Fig & chocolate tart

It’s tart week at Jules Cooking and it’s a big one. We’re going to begin with this lovely fig and chocolade tart! It’s a chocolate sponge that’s soaked in a fig leaf syrup with a fig compote, an espresso cremeux, a chocolate & fig leaf mousse, caramelize hazelnuts and a chocolate glaze!

The chocolate and espresso sponge

230 g	water
80 g	intens espresso
90 g	cacao powder
160 g	egg
300 g	Greek yoghurt
200 g	vegetable oil
320 g	flour
500 g	sugar
16 g	baking powder
6 g	salt
	Soft butter & cacao powder for dusting

Mix the water with the espresso and the cacao powder. Now mix this well and then bring it to a boil. Then turn off the heat and let it sit for at least 10 minutes. After that mix the egg with the Greek yoghurt and the vegetable oil. Blend this till smooth and then set it aside for later. Now also mix the flour with the sugar, the baking powder and the salt. Start mixing it in a stand mixer and then slowly add the yoghurt mixture. Once it’s fully incorporated add the cacao mixture and mix it for a minute. Then take a big baking tray and grease the sides and bottom with some soft butter. Now dust a thin layer of cacao powder on the butter and pour the batter on top. Make sure it’s level and then bake it at 180 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes. Then let it cool down for 5 minutes before covering it with another tray and letting it sit for at least 2 hours.

The espresso cremeux

170 g	intens espresso
320 g	cream 35%
80 g	sugar
150 g	milk
130 g	egg yolk
40 g	corn starch
370 g	dark chocolate

Mix the espresso with the cream, the sugar and the milk. Bring this to a simmer. While that’s heating up mix the egg yolk with the cornstarch. Mix it well till there are no more lumps. Now once the liquid is simmering while stirring add it to the yolk mixture. Sometimes there’s even already enough heat to cook the cremeux, so then you don’t need to pour it back into the pan and give it more heat. As you can see this was the case for this recipe. Now add the dark chocolate and blend it till smooth. Do this with a hand blender to get a beautiful and shiny emulsion. Then cover it and let it cool down completely. This will take a couple of hours. Once cold transfer it into a piping bag and keep it in your fridge for later.

The fig compote

900 g	figs
100 g	ginger syrup
10	cardamom pods

Take the figs and trim the bottom and top. Then cut them in four. Now transfer the cut figs into a pan and also add the ginger syrup. Then transfer the cardamom pods in a blender and blend it into a fine powder. Add it to the pan as well and then let it simmer on a low medium heat for about an hour. Stir it every now and then to prevent it from burning. After the hour use a hand blender to give it a quick blend. You still want to keep that thick texture, so be careful you don’t blend it to smooth. Now pour it into a bowl, cover it and let it cool down in your fridge.

The fig leaf syrup

100 g	rum
200 g	water
100 g	sugar
30 g	cleaned fig leaves

Mix the rum with the water and the sugar. Bring this to a simmer. Meanwhile remove the core from some fig leaves. In total you need 30 grams of cleaned fig leaves. Once the syrup is simmering add the cleaned fig leaves. Then cover it with a lid and turn off the heat. Now let it infuse for at least 2 hours in your fridge. You can even leave it overnight. After that take off the lid and pass the syrup through a fine sieve. Then keep it in your fridge for later.

How to assemble the filling

First turn the baking trays around and give it one good tap to take the sponge out. Then use the other tray to transfer the sponge on your cutting board. Be gently so you don’t break the sponge. Now use a serrated knife to trim the top. You want an even thickness all around. Then take the fig leaf syrup and brush a generous amount on top of the chocolate sponge. If you have really big batches using a plant sprayer will be a lifesaver! Once that’s done cut it with the preferred cutter. I’m making three different sizes. Then place the cutter back on the sponge and add the fig compote. Level it with a pallet knife and ensure that there’s no air trapped between the layers. Then take the espresso cremeux and pipe a thick swirl on top of the compote. Now let it freeze for about two hours. After that you still will be able to press the filling out of the rings. Keep them in your freezer for later.

The chocolate shell

200 g	cacao butter
200 g	dark chocolate

First melt the cacao butter on a low heat. Once melted turn off the heat and add the dark chocolate. Give it a good mix till all the chocolate has dissolved and the temperature is between 31 and 36 degrees Celsius. Now use a brush to cover the inside of your desired mold with the chocolate. These ones are from Mold Brothers Pastry. Click here for more info. Keep on adding chocolate till your happy with the thickness. If the chocolate start to set to quickly give it a little bit of heat till the temperature is back between 31 and 36 degrees Celsius. Keep it out of the fridge for later.

