Valrhona ‘Bloom’ Almond & Hazelnut Praline Dessert

This Valrhona 'Bloom' Almond & Hazelnut Praline Dessert is the perfect chocolate showstopper for your Easter menus. The perfect alternative to the classic Easter Egg, this recipe combines a light and nutty whipped almond and hazelnut praline with Valrhona's milk chocolate Caraibe 66%. 

By Baptiste Blanc Pastry Chef at L’École Valrhona

Ingredients

Whipped Almond & Hazelnut Praline

• 200g Fruity 50% Almond & Hazelnut Praliné
• 400g milk chocolate Bahibe 46% couverture 

Caraïbe Spray Mix

• 90g Cocoa Butter
• 210g dark chocolate Caraïbe 66% couverture

Assembly & Finishing

• SQ Milk chocolate Caranoa 55% couverture
• SQ Dark Chocolate Crunchy Pearls
• SQ Caramélia Crunchy Pearls

Method

Whipped Almond & Hazelnut Praline

Melt the chocolate at 45°C, then mix into the praliné. Temper at 24°C. Leave to set on a tray. Use a stand mixer with a flat beater to whip up the mixture, but make sure its temperature does not rise above 25-26°C.

Caraïbe Spray Mix

Melt the ingredients together. Strain before use. Temper the mixture at 28-29°C so that when you spray it into your moulds it will give your assemblies or art pieces a shiny finish. To give your spray mix a velvety finish, heat the mixture to 40-45°C and spray it onto your frozen product. Prepare the whipped praliné and use the dark chocolate to make a spray mix.

Base

Spread some pre-set chocolate into a 6mm-high ganache frame. Before it has set, cut out 24 x 9cm rectangles. Leave to set. Use some pre-set chocolate to mould the Trio of Eggs Moulds. Drain the moulds by holding them suspended over two rulers. Before setting is complete, trim away any excess, then use a toothpick to cut out an oval from eight half-eggs. Leave to set at 17°C until the chocolate is ready to slip out of its mould. Stick the egg halves to the base by melting each one’s edges on a hot surface at 58-60°C so that they seal firmly.

Stems

Use a food processor to turn the chocolate into a modelling paste and form into small stems. Leave to set at 17°C.

Assembly

Assemble the eggs on the base (see photo), spray on all the pre-set dark spray mix, then assemble the three final glossy eggs. Beat the praliné in a food processor, then pipe out using a piping bag and add a few Crunchy Pearls. Plant the chocolate stems in the praliné, then stick on a few White Flowers - 2 Sizes and Mini Green Leaves