Tiramisù in a flower pot
Heston: "Tiramisù is a classic Italian desert but there is nothing classic about my version which is served in clean flower pots and topped with edible soil and chocolate herbs. The soil is delicious (caramelised white chocolate tastes like Caramac bars) and kids love it because eating it looks so wrong but it tastes so right!"
Heston puts a caramelised spin on the classic Italian dessert on How to Cook Like Heston
Heston: "Tiramisù is a classic Italian desert but there is nothing classic about my version which is served in clean flower pots and topped with edible soil and chocolate herbs. The soil is delicious (caramelised white chocolate tastes like Caramac bars) and kids love it because eating it looks so wrong but it tastes so right!"
Makes 4 flower pots
Ingredients
For the crystallised dark chocolate
200g white caster sugar
80g dark chocolate, roughly chopped (minimum 60% cocoa solids)
For the caramelised Grape Nuts
50g Grape Nuts cereal
¼ tsp salt
15g brown sugar
To finish the soil
Crystallised dark chocolate
60g white chocolate
20g cocoa powder
Toasted and caramelised Graoe Nuts, roughly chopped
½ tsp salt
60ml hazelnut oil
For the dark chocolate layers
250g dark chocolate (minimum 60% cocoa solids)
For the Marsala cream
3 large eggs
50g unrefined caster sugar
300g mascarpone
200ml whipping cream
60ml Marsala
1.5g leaf gelatine, softened in a little cold water
For the sponge fingers
24 sponge fingers
150ml ground coffee brewed in 400ml water
100ml Marsala
To serve
Basil and mint leaves to garnish
Method
For the crystallised dark chocolate, put 75ml cold tap water and the sugar into a saucepan and place the pan over a high heat. Bring to the boil and continue to heat until the temperature of the liquid reaches 135ºC or until the syrup at the side of the pan begins to colour.
Remove from the heat and immediately add the chopped chocolate. Whisk to incorporate the chocolate and continue to whisk until the liquid has completely crystallised.
Pour the chocolate crystals onto a parchment-
To caramelise the Grape Nuts, place them in a frying pan over a high heat and allow to toast for approximately 4 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time. Add the salt and continue to toast for an additional minute.
Sprinkle the sugar over the surface of the Grape Nuts and stir with a spatula
until the surface of the Grape Nuts is well-
Pour the caramelised Grape Nuts on to a parchment-
To caramelise the white chocolate, preheat the oven to 190ºC/gas mark 5. Place
the white chocolate on a parchment-
Mix the crystallised dark chocolate and caramelised white chocolate with the cocoa powder and caramelised Grape Nuts then add the salt and the hazelnut oil.
To make the dark chocolate layers, break the chocolate into pieces and melt in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
Pour the melted chocolate over a sheet of acetate. Place another sheet of acetate on top and then place a heavy chopping board on top to create a thin even layer. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Using a pastry cutter roughly the size of the inside of the flower pots, cut out four discs. Store in an airtight container in between sheets of parchment in the fridge.
To start the Marsala cream, whisk the eggs with the sugar until light and fluffy.
In a separate bowl, whisk the mascarpone, whipping cream and Marsala until soft peaks form. Fold the cream mixture into the sugar and eggs in three additions.
Place 5 tablespoons of the cream mixture in a small saucepan. Squeeze the excess water out of the gelatine leaf, add it to the pan and warm up the mixture just enough to melt the gelatine. Whisk the mixture into the bulk of the Marsala cream.
To soak the sponge fingers, place them in a flat tray. Mix the coffee with the Marsala, and drizzle some of this over the top. Allow to soak for approximately 1 minute, then turn the sponge fingers over and drizzle with the remaining coffee mixture.
To assemble the tiramisù, place a chocolate disc on the bottom of each pot, then add some sponge fingers soaked in coffee and Marsala. Next add some Marsala cream. Place another chocolate disc on top then some more Marsala cream, one more disc and a final layer of cream. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Sprinkle the soil on top of each tiramisu flower pot to cover the surface.
To finish the tiramisù, brush some melted chocolate underneath mint and basil leaves and, when dry, ‘plant’ them in the edible soil.