This dessert requires just a little bit of mixing and waiting and oh boy, what a stunning result! Intensely chocolaty (just look at the chocolate quantities in the ingredient list and you will shiver with excited anticipation), with a melting, butter-like texture and gorgeously dotted with bright green and tender pistachios, it will make you want Easter to last for ever. For absolute chocolate lovers.
Chocolate and pistachio ganache fondant
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Recipe by: Elle a Table, March/April 2007 Busy:15 min, Total prep time: 2 hours 15 min (chilling time) Serves: 8-10 |
Line the bottom and two long sides of a rectangular tin or plastic container with a folded sheet of baking paper cut to the right width. Using a spoon and your fingers, spread the biscuit mixture evenly at the bottom of the container.
If the pistachios still have their brown skin on, remove it: blanch the pistachios for 1-2 minutes in boiling water, pour them into a colander and run them under cold water. The skin should come off easily. Rub them dry afterwards with a paper towel.
Chop coarsely 1/4 of the pistachios, keep the remaining ones whole.
Chop the chocolate into small chunks and place into a bowl. Pour the cream and milk into a saucepan and bring to a bare simmer over low heat. Pour over the chocolate, mix with a whisk until obtaining a smooth and homogeneous texture (if the chocolate splits, don't panick, just stir in a dash of cold water). Stir in the pinches of instant coffee.
Stir delicately the whole pistachios into the chocolate and cream mixture. Pour the mixture into the lined container, ensuring it spreads evenly on top of the biscuit layer. Tap the container against a horizontal flat surface a couple of times to even out the top if needed. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios evenly on top and store in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
30 min before serving, unmould the ganache. Trim the edges if necessary for a cleaner look and cut into 1 to 2 cm slices, depending on the width of your container. Wait 10 minutes before serving, the ganache will be softer.
Serve with a drizzle of icing sugar running through the middle of the slice (drizzle it through a meshed sieve for a powdery look) and a scoop of ice cream. I used coconut ice cream on this picture, it was fabulous.
Crumble the biscuits coarsely and toss the crumbs into a mixing bowl. Add the butter in chunks and mix well with a mixer on high speed for about 30 seconds.
Line the bottom and two long sides of a rectangular tin or plastic container with a folded sheet of baking paper cut to the right width. Using a spoon and your fingers, spread the biscuit mixture evenly at the bottom of the container.
If the pistachios still have their brown skin on, remove it: blanch the pistachios for 1-2 minutes in boiling water, pour them into a colander and run them under cold water. The skin should come off easily. Rub them dry afterwards with a paper towel.
Chop coarsely 1/4 of the pistachios, keep the remaining ones whole.
Chop the chocolate into small chunks and place into a bowl. Pour the cream and milk into a saucepan and bring to a bare simmer over low heat. Pour over the chocolate, mix with a whisk until obtaining a smooth and homogeneous texture (if the chocolate splits, don’t panick, just stir in a dash of cold water). Stir in the pinches of instant coffee.
Stir delicately the whole pistachios into the chocolate and cream mixture. Pour the mixture into the lined container, ensuring it spreads evenly on top of the biscuit layer. Tap the container against a horizontal flat surface a couple of times to even out the top if needed. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios evenly on top and store in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
30 min before serving, unmould the ganache. Trim the edges if necessary for a cleaner look and cut into 1 to 2 cm slices, depending on the width of your container. Wait 10 minutes before serving, the ganache will be softer.
Serve with a drizzle of icing sugar running through the middle of the slice (drizzle it through a meshed sieve for a powdery look) and a scoop of ice cream. I used coconut ice cream on this picture, it was fabulous.
This dessert will also be delicious made with hazelnuts, and much faster as you won't have to remove the skin from the hazelnuts, which you can easily find peeled. Try pecans and walnuts too.
Do not prepare this dessert more than half a day in advance. While it keeps very well in the fridge for a couple of days, the pistachios end up catching moisture from the fondant and their edges take on a darker colour, which makes the look less stunning.
Do not prepare this dessert more than half a day in advance. While it keeps very well in the fridge for a couple of days, the pistachios end up catching moisture from the fondant and their edges take on a darker colour, which makes the look less stunning.
Ingredients
200g chocolate biscuits
80 g lightly salted butter at room temperature
400g dark chocolate 70% cocoa
20 cL single cream
6 cL (4 tablespoons) milk
3 pinches instant coffee
125 g pistachio nuts, shelled and unsalted
Serve with:
Icing sugar
Coconut or vanilla ice cream
200g chocolate biscuits
80 g lightly salted butter at room temperature
400g dark chocolate 70% cocoa
20 cL single cream
6 cL (4 tablespoons) milk
3 pinches instant coffee
125 g pistachio nuts, shelled and unsalted
Serve with:
Icing sugar
Coconut or vanilla ice cream
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