Hazelnut Timbale ►
Almond, orange, and raspberry flavors are combined in this dessert. Chef Pfeiffer stands cake timbales and a tower of soft orange sorbet on plates, then garnishes them with raspberry syrup and orange supremes — orange segments from which the membranes have been removed. Pfeiffer uses a candied pansy as a garnish; you may try his directions, or use an edible flower garnish or simple mint sprig. The hazelnut cake recipe could also be baked in a 9-inch cake pan.
Ingredients
- Timbales
- Hazelnut Flour - 2 cups
- Sugar - 1 cup
- Cake Flour - 3/4 cup
- Egg Whites - 8
- Unsalted Butter - 1 cup, melted
- Vanilla Extract - 2 teaspoons
- Oranges - 2 oranges (alt. blood oranges)
- Raspberry Syrup - 1 cup (alt. 1/2 cup framboise mixed with 1/2 cup raspberry puree)
- Orange Sorbet - 2 pints, slightly softened
- Raspberries - 4
- Fresh or Candied Edible Flowers - 4, (optional; see directions below)
Instructions
Timbales
To make the timbales: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly butter six 2-ounce timbale molds and dust with flour.
Measure dry ingredients into a bowl and stir with a whisk to combine. Add the egg whites and stir until completely combined. Continue to stir while slowly pouring in the butter. Add the vanilla extract. Pour into the molds and place the molds on a baking sheet to make them easy to handle. Bake 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes; turn out of the molds.
To prepare the orange supremes: Peel the oranges and break into separate segments. With a small knife, cut away the membrane of each segment, keeping the segment inside (the supreme) whole.
To serve: Place a timbale on each serving plate. Drizzle the plates with raspberry syrup. Dip the orange supremes in raspberry syrup and place a few on each plate. Pack the sorbet in a pastry bag fitted with a large fluted tip. Pipe a spiral of sorbet 2- to 3-1/2-inches high on each plate beside the timbale. Put a fresh raspberry on top of each. Garnish with a fresh or candied edible flower (optional).
Candied Pansies
Using a small, soft artist’s paint brush, brush the pansy flowers all over with egg white. Let dry. Thin the egg white with a little water, and brush the flowers again all over with the thinned egg white. Dust with sugar and set aside on paper towels to dry for at least 2 hours.
