White Chocolate Wasp Nests with Mango and Passion Fruit
·Making the homemade purée
Cut the passion fruit in half and scoop the insides into a sieve. Press through as much juice as possible while leaving the seeds behind. Add chopped fresh mango and blend everything together into a completely smooth purée.
Hydrating the gelatine
Tip the gelatine powder into a small bowl and cover it with cold water. Stir and set aside to swell. You'll need it shortly to thicken the hot custard.
Whipping the egg base
In a bowl, start whisking whole eggs with granulated sugar. Use an electric mixer and beat until the mixture turns pale yellow and increases nicely in volume.
Cooking the fruit custard
Stir your prepared fruit purée into the whipped egg mixture. Pour everything into a saucepan and heat while stirring constantly. You need to reach exactly 85 degrees so the custard thickens without the eggs curdling.
Dissolving the gelatine
As soon as the custard reaches the right temperature, take it off the heat immediately. Stir the swollen gelatine into the hot mixture. Mix thoroughly until the gelatine has fully dissolved with no trace left.
Emulsifying the butter
Let the mixture cool to 40 degrees. Only then add the cold butter, cut into cubes. Blend everything with a stick blender into a smooth emulsion. This will make the custard beautifully silky and glossy.
Chilling the filling
Transfer the finished custard into a clean container and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the custard. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours so it sets perfectly and is easy to pipe or fill with.
Preparing the sponge biscuits for the dough
While the custard is setting, move on to the dough. Blitz the sponge biscuits into a very fine powder. The finer the mixture, the easier the dough will be to work with, and the smoother your nests will look on the outside.
Melting the white chocolate
Gently melt the white chocolate together with the butter over a bain-marie. Be careful — white chocolate is sensitive to high heat and scorches easily, so keep an eye on the temperature.
Making the dough
Add icing sugar and a pinch of salt to the blitzed sponge biscuits to bring out the flavour. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture. Knead the dough by hand. If it's too stiff, add milk a teaspoon at a time, but go carefully!
Resting the dough
Wrap the finished dough in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for 10–15 minutes. The chocolate will firm up in the cold, making the dough easier to work with. Just don't leave it too long, or it will become too hard.
Shaping and filling
Pinch off small pieces of dough, dust a mould with icing sugar, press the dough into it, make a hollow, fill with the mango custard and top with a sponge biscuit. Store in the fridge.