Apple Entremet Recipes Hazelnut Saray Ruiz so good #22

‘Bite the apple’ and hazelnut crust entremet by Saray Ruiz

As a metaphor for Nature, Saray Ruiz, a professor at the Pastry School of Barcelona EPGB, develops creations that are full of life even though this vital activity is apparently hidden from us. And what is, without a doubt, the most interesting part of the cakes presented to us at so good #22 by this chef is what happens inside, because from the outside we can only see the stems but not the fruits, which remain ‘hidden’. It is when the cake is cut that the mystery is revealed, and when everything makes sense. And how does Saray Ruiz achieve that magical and surprising effect? She does so by introducing the inserts in the form of spheres inside the mousse that covers them entirely. The same happens with the hexagonal cells of the honeycomb that live inside the honey, peanut and apricot cake, also featured in the same issue.

Saray Ruiz graduated from the Barcelona Pastry School as a pastry chef in June 2014, and in September of that same year, she became a new teacher at that institution. Her curiosity, her perfectionist zeal and her indisputable talent make her one of the most interesting professionals in the current panorama, as she has demonstrated both in her work in the Barcelona school and in her frequent courses in other schools, congresses and events.

Hazelnut crumble

220 g butter
280 g brown sugar
290 g hazelnut powder
280 g cake flour

Cut the butter into small dice, 0.5 cm, and reserve in the refrigerator. Place all the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat slightly to mix the ingredients and then mix in the butter dice. Beat to a crumble texture. Transfer to the freezer. Once frozen, roll out on a parchment paper-line sheet pan and bake in the oven at 150ºC for approximately 12 minutes. Stir occasionally so that it is cooked evenly. Allow to cool down.

Hazelnut crust (tartelette)

110 g Opalys white chocolate
20 g butter
55 g roasted hazelnut paste
2400 g hazelnut crumble
10 g pailleté feuilletine

Melt the couverture and butter separately. In a mixing bowl, combine both melted fats and then add the hazelnut paste. Mix until a homogeneous texture is obtained. Pour in all the dry ingredients and mix until perfectly incorporated into the fats. Prepare a sheet pan with a silicone mat and a 16-cm ring on top. Start by pressing the dough down over the bottom with the help of a spoon until perfectly even. Following this, place a 14-cm ring in the very center, add the dough in between the sides of both rings and slightly press with the inner ring towards the edges so the dough is smooth and even. Make sure the inner ring is loose enough so it comes off easily when lifted after the interior has been placed. Reserve in the refrigerator.

Baked apple compote

35 g sugar
22 g atomized glucose
200 g baked apple purée
3 g gelatin sheets

Mix the atomized glucose together with the sugar, add the fresh purée and bring to a boil. Turn the heat off and, once it stops bubbling, whisk in the gelatin to dissolve, pipe into 2-cm hemisphere molds and freeze. Once properly frozen, glaze the spheres with the red glaze. Place on top of the sponge.

Hazelnut and baked apple sponge

250 g butter
200 g sugar
100 g honey
100 g hazelnut paste
280 g eggs
100 g hazelnut powder
200 g flour
9 g baking powder
q.s. baked apple, cut into dice

In a blender, pulse the flour and hazelnut. Do not pulse in excess otherwise the oil they contain will come out. Soften the butter on medium speed. If the butter is too cold, work it with a paddle, and if it is at room temperature, work it with a whisk. Add the sugar when the butter is soft and beat until pale. If necessary, use a heat gun. Add the baking powder to the dry ingredients. No sifting is needed as they have been previously processed. Add the honey. Pour in the hazelnut paste. Once the mixture is ready, beat in the eggs one at a time. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients with the help of a rubber spatula. Pipe onto a silicone mat and, once spread, randomly scatter with the small baked apple dice. Bake in a fan-assisted oven at 170ºC for 15 to 17 minutes (speed 2, vent closed). Once baked, allow to cool down, cut as needed and reserve.

Red glaze

125 g water
225 g sugar
225 g glucose
225 g Dulcey chocolate
22 g gelatin sheets
160 g condensed milk
90 g neutral gelatin
1.3 g red coloring
0.3 g black coloring

Make a syrup with the water and sugars, except the condensed milk. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the bloomed gelatin (make sure it is properly hydrated as a large amount of it is needed). Mix the condensed milk with the chocolate, either melted or not will depend on how big the pieces are. Pour the syrup over the chocolate and condensed milk mixture, allow some time and process with a handheld blender. Pour in the neutral gelatin, mix again and add the color. Use at 30-35ºC.