Hazelnut, blueberry and Earl Grey tart

Instructions

Hazelnut and bergamot shortcrust pastry

1. In the bowl of a freestanding mixer fitted with paddle attachment combine together butter, whole wheat flour, icing sugar, hazelnut flour, salt and bergamot zest and work until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Add the hazelnut cream and the yolks and beat on low speed until the dough comes together.
3. Once the pastry has come together, press into a neat flat square and cover in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 160°C, ventilation mode. Line a perforated baking tray with perforated silicone mat. Grease with butter a 19x4 cm cake ring and place onto the prepared baking tray.
   Cut out a strip of 57 cm length and 4 cm high from a 60x40 cm perforated silicone mat. Insert the strip into the ring to fully cover the edges of the ring.
   The perforate silicone strip helps the shortcrust pastry "to cling" to the cake ring while it is baking. And besides, it will be easier to remove the baked tart from the ring.
5. Roll the chilled shortcrust pastry on a lightly floured surface to approximately 3-4 mm in thickness, adding flour when needed so it doesn't stick.
6. Cut the rolled pastry with the cake ring to obtain the base. Place the pastry base onto the prepared baking tray.
   Cut out two pastry strips of 4 cm high and line the side of the ring, ensuring that the pastry strips stick well to the perforate silicone strip. Join the two ends of the pastry strips and, if needed, trim some of the excess pastry that is overhanging the side of the ring, using a knife.
   Place the ring over the pastry base, so that the pastry base is perfectly inside the ring and ensure that the edges of the pastry base stick well to the pastry sides.
   Prick the pastry base with a fork and place the tart in the freezer for at least 1h.
7. Line the frozen and unbaked tart shell with heatproof plastic wrap and fill it firmly to the top with uncooked rice (any type of legume or cereal also works well). Bring the sides of the wrap together at the top like a parcel, so it is easy to remove.
8. Put the tart in the oven, reduce the temperature at 150°C and pre-baked for about 30 minutes. Remove the rice and bake for a further 10 minutes at 160°C, until the tart is golden.
   Once cooked, dust the tart with Mycryo cocoa butter while it is hot. The cocoa butter prevents moisture from the other ingredients. Allow to cool down completely before removing both the ring and the silicone strip.

Azélia 35% milk chocolate crunchy layer

1. Melt the milk chocolate in the microwave to 45°C. Add the raw hazelnut cream and stir well with a rubber spatula until obtain a smooth and evenly mixture. Add both the chopped hazelnuts and cocoa nibs (previously caramelized in the oven with the maple syrup as described here) and salt and stir well with the spatula to obtain a grainy mixture.
2. Spread the crunch on the bottom of the tart about 2-3 mm thick and chill in the fridge until firm.

Gluten-free hazelnut choux pastry sponge

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, static mode. Grease a 32,5 x 32,5 cm silicone swiss roll mat (Silikomart tapis roulade) and place it on a baking tray.
2. In a saucepan combine together almond milk, butter and salt and bring to simmer. In the meantime mix together in a bowl the gluten-free flour blend with the hazelnut flour.
   When the butter has melted and the mixture is simmering, remove the saucepan from the heat and sieve the flours over the hot mixture. Stir well and vigorously with a exoglass spoon or a wooden spoon to combine everything.
3. When there are no lumps remaining and the mixture is fully combined, return the saucepan to the heat. Cook on medium-low heat until the dough comes together into a smooth ball and a thin film forms on bottom of the pan (approximately 1 minute).
4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on a medium-low speed for a few minutes to cool the choux pastry down (50-60°C).
5. Add the hazelnut cream and beat for 1 minute or until it is fully combined.
6. Place the eggs and yolks into a jug and break up by using a fork, then add into the batter and beat on medium speed until they are fully combined and the batter becomes smooth and fluid. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula to ensure that everything is well combined.
7. Whip the egg whites until they become foamy and frothy. When a light, soft foam is formed, add in the cane sugar in 3 times. Once all the sugar is added, whip until obtain a shiny and thick meringue.
8. Gently incorporate the meringue into the batter with a scooping-and-folding motion. This method will prevent the air in the meringue from deflating and so, the sponge biscuit will rise in the oven and will be light and fluffy.
9. Pour the mixture into the greased silicone mat and spread it out evenly with a palette knife, so that it is level with the top of the mat (I mean, 1 cm high, as the height of the silicone mat). Bake for approximatively 16 minutes. Keep a watchful eye on it towards the end of the baking time. Take it out too soon, and it will be damp and squidgy. Leave it too long, and it will be dry and liable to crack when rolled. It should be set, golden in color and still springy to the touch.
10. Remove from the oven and cover immediately with clingfilm to keep the sponge biscuit from drying out and to preserve the moisture. Let it cool down then chill overnight.
    Once the sponge biscuit is completely chilled, place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the sponge, then flip it over. Carefully remove the tapis roulade. Store the sponge biscuit covered with clingfilm in the fridge until needed.

