke

Preheat a fan assisted oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking parchment

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the egg yolks on medium speed to ribbon stage. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites then gradually add the coconut sugar to form a meringue.

In another bowl, mix together the butter and praline then fold in the whisked egg yolks.

Fold a small amount of meringue and finish with sifted powders and remaining meringue.

Bake for 12 minutes then cool on wire racks.

Roast almonds then chop into small pieces.

Melt chocolate and add the praline. Melt the mass to 35-40°C before adding almonds and spreading onto the cooled praline sponge.

In a pan, heat the milk to 50°C then add locust bean gum and iota and boil.

Melt the chocolate then pour into a food processor.

Pour the milk mixture onto the melted milk chocolate and add the praline in a robot-coupe. Emulsify then refrigerate until needed.

Melt the chocolate to 35-40°C.

In another bowl, add locust bean gum to water and blend for 2-3 minutes.

Pour the mixture onto the melted chocolate and emulsify with a hand blender.

Add cold cream, finish emulsion and refrigerate overnight.

Spread the almond crunch onto baked and cooled sponge. Refrigerate to set before cutting 3 cm wide lengths (onto the 40 cm edge). Pipe light almond and hazelnut cream with a N.10 piping tip in 3 lengths.

Refrigerate to set before cutting 11 cm lengths.

Place an 11 x 3 cm milk chocolate rectangle on top of each petit gateau.

Using a random gesture, pipe the ganache on top with a rose piping tip (Wilton #124).

Roll roasted whole almonds in gold lustre dust then place 3 per petit gateau.