“Date Infusion”

Yasmin Martin, Pastry Chef (The Vintage Club)
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

Lemon and Date Bavarian

  • 2 cups milk
  • 8 egg yolks
  • 7/8 cup sugar
  • 3 tsp lemon zest
  • 3 tsp lemon juice
  • 7 tsp gelatin sheets, bloomed in ice water
  • 2 cups cream, blended to soft peaks
  • 1 cup poached dates, chopped

Pistachio Crust

  • 1 2/3 tbsp pistachio paste, blend until smooth
  • 1/2 cup praline paste
  • 3 tbsp Fuellentine, mix until blended

Poached Dates

  • 1 1/4 cup California dates
  • 1/4 orange peel of 1 orange
  • 1 bouquet made with following ingredients
  • cinnamon
  • 10 whole black peppercorns
  • 3 star anise
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 16 oz water

Port Wine Poached Pears

  • 4 cup port wine
  • 2 cup sugar
  • 1 bouquet made with following ingredients
  • 3 whole star anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 10 whole black peppercorns
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 orange peel of 1 orange
  • 1/4 tsp fresh ginger
  • 4 pears, cut into cylinder shape each peach yields 3

Date Sugar Crème Brulee

  • 1/2 cup cream, heated
  • 3 tbsp egg yolks
  • 1 tbsp date sugar
  • 1 1/3 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 gelatin sheet, bloomed in ice water

Warm Date truffle Cake

  • 1/4 cup poached dates, chopped
  • 1/2 cup extra bitter chocolate
  • 3/4 cup cream, heated
  • 1 tbsp Grand Marnier
  • 3 1/2 oz extra bitter chocolate, melted
  • 3 tbsp butter, softened
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 2/3 tbsp almond flour
  • 1/8 cup cake flour, sifted
  • 3 egg whites
  • 3 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 1/8 tsp orange zest, fine
  • 1 1/2 tsp Grand Marnier

Instructions
 

Lemon and Date Bavarian

  • Heat milk, temper into egg yolk and sugar. Thicken until it coats the back of a spoon. Take off heat, and add zest and juice of lemon, and drained, bloomed gelatin sheet. Cool to room temperature, and add chopped Dates. Fold in soft whipped cream. Pour into mold. Place in a pre-cut chilled pistachio crust on top.

Pistachio Crust

  • Blend pistachio and praline paste until smooth. Add ground pistachio and fuellentine. Mix until blended between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Roll out to a thin crust. Chill. Cut to the shape of the top of the mold.
    Note: Fuellentine is a crispy French cookie that may be found in cooking specialty stores.
    Otherwise ,substitute with a crispy rice cereal.

Poached Dates

  • Place water, dates and bouquet of spices in a pot. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Take off heat.
    Transfer to a container and allow cooling to room temperature. Chill overnight in refrigerator.
    Strain well before use.

Port Wine Poached Pears

  • Place bouquet of spices into reduced port wine along with pre-cut pears. Simmer on low until pears are firm, but give when touched. Take pears out and blanch in ice water. Cool port wine and place pears back into port wine. Chill overnight. Scoop out center and pour in Date cream.

Date Sugar Crème Brulee

  • Heat cream to a simmer, temper cream into yolk sugars. Pour back into pot, on medium heat. Stir until the mixture thickens or coats the back of a spoon. Take off heat. While mixture is still hot, stir bloomed ½ Gelatin Sheet. Stir to dissolve Gelatin. Strain, cool to room temperature. Pour in prepared and chilled port wine pears. Chill until set.

Warm Date Truffle Cake

  • For the date truffle heat cream, and pour over the chocolate. Let stand for 10 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Fold in chopped dates and Grand Marnier. Chill until the set is firm. For the chocolate cake, melt chocolate. Fold in egg yolks and soft butter. Mix together almonds and cake flour. Fold into chocolate mixture. Whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in egg whites mixture, orange zest, Grand Marnier. Using 2 oz timbales, spray with release spray. Fill ½ way, using a small scoop. Scoop chilled Date Truffle in center, & enough chocolate cake batter to fill timbales ¾ full. Bake in a preheated oven for 7 minutes. Cool 2 minutes. Turn cakes out, and cut ½ way through the center to reveal the warm date truffle sauce.
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