Chocolate Hazelnut Entremet Recipe

Preheat and prepare pan

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9-inch round or an 8x8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and lightly butter the paper.

Whisk together hazelnut flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.

In a separate large bowl, whisk eggs, egg yolk and granulated sugar vigorously until pale and slightly thickened (about 2–3 minutes by hand or 1–2 minutes with a mixer). Stir in vanilla.

Fold dry ingredients into the egg mixture gently until combined, then fold in melted cooled butter just until incorporated. Do not overmix to preserve air.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan (about 1/2-inch thick for layered entremet). Bake 10–12 minutes (if thin) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack. Trim to fit entremet mold/circle cutters as needed.

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar and 2 Tbs water over medium heat. Swirl the pan occasionally (do not stir) until sugar melts and turns an amber color.

Carefully add warm heavy cream (it may sputter) while stirring continuously. Remove from heat and whisk in butter, vanilla and sea salt until smooth. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate until slightly thickened but still pourable (about 20–30 minutes). Reserve about 1/2 cup for assembly; the rest can be saved for another use.

Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp water and 1/8 tsp salt. Heat over medium until sugar dissolves and turns golden amber.

Add hazelnuts and stir to coat. Spread immediately on prepared sheet and separate nuts with a fork. Let cool completely. Break any clusters apart and roughly chop some for layering; reserve some whole for garnish.

Bloom gelatin: sprinkle 1 tsp gelatin over 2 Tbs cold water, let sit 5 minutes.

Chop chocolate finely and place in a heatproof bowl.

In a small saucepan, bring milk to a simmer. Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks with 1/4 cup sugar until pale. Temper the yolks by slowly adding about 1/3 of the hot milk while whisking, then return the mixture to the pan and heat gently, stirring constantly, until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon (do not boil).

Pour the hot custard over the chopped chocolate and let sit 1 minute, then stir to form a smooth ganache. Add bloomed gelatin to the warm ganache and stir to fully dissolve. Stir in salt and vanilla. Let cool to about 75–80°F (warm but not hot).

Whip 2 cups heavy cream to medium peaks (soft to medium). Fold one third of whipped cream into chocolate base to lighten, then fold in remaining cream gently until homogeneous and airy. Do not overfold.

Use an entremet ring or removable mousse mold (6–8 inch diameter depending on yield). Place a strip of acetate inside the ring if available for clean sides.

Place a round of hazelnut sponge on the bottom of the ring as the base. If the sponge is larger than the mold, trim to fit.

Pour a thin layer (about 1/3 inch) of cooled salted caramel over the sponge, leaving a small gap at the edge to bond with mousse. Sprinkle a layer of chopped candied hazelnuts over the caramel (about 2–3 Tbs). Chill 10 minutes to set slightly.

Ladle or pipe about half of the chocolate mousse into the mold over the caramel, smoothing to remove air pockets. Add a second very thin disc of sponge if desired for a layered look (optional). Reserve some mousse for a top layer.

Scatter a few whole or chopped candied hazelnuts into the mousse where desired for texture, then add remaining mousse to bring level to the top of the ring, leaving 1/8–1/4 inch from the rim if you plan to glaze. Smooth the top with an offset spatula.

Cover and refrigerate the entremet for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, until fully set.

If glazing: warm neutral glaze or melted chocolate slightly and pour evenly over the chilled mousse (remove ring and acetate first if you want to glaze the entire dome). Alternatively, unmold on a serving plate and decorate with reserved candied hazelnuts and drizzle of extra salted caramel.

Slice with a hot, dry knife (dip in hot water and wipe between cuts) to get clean slices. Serve chilled. Store in refrigerator up to 3 days.