Chocolate Spheres

Imagine this: delicate Christmas chocolate mousse sphere ornaments, each one hiding a surprise inside - a luscious passion fruit-apricot-ginger insert that will explode with flavor in your mouth. These elegant and festive treats are not only visually stunning, but also incredibly delicious. The combination of rich chocolate mousse with the tangy and exotic taste of passion fruit, apricot, and ginger creates a flavor profile that will leave you craving for more. As a chef specialized in creating refined and delectable dishes, I love to experiment with different flavors and textures to elevate classic recipes. Join me in this culinary adventure as we explore the art of dessert making and discover how simple ingredients can come together to create a truly extraordinary dish for your holidays.

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The edible Christmas ornament

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Christmas Tree Cookies

Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, sugar, salt and allspice. Mix in butter and add honey, molasse and eggs. Mix until just combined. Wrap up and chill. Divide pastry in 2 portions. On a floured work surface, roll out pastry into a 0.12-inch/3mm thick sheet, no need to prick with a fork. Square up and freeze.

Baking

Pre-bake frozen sheet (one at a time). Grease lightly using cooking spray, top with parchment or silicone mat and a baking tray; make sure the tray is in direct contact with the pastry. Pre-bake at 350ºF/180ºC oven for about 14 minutes. Carefully, transfer over countertop and cut into a 1.75x5-inch/4x10cm rectangle and triangle. Bake again for 16 min more; let cool. Keep crust in a low humidity environment.

Royal Icing

Beat on high speed egg white, lemon juice and sugar to stiff peaks (called bird’s beak/bec d’oiseau) – Add more sugar if necessary. Seal and set a side. Re-whip royal icing if it relaxes too much before using. Royal icing can be stored for weeks in the refrigerator.

Cookie Montage

Decorate chocolate triangle crust using Christmas theme stencils/pochoir. Let dry out 30 minutes. Stick parts together with royal icing. Keep in warm and low humidity place or in sealed container with silica gel for up to a week.

Passion Fruit-Apricot-Ginger Insert

Heat up water, passion fruit puree, sugar, lemon juice, apricot jam and ginger. Mix up sugar and agar-agar and whisk in warm passion mixture – mix well and bring to boil and cook for 2 mins. Cool on ice water and chill completely. Transfer in a narrow container and blend to smooth out. Add diced dried apricot and passion fruit pulp. Scoop out and fill the mini half-sphere silicone mold and freeze completely. Un-mold and assemble them by two forming 10x one ounce/30g inserts; keep inserts frozen.

Mirror Glaze

Soak gelatin in cold water to soften and drain. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes: water, sugar and corn syrup. Turn off the heat, stir in condensed milk and the softened gelatin. Put chocolate in a narrow container and add hot syrup. Let sit 5 minutes and mix keeping immersion blender down to prevent air bubbles. Sieve, cool and chill overnight before using. Mirror glaze can be kept refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for months. Warm up mirror glaze at 95ºF/35ºC before using.

Chocolate Mousse (Ganache Montée)

Soak gelatin in cold water to soften and drain. In a narrow microwave safe container, microwave chocolate stirring up every 30 to 40 seconds – stop heating when chocolate is just melted. Add hot heavy cream and blend well. Mix in gelatin, and add cold heavy cream and milk. Blend well, sieve and chill overnight before whipping.

Montage

Whip chocolate mousse to medium peaks – the mousse should remain supple otherwise it wont spread well in the silicone mold cavities. Fill silicone bottom spheres about halfway full. Insert in mousse the frozen passion fruit-apricot-ginger marmalade. Press it down gently – put the top and seal well. Fill up spheres making sure no gaps are left behind. Save some mousse for afterwards touch up. Freeze cakes overnight.

Chocolate Enrobage (Coating)

Melt cocoa butter first, and add it to the barely melted dark chocolate. Mix and sieve. Use at 113ºF/45ºC.

Glazing

De-mold cakes and keep frozen. Make ten 1.5-inch/4cm Ø marzipan disks and baubles; set aside. Glaze frozen cakes (one at the time) in chocolate enrobage first. Let set for a few seconds and glaze in chocolate mirror right away and place on marzipan disk. Chocolate Xmas trees cookies can be served along side with or in a separate tray. Enjoy!