Thursday, January 27, 2011

THE DARING BAKERS JANUARY 2011 CHALLENGE: BISCUIT JOCONDE IMPRIME/ENTREMET

Happy new year everyone! It's so good to be baking with the Daring Bakers again after having missed last month's stollen, due to the busy-ness of the season. And I'm really glad that it's something I've always wanted to do for the longest time...but before I get ahead of myself...the blog checking lines first:
The January 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Astheroshe of the blog accro. She chose to challenge everyone to make a Biscuit Joconde Imprime to wrap around an Entremets dessert.

So what exactly is a joconde imprime? A joconde imprime (French Baking term) is a decorative design baked into a light sponge cake providing an elegant finish to desserts/torts/entremets/ formed in ring molds. A joconde batter is used because it bakes into a moist, flexible cake. The cake batter may be tinted or marbleized for a further decorative effect.

This Joconde/spongecake requires attentive baking so that it remains flexible to easily conform to the molds. If under baked it will stick to the baking mat. It over baked it will dry out and crack. Once cooled, the sponge may be cut into strips to line any shape ring mold.

Entremets (French baking term)- an ornate dessert with many different layers of cake and pastry creams in a mold, usually served cold. Think Trifle in a mold vs. a glass bowl.

Joconde Sponge

YIELD: Two ½ size sheet pans or a 13” x 18” (33 x 46 cm) jelly roll pan

Ingredients:
¾ cup/ 180 ml/ 3oz/ 85g almond flour/meal - *You can also use hazelnut flour, just omit the butter
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons/ 150 ml/ 2⅔ oz/ 75g confectioners' (icing) sugar
¼ cup/ 60 ml/ 1 oz/ 25g cake flour *See note below
3 large eggs - about 5⅓ oz/ 150g
3 large egg whites - about 3 oz/ 90g
2½ teaspoons/ 12½ ml/ ⅓ oz/ 10g white granulated sugar or superfine (caster) sugar
2 tablespoons/ 30 ml/ 1oz / 30g unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

  1. In a clean mixing bowl whip the egg whites and white granulated sugar to firm, glossy peeks. Reserve in a separate clean bowl to use later.
  2. Sift almond flour, confectioner’s sugar, cake flour. (This can be done into your dirty egg white bowl)
  3. On medium speed, add the eggs a little at a time. Mix well after each addition. Mix until smooth and light. (If using a stand mixer use blade attachment. If hand held a whisk attachment is fine, or by hand. )
  4. Fold in one third reserved whipped egg whites to almond mixture to lighten the batter. Fold in remaining whipped egg whites. Do not over mix.
  5. Fold in melted butter.
  6. Reserve batter to be used later.
Patterned Joconde-Décor Paste

YIELD: Two ½ size sheet pans or a 13” x 18” (33 x 46 cm) jelly roll pan

Ingredients
14 tablespoons/ 210ml/ 7oz/ 200g unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups plus1½ tablespoons/ 385ml/ 7oz/ 200g Confectioners' (icing) sugar
7 large egg whites - about 7 oz / 200g
1¾ cup/ 420ml/ 7¾ oz/ 220g cake flour
Food coloring gel, paste or liquid

COCOA Décor Paste Variation: Reduce cake flour to 6 oz / 170g. Add 2 oz/ 60 g cocoa powder. Sift the flour and cocoa powder together before adding to creamed mixture.

Directions:

  1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (use stand mixer with blade, hand held mixer, or by hand)
  2. Gradually add egg whites. Beat continuously.
  3. Fold in sifted flour.
  4. Tint batter with coloring to desired color, if not making cocoa variation.

Preparing the Joconde- How to make the pattern:

  1. Spread a thin even layer of décor paste approximately 1/4 inch (5 millimeter) thick onto silicone baking mat with a spatula, or flat knife. Place mat on an upside down baking sheet. The upside down sheet makes spreading easier with no lip from the pan.
  2. Pattern the décor paste – Here is where you can be creative. Make horizontal /vertical lines (you can use a knife, spatula, cake/pastry comb). Squiggles with your fingers, zig zags, wood grains. Be creative whatever you have at home to make a design can be used. OR use a piping bag. Pipe letters, or polka dots, or a piped design. If you do not have a piping bag. Fill a ziplock bag and snip off corner for a homemade version of one.
  3. Slide the baking sheet with paste into the freezer. Freeze hard. Approx 15 minutes.
  4. Remove from freezer. Quickly pour the Joconde batter over the design. Spread evenly to completely cover the pattern of the Décor paste.
  5. Bake at 475ºF /250ºC until the joconde bounces back when slightly pressed, approx. 15 minutes. You can bake it as is on the upside down pan. Yes, it is a very quick bake, so watch carefully.
  6. Cool. Do not leave too long, or you will have difficulty removing it from mat.
  7. Flip cooled cake on to a powdered sugared parchment paper. Remove silpat. Cake should be right side up, and pattern showing! (The powdered sugar helps the cake from sticking when cutting.)
Just as our host Astheroshe said this dessert looks more difficult than it is! Once I baked the joconde imprime, cut it into the desired height for my cake ring--it was smooth sailing! I opted to use 2 kinds of mousse. One was coffee mousse and the top layer was chocolate mousse. I wanted to show the different colors when the cake was sliced and I wasn't disappointed--doesn't this look pretty?
What a great way to start the new year with the Daring Bakers! A big thank you to Astheroshe for this great challenge!

