BUTTER POPCORN PRALINE Ingredients:
- 3 Handfuls Butter Popcorn
- 200g (2/3 + 1/4 Cup) Caster Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Water
METHOD:
- Prepare a 23cm (9″) silicone tray or mat, as baking paper will stick.
- Scatter the buttered popcorn all over the tray but keep them close together. Do not pile as the caramel then wouldn’t be able to cover all of it. (I popped mine fresh in microwave just when I was about to start making caramel)
- Bring sugar and water in a pot till simmer & cook till dark golden amber colour.
- Swirl pot from time to time to distribute the browning so one spot doesn’t burn.
- Drizzle the caramel all over the popcorn to cover as much as possible.
- Leave to set hard before chopping or smashing into tiny bite sized pieces. You can use the end of a rolling pin to smash it into pieces over a tray, or in a zip-lock bag.
- Keep airtight if cooled & not using as humidity makes praline weep & popcorns can go stale exposed to the air.
- Note: This shouldn’t be made too early if you are not assembling the cake in the next day or two as the praline does lose some crunch.
SAUTEED PEAR SHORTBREAD Ingredients:
- 2 Large Packham Pears, Firm Types – Peeled, Cored, Diced
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon/Lime Juice
- 120g (1/2 Cup + 1 Tablespoon) Caster Sugar
- 40g (2.8 Tablespoons) Unsalted Butter, Cubed
SHORTBREAD Ingredients
- 75g (1/2 Cup) Plain/All Purpose Flour
- 94g (2/5 Cup) Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature, Cubed
- 23g (3 Tablespoons) Pure Icing/Powdered Sugar, Sifted
- 1/2 Teaspoon Pink Rock / Sea Salt
METHOD:
- Preheat oven to 180C (350F), line 30 x 9 x 7cm high (12″ x 3.5″ 2.7″) Terrine pan with baking paper long enough to form sling on both of the lengthier sides.
- Add all ingredients for shortbread into processor & pulse until fine breadcrumbs are formed. It should just form a dough when you press it in your palms.
- By hand: Beat flour & icing sugar till combined.
- Add cubed butter & beat just till a dough is formed, do not over mix or it’ll be tough.
- Sprinkle 3/4 of the dough (as much to make about 2cm thick layer) evenly & press into the loaf tin as level and compact as you can. Keep chilled in fridge, covered if not using right away, or add the pears and bake if pears are done.
- The last bits can be baked in a tray and crumbled as decoration if you like.
- In a bowl toss together lime juice & roughly 2/3 of the sugar for the pears. (For how to cut and peel you can watch the video if you don’t know how~). Set aside for 20 minutes.
- Over medium heat, caramelize the remaining sugar just until it begins to colour, swirling time to time to even out the caramelising.
- Add in pear mix & scatter the butter. Swirl till well combined & cook the pear just till tender when a knife just slides in with little resistance.
- Strain the pear and cool it in a container.
- Reduce the left over liquid till 1/4 of original amount and pour it over the pears. At this point infuse the flavours by letting it sit for an hour or overnight if possible.
- Now arrange strained pears tightly over the shortbread but leave 1/2cm gap on the edges.
- Remaining liquids can be reduced again till thick and drizzle it over the arranged pears.
- Bake slab for 45-55 minutes till sides become nicely golden.
- Allow to cool in freezer just till cold & feels firmer for easier handling.
- Remove from loaf tin with baking paper attached.
DARK CHOCOLATE MOUSSE Ingredients:
- 250g (9 Ounce Bitter-sweet 70% Dark Chocolate), Finely Chopped (I used Lindt Baking Chocolate, tends to taste more rich & dark)
- 430ml (1 + 3/4 Cups) Thickened/Heavy Cream, Divided
- Pinch of Salt
- 2 Teaspoons Gelatin Powder
- 2 Tablespoons Water
- Cream Wafer Sticks, crumbled (I used Monetta, chocolate cream filled)
METHOD:
- Spray the tin with vegetable non-stick spray or grease with softened butter.
- Line with cling wrap as neatly and tightly as possible with overhang. Best to spread fingers to neaten the corners, then tighten the sides over and tuck them on the outside for less wrinkles.
- Whisk together gelatin and water and set aside for 5 minutes to bloom.
- Combine chocolate, 180ml (3/4 cup) cream & salt in a microwave safe bowl & nuke on 15 second intervals. Stir in between repeating until smooth.
- Nuke gelatin just till warm enough to dissolve the granules, do not boil.
- Whisk together with the chocolate mix until silky, glossy and smooth.
- Allow to cool till room temperature.
- Whip the remaining cup of cream till stiff and stir in a third into the chocolate mixture to lighten the mix.
- Fold in the remaining just till combined.
- Pour 1/3 the mousse into the prepared loaf tin, smooth out with a long, small spoon to even the surface & spread into the corners.
- Tap and shake the pan a few times to level it out & remove air bubbles.
- Arrange the broken pieces of popcorn praline tightly over, leaving 1/2cm from the edges so it is hidden inside the mousse.
- Pour half of remaining mousse in, repeat with wafers this time – you can crumble more for wafers as they are very thin and don’t pack much of a layer.
- Pour the remaining half in and level the top again, then press the pear square layer pear side down just leaving the cookie’s base level with the mousse. (So you can’t see the cookie except on the two ends).
- Cling wrap the opening and chill for several hours till firm or overnight before inverting out onto serving platter.
- Garnish with crumble, popcorn praline & wafer sticks as you like.
- You can then serve it immediately or return to the fridge for hours more till after your meal.
- Once you slice the cake the elements inside the cake may start to slowly lose its textures so just be mindful if you plan to keep left overs around 😛
Sugary Lab 