Got a sweet tooth or someone to impress? Level up your dessert game with tried-and-tested recipes from modern-day MasterChef legend Reynold Poernomo, in his upcoming cookbook The Dessert Game. Including choose-your-own-flavour-adventure flowcharts, endless tips on substitutions and the inside skinny on kitchen tools and specialty ingredients, The Dessert Game is everything you need for sweet, sweet victory at your place. Today, we’re featuring a recipe from the book for Reynold’s ultimate praline tart. Buckle up, because this one’s a big one.
Happy cooking!
The Ultimate Praline Tart
Serves: 4
Start this recipe a day ahead
This decadent tart is based on a classic flavour trio – chocolate, caramel and peanuts. I’ve elevated the flavours and added a touch of coffee and hazelnuts, as well as some roasted flavours, too. With a little bit of technique and care, you can turn a simple tart into something stunning – that’s what finesse is all about.
Roasted milk chocolate ganache
Ingredients
280 g (10 oz) milk chocolate
1 gelatine sheet (titanium grade)
140 ml (4½ fl oz) full-cream milk
200 ml (7 fl oz) thickened (whipping) cream
Method
Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper and spread the chocolate on the tray. Roast for 15 minutes or until the cocoa butter has split from the chocolate and the chocolate looks dry.
Meanwhile, soak the gelatine in cold water to soften.
Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, add the roasted chocolate and use an immersion blender to blend until melted and smooth. Squeeze the excess water from the softened gelatine, add it to the pan and stir until dissolved and well combined.
Transfer the ganache to a container and refrigerate for a few hours, preferably overnight, until set.
Coffee tart shell
Ingredients
375 g (13 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
80 g (2¾ oz) white (granulated) sugar
200 g (7 oz) chilled unsalted butter, cubed
10 g (¼ oz) ground coffee beans
5 g (⅛ oz) freeze-dried coffee granules
1 egg
1 egg yolk
100 g (3½ oz) dark chocolate
Method
Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Place a 20 x 2 cm (6 x ¾ inch) perforated tart ring on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Combine the flour, sugar, butter and coffee in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until a sandy texture is formed. Slowly add the egg and egg yolk and mix until a dough is formed. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 2 mm (116 inch). Drape the dough over the tart ring and tuck in the edges, cutting off the excess. Prick the centre of the tart shell with a skewer a few times.
Line the shell with baking paper and fill with baking beads or uncooked rice. Blind bake the shell for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beads or rice and bake for a further 15 minutes or until golden. Set aside to cool.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl in the microwave or over a saucepan of simmering water. Coat the inside of the tart shell with the melted chocolate and allow it to set.
Crème pâtissière
Ingredients
500 ml (17 fl oz) full-cream milk
4 egg yolks
110 g (3¾ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
40 g (1½ oz) cornflour (cornstarch)
Method
Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until fluffy, then stir in the cornflour until the mixture is well combined and forms a paste-like consistency.
Whisk the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, then pour the mixture back into the pan and whisk over medium heat until it has thickened to a very firm custard-like consistency. Immediately use the hot crème pâtissière to make the peanut butter diplomat cream (see below).
Peanut butter diplomat cream
Ingredients
1 gelatine sheet (titanium grade)
1 quantity crème pâtissière (see above)
175 g (6 oz) smooth peanut butter
250 ml (9 fl oz) thickened (whipping) cream
Method
Soak the gelatine in cold water to soften.
Pour the hot crème pâtissière into a jug. Squeeze the excess water from the softened gelatine and add it to the jug, along with the peanut butter. Using an immersion blender, blend until the mixture is completely smooth.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for 30–45 minutes or until cool.
Whisk the cream until medium peaks form, then fold it through the crème pâtissière mixture. Place in the fridge until needed.
Peanut & hazelnut praline paste
Ingredients
150 g (5½ oz) unsalted peanuts
150 g (5½ oz) blanched hazelnuts
200 g (7 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Spread the peanuts and hazelnuts over another baking tray and roast for 10–15 minutes or until golden.
Meanwhile, put the sugar in a saucepan and give the pan a shake to spread it in an even layer. Place the pan over medium–low heat. Once the sugar starts to caramelise around the edges, use a spatula to bring the caramel and melted sugar to the middle of the pan. Gently stir the caramel every so often to make sure the sugar lumps dissolve. Once the caramel is completely smooth and all the sugar has caramelised, cook until it turns a dark amber. Remove the pan from the heat.
Stir the nuts into the caramel, then pour the mixture onto the lined tray and set aside until completely cooled.
Break the nut mixture into small pieces and place it in a high-speed blender. Blend until the mixture forms a wet, oily paste – it should take about 4–5 minutes. Once the mixture is smooth, transfer it to an airtight container and store at room temperature until needed.
Assembly
Ingredients
Dark cocoa powder, for dusting
Roasted hazelnuts, to garnish
Roasted peanut halves, to garnish
Method
Use the back of a spoon to spread the peanut and hazelnut praline paste in the tart shell in a 5 mm (¼ inch) thick layer (see below). Place in the fridge to set for 10 minutes.
Transfer the peanut butter diplomat cream to a piping bag. Pipe a 1 cm (½ inch) layer of the diplomat cream on top of the praline, leaving a 5 mm (¼ inch) gap from the top of the tart shell.
Transfer the roasted milk chocolate ganache to a piping bag fitted with a large petal piping tip (no. 104). Starting at the edge of the tart, pipe the ganache in a random left-to-right motion without stopping until the top of the tart is covered, as shown. Place the tart in the fridge for 10–15 minutes or until ready to serve.
Lightly dust the tart with cocoa powder just before serving and garnish with the hazelnuts and peanuts.
—The Dessert Game by Reynold Poernomo (Murdoch Books) is out on the 2nd of November. Limited signed copies are available while stocks last!
The Dessert Game
Limited Signed Copies Available!
Got a sweet tooth or someone to impress? Level up your dessert game with tried-and-tested recipes from modern-day MasterChef legend Reynold Poernomo.
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