Magnolia & rhubarb dessert

We're going to make a delicious magnolia & rhubarb dessert! It's a muscovado sugar flan with a rhubarb compote, a rhubarb & Pedro Ximenez gel, a salted caramel, a magnolia ice cream, a macadamia nut crumble and a beautiful magnolia & lemon crisp.

The magnolia ice cream

900 grams	milk
250 grams	cream
280 grams	sugar
55 grams	skimmed milk powder
50 grams	egg yolk
4 grams	ice cream stabilizer (Stab 2000)
100 grams	magnolia flower peddles

Pour the milk into a pan and also add the cream, the sugar and the skimmed milk powder. Now mix it well and bring this to a simmer on a medium heat. Meanwhile transfer the egg yolk into a bowl and while stirring slowly add the hot milk mixture. Then pour it back into the pan and while stirring continue heating it till it’s 85 degrees Celsius. Once that’s done turn off the heat and mix in the ice cream stabilizer. I use stab 2000. Now add the magnolia flower peddles. Make sure everything is submerged. Then pour it into a bowl, cover it with foil and let it rest overnight in your fridge. The next day you can give it a good mix before passing it through a fine sieve. Make sure you press out all the ice cream base. After that transfer it into an ice cream machine and turn it into a beautiful ice cream. I prefer to turn the ice cream the same day you serve it to insure you have a lovely fresh texture. Once it’s done keep it in a freezer that’s around -12 degrees Celsius.

The salted caramel

230 grams	sugar
280 grams	cream
70 grams	butter
3 grams	flaky salt
50 grams	glucose syrup
40 grams	white chocolate

Transfer the sugar into a pan and heat this on a medium heat till it’s a golden-brown caramel. I love the flavor of a dark caramel. Then while stirring slowly add the cream. Continue heating the caramel. Now also add the butter, the flaky salt and the glucose syrup. Heat this up till the temperature is 112 degrees Celsius and stir it every now and then to prevent the caramel from burning. Once that’s done pour it into a bowl and add the white chocolate. Directly blend it with a hand blender to create a smooth salted caramel. Make sure you keep the blender at the bottom, so no air mixes with the caramel. Then cover it with foil and let it set out of the fridge. After that transfer it into a piping bag that’s fitted with a small round nozzle and keep it out of the fridge for later.

The magnolia and lemon crisp

1	lemon
60 grams	sugar
60 grams	water
60 grams	magnolia flower peddles

First peel the lemon. Then cut the peeled lemon in half and juice it for 50 grams of lemon juice. Also add the sugar and the water. Now bring this to a boil on a medium heat. Once it’s boiling turn off the heat and add the magnolia flower paddles. Make sure everything is submerged and then let it cool down in your fridge. After that drain the syrup.

2	pears
140 grams	isomalt sugar
100 grams	the syrup we just made
	Xanthan gum
80 grams	white chocolate

Peel the pears and cut away the core. Now add 200 grams of the cleaned pear into a saucepan and also add the isomalt sugar and the syrup. Bring this to a boil and then while stirring let it simmer for a minute. Then blend it till smooth. Now add a knife tip of xanthan gum to slightly bind the liquid. Once smooth add the white chocolate and mix it once more. Then pour it into a bowl, cover it and let it cool down in your fridge. After that spread it on a silicon sheet using a stencil. This one is from Mold Brothers. Click here for more information. Level it before remove the stencil and letting the mixture dry at 90 degrees Celsius for around 3 hours. Then gently remove it from the sheet and place it on a magnolia press. Heat it up for a couple of seconds before shaping it with the other half of the press. Do the same with the smaller press and then keep them dry and covered for later.

Now for the rhubarb gel and compote

500 grams	rhubarb
50 grams	sugar
70 grams	Pedro Ximénez sherry
30 grams	white balsamic vinegar
3 grams	agar powder
5 grams	tarragon

Cut the rhubarb in small pieces and transfer them into a pan. Also add the sugar. Then cover the pan with a lid and heat it up on low heat till the rhubarb falls apart. This takes around 15 to 20 minutes. Once that’s done pour the compote on a sieve that’s lined with a kitchen paper to clarify the broth. Let it drain in your fridge for a couple of hours. Then pour 200 grams of the rhubarb broth into a saucepan and also add the Pedro Ximénez sherry, the white balsamic vinegar, the agar powder and the tarragon. Mix this well and then bring it to a boil for at least 30 seconds. After that pass it through a fine sieve and let it cool down completely in your fridge. Then transfer it into a blender and blend it till smooth. Once smooth transfer it into a bowl. Now vacuum the gel 100% to make it nice and clear. This will intensify the flavor and give a deep color. After that transfer the gel in a piping bottle and keep it in your fridge for later. Then take the rhubarb compote and season it with the magnolia & lemon syrup. It’s quite simple, but so good!

The muscovado flan

80 grams	muscovado sugar
500 grams	cream
1	vanilla pod
3 grams	salt
130 grams	egg yolk
150 grams	cacao butter
150 grams	white chocolate

Transfer the muscovado sugar in a saucepan and heat this on a low heat till it’s melted. Once it’s melted and it starts to bubble directly while stirring add the cream. Then turn off the heat. Now cut the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds. Add both the seeds and the empty pod to the pan. Also add the salt. Then transfer the egg yolk into a bowl and slowly while mixing add the muscovado liquid. Cover it and let it rest in your fridge for a couple of hours. After that pass it through a fine sieve. Then gently fill a small ring mold all the way and cook it at 120 degrees Celsius for around 25 to 30 minutes. The flan needs to be firm, but still wiggle slightly. Once cooked let it cool down before freezing it completely. Now pour the cacao butter in a saucepan and melt it on a low heat. Then turn off the heat and add the white chocolate. Mix this till it’s emulsified and then fill your brush machine. Now remove the frozen flans from the mold and place them on a tray. Brush a thin layer of the chocolate brush on the flan to decorate it and to give it a bit of texture as well. Keep them in your freezer for later.

The macadamia nut crumble

100 grams	macadamia nuts
100 grams	butter
100 grams	sugar
70 grams	flour
40 grams	melted white chocolate
2 grams	flaky salt

First blend the macadamia nuts in a fine crumble. Then add the butter, the sugar, the flour, the melted white chocolate and the flaky salt. Mix this till it’s a soft dough. Now transfer it on a silicon sheet and spread it. Bake it at 150 degrees Celsius for around 30 minutes and mix it every 5 to 10 minutes to create a lovely crumble. Then let it cool down and keep it dry and covered for later.

The muscovado tuille

60 grams	egg white
40 grams	sunflower oil
50 grams	flour
10 grams	butter
2 grams	salt
50 grams	muscovado sugar

Mix the egg white with the sunflower oil, the flour, the butter, the salt and the muscovado sugar. Blend this till smooth. Once smooth spread it on a tuille mold and level it using a pallet knife. Then bake it at 150 degrees Celsius for around 20 minutes. When still hot gently remove it and then keep them dry and covered for later.

How to finish the dessert

Place a frozen flan on a plate and let it defrost for a couple of minutes. Fill the bottom with some salted caramel and cover it completely with the rhubarb compote. Then add some crumble and place the large magnolia crisp on top. Add a couple dots of the gel and some edible blossom peddles. Place the small crisp on top and add some more gel and blossom peddles. Now take a glass and fill the bottom with the compote. Add a layer of the crumble and place a quenelle of the magnolia ice cream on top. Gently drizzle some gel on the ice cream and place the tuille on there. Now decorate it with some more blossom and then it’s ready to be served!