Instructions
- 1
Hazelnut dacquoise: fold hazelnut flour and sugar into whipped whites. Bake 15 minutes. Cool.
- 2
Coffee cremeux: heat espresso with sugar. Whisk in egg yolks. Cook to 82°C stirring constantly. Add gelatin. Strain and freeze in insert ring.
- 3
Hazelnut mousse: warm cream with sugar, whisk in hazelnut paste and gelatin. Cool to 25°C. Fold in whipped cream.
- 4
Assemble: pour mousse into ring. Insert coffee cremeux disc. Top with dacquoise. Freeze 12 hours.
- 5
Coffee mirror glaze: cook coffee, sugar and glucose together. Add condensed milk and gelatin. Cool to 35°C.
- 6
Unmold and glaze. Refrigerate 4 hours.
- 7
Place chocolate coffee beans and gold leaf. Scatter praline pieces.
- 8
Serve cold with additional espresso sauce.
Baker's Tip
The coffee cremeux insert must be deep espresso intensity — do not use diluted or weak coffee. Use fresh espresso from a machine or make very strong stovetop moka pot coffee. The intensity must survive being surrounded by hazelnut mousse.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is cremeux and how is it different from curd?
Cremeux (French for creamy) is a thickened emulsion of cream, egg yolks and sometimes chocolate or flavoring — silkier and richer than curd, with a texture between mousse and ganache. Curd is made with butter and is firmer and more tart. Cremeux melts luxuriously on the tongue.
Can I use hazelnut butter instead of hazelnut paste?
Hazelnut butter (100% hazelnuts) can substitute but has a different texture — slightly grainy and less smooth. True hazelnut paste (often sweetened) creates a silkier mousse. If using natural hazelnut butter, increase sugar by 20g and blend the mousse base extra-smooth before folding in cream.
How strong does the espresso need to be?
Use ristretto (very short, very concentrated espresso) or moka pot coffee at maximum strength. Standard drip coffee will give a flat, weak coffee flavor that gets completely overwhelmed by the hazelnut mousse. The general rule: the coffee flavor should seem too intense on its own.
Can I add alcohol to this entremet?
Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur) adds a beautiful dimension to the mousse — add 2 tablespoons in place of equal cream. Kahlua or coffee liqueur deepens the coffee cremeux. Both additions are classic professional techniques that add complexity without making the entremet noticeably alcoholic.
About This Recipe
A sophisticated coffee lover s entremet — hazelnut praline dacquoise base, coffee cremeux insert with espresso intensity, hazelnut mousse enrobing it all, finished with a glossy coffee mirror glaze and a chocolate coffee bean on top. Deep, complex and extraordinary.
More Entremets & Mousse