32 comments:

Suz said...

Wow! Your entremet is perfect! So beautiful. :)

Renata said...

Yes!!! It looks VERY pretty! Gorgeous, indeed! Your fillings are so amazing! So is your design, love it!

shelley c. said...

That looks awesome - your two layers came out so smoothly and distinctly, and the jaconde is super! Really, really great work with the challenge!!

Anonymous said...

This came out just perfect. Love the even layers of mousse, love the flavors (chocolate and coffee is one of my favs). This was a hard challenge, so well done!!

Barbara Bakes said...

It looks so pretty! Well done! I loved this challenge too.

Kris Ngoei said...

Love the organic pattern! And the color combination of the layering is just beautiful! Salute for the effort you put in with those layers, I settled with just one layer, I would I have more energy like you :-)

Ashlae said...

You layers look smooth and absolutely perfect! And the flavor combination sounds delicious.

Evelyn said...

Your desseert looks really beautiful. It looks very professional. I could frame the picture of your slice but I would rather eat it :)

Ruth H. said...

This looks amazing! Your mousse layers are so light and beautiful, and the joconde looks so rich! Amazing work on this challenge, as usual!

Valérie said...

Oh, wow! I love the pattern on your joconde, and your mousse's texture is just perfect! Such a beautiful cake!

Alpineberry Mary said...

Coffee and chocolate - yum! Great job this month.

Mary said...

It looks amazing with the 2 fillings, and I bet they tasted wonderful together. I think I want to make another one now!
:)

Bobbie Noto said...

what an awesome job, the filling looks scrumptious
Bobbie Noto http://bobbiesbakingblog.com/2011/01/jocondetulippastealmondspong/

Anonymous said...

Lovely creation! Very nicely done.

Phuoc'n Delicious said...

Oh yummy! Coffee mousse sounds divine. Your cake looks awesome, well done!

Stephanie said...

Yours looks just perfect! I felt the same way about the dessert, that it looks so hard to make and impressive but then you discover that its just some sponge cake wrapped around whatever filling you want. A really fun challenge this month!

Eat the Love said...

Your entremet looks totally elegant and fantastic! I missed last month's challenge (actually I skipped two months because of the holidays) but I'm glad to be back. It was such a fun challenge!

astheroshe said...

It is beautiful

Robyn Clarke said...

Impressive!

Cakelaw said...

Your dessert turned out perfectly - a very professional finish. I would love a slice of it now!

Unknown said...

It definitely looks very pretty! Your layers look absolutely perfect. Great job!

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

What a splendid creation! It looks perfect. I love the choice of filling.

Cheers,

Rosa

shaz said...

Yes it looks very, very pretty :) Whoa, I read your "busy" post, no wonder you call yourself the energetic chef, I was tired just from reading it.

Unknown said...

Ooooh, now these are flavours I love! A really big wedge, please!

Boabe de Cafea said...

Hei, that a really nice cake! I love it! :)

Aldy said...

Hi, This looks absolutely BEAUTIFUL! What an amazing work :) I love the combination of flavors!

Cheers,

Aldy.

Lisa said...

Your entremet is gorgeous! I love how your joconde turned out, and in fact I was striving for something similar, but never got there. Also love the B-day cake above using joconde! What a fantastic idea! I wish I could pipe well..lol Beautifully done all around!

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

Yes, your entremet does look very pretty and professionally finished.

Namratha said...

The mousse layers look so inviting, very pretty entremet. Nicely done!

Anonymous said...

You did a great job with this month's challenge. It is so pretty and your fillings sound divine
best- Sandie

Anonymous said...

Wow it's scrumptious :)

Lea said...

It looks great from the outside and inside! Your mousses look so perfectly, The slice looks amazing! It all set so well and it's a great flavour combination.
I'd love to hear your recipe for the coffee mousse!
And, indeed, it was an amazing challenge!