The chocolate and fig leave mousse

250 g	cream 35%
60 g	cleaned fig leaves
4 leaves or 6.7 g	gelatin
360 g	dark chocolate
100 g	sugar
40 g	water
180 g	whole eggs
400 g	cream 35%

First pour the cream into a pan and bring it to a simmer. Meanwhile remove the core from some fig leaves. In total you need 60 grams of cleaned leaves. Once the cream is simmering add the leaves and insure everything is covered in the cream. Then cover it with a lid and let it infuse in your fridge for a couple of hours. I always leave it overnight. The next day first soak the gelatin in cold water. Then heat the cream up slightly and measure 200 grams of the cream into a new pan. Bring this to a simmer and then dissolve the gelatin. Now turn off the heat and add the dark chocolate. Mix it well till smooth and then set it aside for later. After that mix the sugar with the water and heat this up till the temperature is 118 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile pour the eggs into a mixing bowl and start beating it. Once the sugar has the right temperature and the eggs are fluffy slowly add it to the bowl and keep on beating till it has cooled down. This takes around 5 to 10 minutes. While that’s cooling down start beating the cream. You always want to beat from your wrist and not your whole arm, otherwise you’ll already be tired after a minute. Now the consistency needs to be like a thin yoghurt. Set it aside for later. Then once the eggs have cooled down add the chocolate fig leaf mixture to the bowl and then while mixing add it to the whipped cream. Fold this together till it’s an even and airy mousse. Now divide the mousse in your chocolate covered molds and gently press the frozen interior in there. Then cover it with some more mousse and level it with a pallet knife. Also freeze this till solid.

The chocolate sable

350 g	flour
45 g	cacao powder
130 g	icing sugar
45 g	almond powder
230 g	butter
60 g	beaten egg
3 g	salt
	cacao powder for dusting

Pour the flour on your worktop and use the bowl to make a well in the middle. Fill it with the cacao powder, the icing sugar, the almond powder, the butter, the beaten egg and the salt. Now mix it till all the ingredients come together and then knead it till it’s a nice dough. Once it’s an even dough directly stop mixing to prevent too much gluten from forming. Then cover it and let it rest in your fridge for at least 1 hour. Now dust some cacao powder on your worktop and roll out the dough till it’s around 3 millimeters thin. The dough needs to stay as cold as possible, so try to work as fast as possible. Once you’re happy with the thickness cut it with the desired cutters. Then carefully place them on a perforated silicon sheet and place another sheet on top. Now bake them at 170 degrees Celsius for around 15 minutes to 20 minutes. Then let them cool down completely and keep them dry and covered for later.

The caramelized hazelnuts

100 g	hazelnuts
100 g	sugar
150 g	water

Begin by cutting the hazelnuts in half. Then mix the sugar with the water and bring this to a boil. When it’s boiling add the hazelnuts and let them simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes. After that take them out of the syrup and spread them on a tray. Let them cool down for 20 minutes. Once cold deep fry the hazelnuts in some frying oil that’s 160 degrees Celsius. Keep on stirring to prevent them from sticking to each other. Now when you’re happy with the color take the hazelnuts out of the oil and directly season them with salt. Then let them cool down for a couple of minutes before transferring them on a piece of kitchen paper. If you directly place them on the paper it will stick to the caramel and you won’t be able to use them. Now once cold keep them dry and covered for later.

The bergamot cremeux

3 leaves or 5 g	gelatin
4	bergamots (200 g of juice)
150 g	sugar
300 g	cream 35%
80 g	egg yolk
20 g	corn starch
200 g	white chocolate

First soak the gelatin in cold water. Now cut the bergamots in half and juice them for 200 grams of juice. Always pass it through a sieve to ensure no seeds fall in. Then add the sugar and while stirring add the cream. Bring this to a simmer. Meanwhile mix the egg yolk with the corn starch. Again mix it till smooth. Now once the liquid is simmering slowly while stirring add it to the yolks. This time the temperature wasn’t high enough so we need to heat it some more to thicken the cremeux. Just keep on stirring while you bring it to a simmer. Then turn off the heat and dissolve the gelatin. After that pour it into a bowl and also add the white chocolate. Blend it till smooth. Now fill your desired mold with the cremeux and make sure it’s level. Then let it set in your fridge for 30 minutes before freezing it till solid.

The chocolate glaze

10 leaves or 16.8 g	gelatin
360 g	cream 35%
270 g	water
540 g	sugar
180 g	cacao powder

First soak the gelatin in cold water. Then mix the cream with the water and the sugar. Bring this to a boil. Once it’s boiling add the cacao powder and while stirring let it boil for 3 minutes. Now turn off the heat and dissolve the gelatin. Blend it till smooth. Be sure to keep the blender at the bottom so no air mixes with the glaze. Then pass it through a fine sieve, cover it and keep it in your fridge for later.

How to finish the tart

First gently remove the tart from the mold and place it on the chocolate sable. Then place the cremeux on a metal ring and glaze it with the chocolate glaze. The glaze needs to be between 31 and 36 degrees Celsius before you can pour it on the frozen cremeux. Now unfortunately I forgot to press record, but once it’s glazed just gently place it on top of the tart. Then decorate the top with the caramelized hazelnuts and once it’s defrosted it’s ready to be served!