Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Hazelnut Pastry Cream
- Soak gelatin in cold water to soften and drain. Bring milk, sugar (10g) and vanilla to a boil.
- Meanwhile, mix egg yolks, sugar and starches.
- Temper yolk mixture with ⅓ of the hot milk.
- Bring mixture back to the saucepan, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and add the soften gelatin.
- To cool faster, transfer custard to a frozen baking tray lined with plastic wrap. Cover in contact with plastic film, top with ice pack and refrigerate.
Italian Meringue Buttercream
- Cut chilled butter into cubes and leave it out. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar and sugar (25g) on medium speed.
- Meanwhile, cook sugar and water to 245ºF/118ºC.
- Pour the hot syrup in the egg whites in a slow, steady, thin stream. Increase mixer speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Lower mixer speed and when meringue temperature reaches 86ºF/30ºC, add butter – Beat on full blast until light and fluffy.
- Transfer buttercream to a separate container. Save mixing bowl.
- In the mean time, smooth out the chilled pastry cream along with the hazelnut praliné. Transfer hazelnut pastry cream to a separate bowl.
- Fold buttercream into the hazelnut pastry cream.
Montage
- You will need 2 succès biscuit disks per cake.
- For the top: Spread evenly a thin layer of filling on one side of the first succès biscuit (flat side up), and set aside.
- For the base: Place the second succès (flat side down) on a flat platter. Pipe out rosettes symmetrically from noon to 6, 9 to 3, 10 to 5, and 1 to 7...
- Fill the center as well with more filling.
- Enclose the cake with the second prepared succès biscuit.
- Dust with powdered sugar.
- Decorate soberly with a whole toasted or caramelized hazelnut.
- Proceed likewise with the individual succès cakes.
Storage
- Refrigerate the hazelnut succès one night before eating. Succès can be kept refrigerated for up to 4 days or kept frozen for up to 3 months.
