Lemon Bavarois

Pulled sugar garnish (optional) or 1 cup heavy (whipping) cream, beaten to firm peaks

Place 12 molds, 2-1/2 inches tall by 3 inches in diameter, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If your molds are not that tall, cut flexible plastic strips 2-1/2 inches wide by 4-3/4 inches long and curl them inside the molds, extending the height.

To prepare the bisquit: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray lightly with cooking oil spray. In a food processor, combine the almonds and sugar and process to a fine meal. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Sprinkle in the 7/8 cup sugar and continue beating until firm peaks form. Sift the almond meal, remaining sugar, and flour over the whites and fold until blended. Spread the mixture evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 5 to 7 minutes, until firm. Remove from the oven. Cool. Cut into 3-inch circles and fit into the bottom of the molds.

To prepare the bavarois: Soften the gelatin in the cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the sugar, egg yolks, lemon juice and zest, and Cointreau. Hold the bowl over barely simmering water in a saucepan and whisk briskly until the mixture thickens. Whisk in the dissolved gelatin and continue whisking over the saucepan until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Place the bowl in a larger bowl of ice and continue whisking until the mixture cools to 70 F. Beat the egg whites in the bowl of a mixer until frothy; sprinkle in the remaining sugar, and continue beating until the whites stand in firm peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the lemon mixture. When thoroughly blended, fold in a large spoonful of meringue and incorporate, then fold the remaining meringue in two additions. Put the bavarois in a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip and pipe the mixture into the molds on top of the bisquit. Tap down. Freeze 8 to 10 hours.

To make the tortillas: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the sugar and cinnamon. Moisten the top surface of the tortilla shells with a little water and sprinkle on the sugar mixture. Cut 10 to 12 wedges from each tortilla. Put on the prepared baking sheet and bake 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and let cool.

To make the prickly pear soup: Combine all ingredients in a non-aluminum saucepan and warm over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve. Set aside.

To prepare the fruit brunoise: Brunoise is a very small dice, less than 1/4-inch. As you prepare each, place in a small separate cup or container and chill. Cut the jicama into evenly size sticks, then into brunoise. Cut the pineapple into wedges. Set aside one fourth of the wedges. Cut the remainder into brunoise. Cut the mango flesh away from the rind and trim into evenly sized sticks, then into brunoise. Split and seed the cantaloupe, then cut out the flesh and trim to evenly sized sticks. Cut into brunoise. Pare an apple, cut it in half, and cut out the core. Cut the flesh into evenly sized sticks, then into brunoise. Put into a small bowl and sprinkle with a little of the sugar; toss. Add as little sugar as possible, but enough to keep the apple from turning brown. Repeat with remaining apples. Chill the apple brunoise.

To prepare the fruit garnish: Cut the reserved pineapple into 12 small wedges. Cut the mango flesh away from the rind in quarters and trim into evenly sized long strips. Cut the strips into narrow slices. Cut the strawberries in half. Slice the kiwi into thin slices.

To serve: Place decorative compotes on serving plates. Toss the fruit brunoise together. Place a ring mold in the first compote and pack with 3/4 inch of fruit brunoise. Gently lift the ring. Repeat in the other compotes. Unmold the bavarois and place one on top of each island of fruit brunoise. Slit the pineapple wedges, mango slices, strawberry halves, and kiwi rounds and hook an assortment of them over the lips of the compotes like drink garnishes. Gently spoon prickly pear soup into the bowls of the compotes around the fruit brunoise islands. Place a few raspberries and blackberries at the edge of these islands. Garnish each compote with two cinnamon tortilla wedges. Top each bavarois with a spun or pulled sugar garnish (optional), or a puff of whipped cream.