Salut mes P’tits croissants.

This chocolate dome is, let me tell you something out of this world. Well that’s if you like chocolate and hazelnut.
But who doesn’t.. I know!

A chocolate mousse with a crunch hazelnut heart sitting on a chocolate genoise and coated with a thin layer of cacao butter.

I’ve created this dessert back in 2019 and have been doing it for many guests since as well as treating myself. I mean why not, right?

The recipe is in grams, because let’s be honest, if you’re attempting this recipe, you definitely have a scale…
Ok, enough with the chatting. Let’s get cooking, shall we?

Serves 6

Hazelnut/Feuilletine heart
50 gr Praline
16.5 gr Milk chocolate
16.5 gr White chocolate
33.7 gr Feuilletine

-Place the praline with the chocolate in a small mixing bowl and place it on top of a double boiler.
-Let it melt and add the feuilletine off the heat.
-Stir well and fill up cavities of a 1″ half circle Flexi-mould (there will be extras, you can thank me later).
-Set it freezer fro about 30 min.
-Pop them off the mould and set them aside.

Chocolate génoise:
2 eggs
60 gr Sugar
45 gr Flour
15 gr Cacao
4 gr Baking powder

-In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar.
-Place the bowl on a double boiler, and whisk until you obtain a thick ribbon (sabayon).
-Pour the mix in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and let it run on high speed for about 5 to 6 minutes.
-Pre-heat your oven to 350F.
-Mix the rest of the dry ingredients together and whisk them to combine.
-Sift it over the egg mix and carefully fold it in with a spatula (do not over-mix).
-Line up a small baking tray (1/4 sheet pan) with parchment paper and pour the genoise mix.
-Smooth it to make it even and bake it for 12 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
-Let it cool down on a wire rack.
-Using a 3″ ring cutter, cut up 6 circle of genoise (you can totally snack on the trimmings).
-Set them aside for later (cover them with plastic wrap if not used within the next 30 min).

Chocolate mousse:
125 gr 70% dark chocolate
50 gr Unsalted butter
2 pcs Egg yolks
4 pcs Egg whites
1 pinch Salt
20 gr Sugar

-In a small mixing bowl, place the chocolate and the butter.
-Place the bowl on a double boiler and let it melt, stirring occasionally. Remove off the heat when 90% melted and keep stirring until fully combined.
-In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, place the egg whites and the salt and mix until soft peaks, add the sugar gradually and mix until stiff peaks.
-Add the egg yolks to the chocolate mixture and incorporate them with a whisk or spatula.
-Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mix.
-Once combined, fold the remaining of the whites, until smooth and incorporated (do not over-mix or it will collapse.
-Place the mousse in a piping bag and set it aside.

Assembling
1 can of cacao butter spray

-Pipe mousse 3/4 of the way into cavities of a 3″ half sphere Flexi-mould.
-Place the hazelnut heart into the middle of the mousse.
-Pipe more mousse overtop until the moulds are full and smooth it out with an offset spatula.
-Cover with the genoise and push them in slightly.
-Place them in the freezer for 6 to 12 hours (or until fully set).
-Un-mould the domes and place them on a wire rack. Spray them with the cacao butter making sure the coating is even (this step must be done from frozen).
-Let them thaw before serving or leave in freezer or fridge for a later use.
-Bon appetit.

PS: I used to serve it with a sunchoke ice cream and a caramelized hazelnut.