Chocolucuma Recipe

Prepare and bake

Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang for removal. Chop the dark chocolate and combine with the butter in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water (bain-marie) or gently melt in short bursts in a microwave, stirring to smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla until slightly thickened. Fold the melted chocolate-butter mixture into the eggs and sugar. Sift in flour, cocoa powder and salt; fold gently until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake 20–25 minutes until a thin crust forms and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs (do not overbake). Cool completely in pan, then chill in refrigerator while making other components.

Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar and water and bring to a boil over medium heat without stirring (swirl pan if needed) until it turns a deep amber color (about 170–175°C on a candy thermometer). Immediately remove from heat and quickly stir in toasted hazelnuts and a pinch of sea salt until evenly coated. Pour the hot praline onto the parchment and spread to a thin layer. Let cool completely. Break into pieces and transfer to a food processor. Pulse to a coarse powder, then continue to grind to a spreadable paste (praline) — add 1 tsp neutral oil if needed to reach a paste consistency. Reserve about 80 g praline for assembly and 40 g for garnish; store remaining in an airtight container.

Place the chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until steaming but not boiling, then pour over the white chocolate. Let sit 1 minute, then stir gently until smooth. Whisk lucuma powder into a small amount of warm cream first to avoid lumps, then fold into the ganache until fully incorporated. Stir in cold cubed butter and salt to emulsify and add sheen. Cover and cool to a spreadable temperature (room temperature or slightly warm). Once slightly thickened, gently fold in 60–80 g of the hazelnut praline for texture. Reserve ganache at room temperature for spreading.

If using gelatin sheets, soak them in cold water for 5–7 minutes until soft; if using powdered gelatin, sprinkle over cold water and let bloom. Warm 30–40 g of the lucuma puree gently in a small saucepan (do not boil). Whisk egg yolks with sugar until pale and slightly thick. Temper the yolks by whisking in a few tablespoons of the warmed lucuma puree, then return the tempered mixture to the saucepan with the remaining lucuma and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches about 75°C (or coats the back of a spoon) to make a sabayon-like custard. Remove from heat and squeeze excess water from gelatin and whisk into the hot lucuma custard until dissolved. Stir in vanilla. Chill the custard to about 30–35°C (cool but still pourable). Meanwhile whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the lucuma custard to loosen, then gently fold in the remaining cream until homogeneous and airy. Keep chilled but do not let set fully before assembly.

Trim the cooled brownie to fit your desired ring or mold (for individual portions use ring molds; for a single cake use the full square). Spread an even layer (about 5–7 mm) of lucuma ganache over the brownie base. Sprinkle an even layer of coarsely chopped praline (from reserved 80 g) over the ganache. Place the brownie base into the serving ring or keep in the pan if serving as a single cake. Pour or pipe the lucuma mousse over the ganache-praline layer to a height of about 2–3 cm above the base, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Tap gently to remove air pockets. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until the mousse is fully set.

Prepare the glaze by melting the dark chocolate gently and stirring in the neutral oil to loosen into a pourable glaze. Let cool slightly so it is warm but not hot. Remove the chilled assembled dessert from the ring or pan onto a rack set over a tray. Pour a thin, even layer of chocolate glaze over the mousse, letting excess drip off. Return to fridge briefly (10–15 minutes) to set the glaze. Finish by brushing or lightly dusting edible gold shimmer over the top, focusing center and edges for a luxurious look. Sprinkle a small pinch of flake salt and scatter remaining hazelnut praline pieces for crunch. Keep chilled until serving; bring to cool room temperature for 10–15 minutes before plating.