Tropical Jaconde Recipes

TROPICAL TRIFLE

Steps:

• For the Mango Puree: Combine all the ingredients in pot, stir to combine and continuously through cooking until the puree bubbles, about 12 minutes.
• For the Candied Cashews: Place the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Next, line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper. You can also use a jellyroll pan.
• In a medium heavy bottom saucepan melt the butter over high heat being careful not to brown the butter. To the melted butter, add the sugar, light corn syrup, and salt and stir to combine. Add the cashews and cook for 3 minutes stirring constantly.
• Pour the sugar coated cashews onto the lined baking sheet. With a heat resistant spatula spread the nuts in an even layer. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Use the heat resistant spatula to stir the nuts half way through the baking to help the nuts develop an beautiful even golden color.
• Remove pan from the oven and allow nuts to cool completely. Once cool, break into small clusters.
• For the Pastry Cream: Because the pastry cream needs to be removed from the saucepan immediately, prepare ahead and place a bowl, a fine mesh strainer or a food mill, and a heat resistant rubber spatula near the stove.
• In a second bowl, whisk together the flour with 1 cup of the sugar. Next, whisk in the eggs until smooth. The mixture will be very thick.
• Combine the milk, the remaining cup of sugar, the vanilla bean, and the salt in a medium saucepan. Over medium heat cook the milk mixture being sure to occasionally stir to prevent scorching and a skin from forming. Remove the pan from the heat when it just begins to simmer. While whisking constantly, slowly pour, in a thing stream, about half of the milk into the sugar, flour, egg mixture. Using the same method of pouring slowly and whisking, return the mixture in the bowl to the saucepan with the remaining milk. Return the pan to the stove and cook over medium to medium-low heat while whisking constantly but not vigorously to avoid incorporating air into the pastry cream. Cook the mixture until it thickens. Immediately remove the pan from the stove as soon as the first bubble breaks the surface of the pastry cream.
• As soon as the pastry cream is removed from the heat pour the hot pastry cream into the strainer or food mill. Use the spatula to scrape the pan and to push the pastry cream through the sieve, if using.
• Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate at least several hours, or overnight.
• Slice the cake in half horizontaly, brush with simple syrup or a good quality liqueur.
• Spread your favorite jam between the layers of cake and cut in squares. Make a mixture of half pastry cream and half whipped cream.
• For assembly, place layers of cake on the bottom of a trifle dish. Layer with mango puree, grilled pineapple, candied cashews and the pastry cream/whipped cream mixture continuing layers until the bowl is full. Garnish with coconut and more candied cashews.

MINI JOCONDE SPONGE CAKES

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly spray 2 half sheet trays (each 18 by 13 inches) with cooking spray and line each with parchment paper then spray the parchment generously.
• Sift together the almond flour, powdered sugar, cake flour and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the whole eggs until smooth and set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Sprinkle in the granulated sugar and whip on high speed until the mixture reaches soft peaks, about 1 minute. Gently fold in half of the egg whites into the flour mixture until combined, then fold that mixture into the remaining egg whites and fold until fully incorporated. Fold in the melted butter.
• Divide the batter equally between the 2 prepared sheet trays and spread evenly--it will not reach all four sides of a pan and that's okay. Bake, rotating 180 degrees halfway through baking, until the edges of the cakes are lightly golden and the surface springs back when touched, about 8 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool in the sheet trays to room temperature.
• For the buttercream: Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a medium bowl using a hand mixer, start whipping together the butter, powdered sugar and salt. Mix in a little bit of the milk at a time so the mixture is not too dry. Add the vanilla. Turn up the mixer speed and whip until the buttercream is smooth. If the buttercream is too wet, mix in a bit more powdered sugar; if it's too stiff, mix in a bit more butter. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl once or twice to make sure everything is combined.
• Use immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Re-whip if the buttercream is cold.
• Divide the buttercream equally between 2 small bowls. Add the pink gel color to one of the bowls and whisk well to combine. Add the blue gel color to the other bowl and whisk well to combine. Transfer each buttercream to its own piping bag fitted with a star tip.
• For assembly and decorating: Working with 1 cake at a time, gently turn out onto a cutting board and remove the parchment. Using a 1 1/2-inch round cutter, cut each cake into 36 rounds. Pipe the pink buttercream around the edges of 8 cake rounds. Pipe the blue buttercream around the edges of another 8 cake rounds. Place 1 teaspoon of the jam in the middle of each frosted cake round. To stack the cakes, place any frosted cake round on top of another frosted cake round then top with a plain cake round. Repeat to create a total of twenty-four 3-layer mini cakes. Drizzle the melted candy melting wafers over the cakes, pipe a buttercream rosette on top of each and decorate with sprinkles and/or sugar flowers.