Blueberry and bergamot whipped ganache

1. Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water.
2. Roughly chop the white chocolate and place into a mixing glass.
3. Heat to simmer the heavy cream (A), add the soaked gelatin sheets and stir to dissolve. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and set aside for a minute to let the cream melt the chocolate. Emulsify with a hand blender to obtain a smooth and homogeneous consistency, without adding air bubbles.
4. Add slowly and to wire the cold heavy cream (B), blending contemporarily with the hand blender without adding air bubbles. Add the blueberry puree followed by the bergamot juice and emulsify once more. Add finally the bergamot essential oil and the natural food coloring and emulsify once more.
5. Pour the ganache into a baking dish, cover with clingfilm pressed on top and chill overnight (12 h).
6. Transfer the cold ganache in the bowl of a freestanding mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whip the ganache on medium-high speed until medium peaks forms. The whipped ganache holds its shape well but is still soft and creamy. When you lift out the whisk, peak will form but the tip will fold back on itself. If you over-whip the ganache it will start to separate, to become grainy and to lose its shiny and silken texture.
7. Fill a disposable piping bag fitted with round nozzle (Wilton 2A, 1 cm diameter) with the whipped ganache and pipe strips of the same thickness and slightly spaced over the sponge biscuit. Level out the strips with a palette knife to entirely cover the sponge biscuit into an even layer of 1 cm thick. Freeze for at least 2h or until the whipped ganache is fully set.
8. Once the whipped ganache is completely frozen, leave the sponge biscuit-whipped ganache square at room temperature for about 5 minutes. If the square is completely frozen, it is impossibile to cut into strips and roll them up into a pinwheel.
9. Use a heated knife to trim the edges of the square, then cut into 2 cm strips. Only cut one strip at a time, cleaning the blade between each cut. This ensures a neater and easier cut. You can store the leftover biscuit sponge in the freezer and use it for other recipes.
10. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and trace the shape of a 16 cm cake ring. It will serve as a guideline for creating the pinwheel.
11. Take one strip of room-tempered biscuit sponge and, starting with the short end, roll it up. Place this spiral onto the centre of the circle drawn and position the exposed end of the spiral at the beginning of the next strip and keep rolling. Repeat the same step with the other strips until obtain a pinwheel of 16 cm wide. Freeze the pinwheel for at least 1h or just long to enough to can move it in the centre of the tart, over the crunchy layer. Place the tart in the fridge.

Azélia 35% milk chocolate ganache with Earl Grey tea 

1. Pour the cold heavy cream into a bowl. Add the content of the Earl Grey tea bag, cover the bowl with clingfilm and place in the fridge for 24 h to let the tea infuse the cream.
2. The next day, strain the heavy cream to discard the tea. Reweigh the cream: if it weighs less than 182 g, add more heavy cream to obtain 182 g.
3. Melt the milk chocolate in the microwave to 45°C. Heat the Earl grey flavored heavy cream with honey in the microwave without boiling.
4. Add the hot cream to the melted chocolate in three times, stirring vigorously with a rubber spatula in a circular pattern to obtain a smooth, evenly ganache.
5. Transfer the ganache into a mixing glass and emulsify with a hand blender for stabilizing the emulsion and to obtain a glossy, velvety consistency.
6. Add butter and emulsify once more.
7. Pour the ganache over the pinwheel insert to reach the top of the tart. Chill for about 3-4 hours.

Waina 35% white chocolate and blueberry ganache 

1. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave to 45°C. Heat heavy cream, almond milk, blueberry puree, bergamot juice and honey in the microwave without boiling.
2. Add the hot liquid to the melted chocolate in three times, stirring vigorously with a rubber spatula in a circular pattern to obtain a smooth, evenly ganache.
3. Transfer the ganache into a mixing glass and emulsify with a hand blender for stabilizing the emulsion and to obtain a glossy, velvety consistency.
4. Add butter and natural food coloring and emulsify once more.
5. Pour the ganache into a small baking dish, cover with clingfilm pressed on top and allow to set at room temperature overnight or alternatively in the fridge, remembering to remove the ganache from the fridge 2-3 h before filling the chocolate macarons.

Assembly and decoration

1. Fill the chocolate macaron with the Waina 35% white chocolate and blueberry ganache.
2. Decorate one side of the tart with chocolate discs, thin "crescents", crunchy pearls, blueberries and edible flowers.