Alexis Bouillet Coconut Lemon so good #21

Pineapple green cardamom individual cake by Alexis Bouillet

It is not usual for someone at an early age to not only resolve to learn a trade, but also to set a goal of obtaining a profession with international recognition. Alexis Bouillet has shown adequate determination to achieve what he sets out to do. In so good #21 pages he explains how his carrer has gradually been shaped and shows us some of his most recent creations, always with a piping bag and a spatula as his main weapons.

‘When I was 5 years old, my grandmother taught me and my twin brother Manuel how to bake our first chocolate cake. I think that was the very first inspiration to my career. Since that moment, I have told myself that I would be a successful pastry chef.’

With the same clarity and conviction with which he has designed his own professional destiny, chef Bouillet offers us his vision for the future patisserie, ‘I believe that the future of pastry will be less sweet, less food coloring-based, using fewer molds, and with less glaze but more natural ingredients, more of a fruity taste, and more modern design, to look like a piece of art. Nowadays, I try to use as less food coloring as possible in my creations. I believe that this concept will be accepted by people one day. Colorful desserts seem really attractive, but how to make them natural, tasty and beautiful at the same time is the most difficult task for everyone.’

‘I believe that the future of pastry will be less sweet, less food coloring-based, using fewer molds, and with less glaze but more natural ingredients

This creation is based on pineapple, green cardamom, and vanilla. I like to keep it light, fruity and more acidic. Pineapple is one of my favorite fruits.

Unlike most of the fruit desserts, I prepare the pineapple jam and make a tube shape to cover this dessert. Inside the dessert, I place a layer of lime sponge and white chocolate vanilla ganache as a filling. On the top, you will find a bubbly surface. Combining all these elements together, I hope people can feel this fruity and fluffy pineapple dessert with a modern look.

Pineapple green cardamom individual cake

recipe for 20 individual cakes

80 g pineapple jam
15 g coconut croustillant
600 g lime almond sponge
20 g lemon gel mousse
40 g whipped vanilla ganache

Coconut croustillant

125,5 g Elianza 35 % white chocolate
89 g feuilletine
57,2 g roasted coconut powder
1,3 g lime zest

Melt the white chocolate. Add the rest of ingredients.

Lime almond sponge

105,5 g egg whites
125 g sugar (1)
125 g almond powder
40 g flour T55
2 g cornstarch
1,3 g salt
180 g eggs
25 g sugar (2)
22,5 g butter
5 g lime zest

Whisk the egg whites together with the sugar (1) until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar (2). Pour the mix of eggs/sugar over the mix of egg whites/sugar.
Add the mix of flour, cornstarch and salt already sifted together. Gently stir with a rubber spatula.
Finish by adding the melted butter at 70¼C and the lime zest. Bake at 165¼C for 9+9 minutes.

Pineapple jam

2100 g pineapple, diced into 1 cm cubes
150 g sugar
15 g cornstarch
70 g Malibu liquor
3 g vanilla beans
80 g lime purée

Cut the pineapple into dice. Cook them.
Strain the pineapple to remove the juice.
Add the vanilla bean, lime purŽe and sugar.
Mix the cornstarch and the Malibu liquor together and pour over the pineapple. Cook for 1 minute to activate the cornstarch. If necessary, add some pineapple juice (from the beginning) to make it softer. Cool it down quickly.

Whipped vanilla ganache

171,4 g cream (1)
1,1 pc vanilla bean
22,9 g glucose
187,4 g 33%white chocolate
514,3 g cream (2)

In a small saucepan, heat up the cream (1) with the vanilla beans and glucose. Pour this first mixture over the white chocolate. Mix everything together, then use a hand blender to mix it. During the blending process, add the cream (2).
Continue blending the mixture. Let it set overnight in the refrigerator before use.

Lemon gel mousse

118,8 g sugar
138,6 g water
1 pc lemongrass stick
13,9 g gelatin
123 g lime purée

Bring the sugar and water to a boil. Chop the lemongrass and green cardamom and allow to infuse in the syrup for 3 hours. Reheat the syrup and strain over the gelatin.
Finish by adding the lime purŽe. Leave in the refrigerator until it sets.
Whip the jelly until it becomes a soft mousse.

Montage

Prepare the whipped vanilla ganache and lemon gel mousse the day before use. Allow to set in the refrigerator.
Prepare the pineapple jam. Leave to cool down.
Spread out the pineapple jam cubes all over the silicon mold. Leave to set in the freezer.
Prepare the lime almond sponge, then cut into the sizes needed for the montage.
Prepare the coconut croustillant and spread into a 3.5-cm ring.
Spread a layer of whipped vanilla ganache, then insert the sponge and pipe again some whipped vanilla ganache. Finish with the croustillant. Freeze it.
Finish the montage by piping a small dome of whipped vanilla ganache and some cloud-effect lemon gel mousse on the top.