Chef Michael Schafer,
Sydney’s At The Forks
Chef Michael was inspired by a prairie sunset and created an edible version.
Ingredients
Pâté
227g milk chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 Tbsp cocoa
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp 35% cream
Ganache
113g white chocolate chips
1/2 cup 35% cream
4 drops food colouring
Method
Pâté
- Melt chocolate over a double boiler on med-high heat.
- Combine eggs, cocoa and sugar. Whisk over a double boiler on med-high heat until warm to touch. Add melted chocolate and mix well.
- Whip cream until soft peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture.
- Line four small bowls with plastic wrap. Pour mixture evenly into bowls and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
Ganache
- Melt chocolate over a double boiler on med-high heat.
- Stir in cream and food colouring.
- For water effect, repeat with dark chocolate and omit the food colouring.
Vanilla bean birds
- Scrape seeds from one vanilla bean.
- Following pictures, slice thin pieces and fold them into bird shapes.
Meringue trees
- Make your favourite meringue recipe and add 4 drops green food colouring.
- Preheat oven to temp in recipe.
- Pour meringue into a pastry bag with a star tip and pipe tree clusters onto parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake until dry, according to recipe.
Assembly
- Set a rack over a cookie sheet and place pâtés on rack. Evenly pour yellow ganache. Let sit for a few min and then lift off with a spatula and place on plates. Reserve 2 Tbsp of ganache.
- Line meringue trees on each side of the pâté. Pour the milk chocolate ganache between the trees. Add a straight line of yellow ganache and wiggle a toothpick through.
- Place a few vanilla birds onto the bombe.
Yields 4 servings