TROPICAL MIX

Steps:

• Toss all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl.

TROPICAL CHEWIES

Steps:

• Beat 1 1/2 sticks melted butter, 3/4 cup dark brown sugar and 3/4 cup granulated sugar until fluffy; beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla and 2 eggs. Whisk 2 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt, then stir into the butter mixture. Add 2 cups white chocolate chips, 1 cup chopped macadamia nuts, 1/2 cup chopped almonds and 3/4 cup shredded coconut. Scoop into medium balls, sprinkle with coconut and chill. Bake 12 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

CINNAMON-SPICED JACONDE BISCUIT

Steps:

• For the cream: In a blender, puree the cranberries until completely smooth. Place the cream in a pot and bring to a light boil. Add the cranberry puree, then pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and mix until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and rest overnight in the refrigerator.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the Parisian cream until soft peaks form. Transfer the cream to a piping bag fitted with a star tip.
• For the apples: Heat the granulated sugar in a pan with the vanilla seeds until caramelized and light amber. Add the brown sugar and cook until it all melts. Deglaze the pan with the butter. Add the apples and cook for 3 minutes. Add the brandy and cinnamon, and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Whisk the eggs, almond flour, and confectioners' sugar together. Fold in the cake flour and butter. Whip the egg whites, granulated sugar and egg white powder to form soft peaks. Fold the egg whites into the batter. Pour the batter into a full-size sheet pan and bake until light brown, about 7 minutes.
• Cool the cake and then cut out rounds with a 2-inch round cutter, about 72 total rounds.
• For the gelee: Soak the gelatin in cold water until completely soft, about 5 minutes. In a small saucepot, warm the apple cider and granulated sugar until a candy thermometer inserted in the mixture reads 110 degrees F. Add the gelatin and remove from the heat. Mix it all together and pour into small, rectangular candy molds, then chill in the refrigerator until firm, 20 minutes.
• For the foam: Puree the apples in a food processor and set aside. In a small saucepot set over medium-high heat, bring the heavy cream to a boil. In a small mixing bowl, add the egg yolks and granulated sugar, and mix together. When the heavy cream comes to a boil, immediately remove from the heat and pour half into the yolk mixture. Whisk the egg yolk mixture and return the saucepot to the stovetop. Bring the cream back to a boil and whisk in the tempered yolk mixture. Cook until the mixture starts to thicken, then remove from the heat. Pour the mixture into a small mixing bowl and add the pureed apples and the apple compound. Refrigerate until completely cool, 20 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender to make the foam.
• To assemble, pipe a layer of Parisian cream on a cake round, then top with another piece of cake and another layer of cream. Finish with a final layer of cake and top with some caramelized apples. Repeat for the remaining pieces of cake and cream. Serve each with a piece of gelee and some foam.

JOCONDE CAKE

Steps:

• In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla and beat on medium speed (you read that right) until just thick-it will start to leave marks from the whisk in the cream.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using the whisk attachment, continue whipping by hand for several seconds until the cream reaches the desired consistency; this way, you can ensure the mixer won't take it too far. Whipped cream is best used right away.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease an 11 by 16-inch jelly-roll pan, then line the bottom with greased parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour and almond flour. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs and 1⁄2 cup sugar on high speed for about 8 minutes. The batter should be very light in color and texture. When you lift the whisk out of the mixture, the batter should form a ribbon that sits on the surface of the egg foam for several seconds. Turn the speed to medium and continue to whip for 1 minute more. Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using the whisk attachment or a rubber spatula, gently fold the almond mixture into the egg foam in three additions.
• In a clean mixer bowl with a clean whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and salt on medium speed just until they start to foam. Slowly sprinkle in the remaining 2 Tbsp sugar to create a French meringue, then whip on high speed until glossy, stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using the whisk attachment or a rubber spatula, gently fold the meringue into the almond batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula.
• Bake until the cake is set and just golden on top, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
• Dust a clean kitchen towel with confectioners' sugar. Invert the joconde onto the prepared towel and carefully peel off the parchment paper.
• Cover the joconde with half of the whipped cream, then top with half of the berries.
• Using the towel to get started, roll the joconde, starting at the short end, into as tight a log as you can manage. Transfer the log to a serving platter. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Remove the log from the refrigerator, then top with the remaining whipped cream and berries. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.