When the bijouterie is a bonbonniere

Art Culinaire, Summer, 2005

Francois Payard

Payard

New York, NY

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directions

For the biscuit: Preheat oven to 390 degrees. Combine all nuts in bowl and stir in confectioners' sugar and flour. In separate bowl, combine egg whites, brown sugar and granulated sugar and whisk to soft peaks. Fold nut mixture into egg white mixture. Transfer mixture into pastry bag fitted with #10 tip, working in batches if necessary. Pipe mixture into 16 buttered and floured individual 3-inch square cake pans. Bake in oven 18 minutes. Let cool at room temperature.

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For the pear and lingonberry marmalade: Squeeze excess water from gelatin and place in saucepan with all ingredients except liqueur. Bring to a boil and cook 6 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly. Stir in liqueur and cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to clean bowl and let cool to room temperature. Line bottom of each of 16 individual tartlet molds, preferably made of flexible silicone, with slightly less than one ounce of marmalade. Refrigerate, unmold when firm and wrap in plastic. Store in refrigerator.

For the vanilla buttercream: Combine sugar, water and vanilla bean in small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook to 245 degrees. While sugar cooks, place yolks in electric mixer fitted with whisk. Mix just enough to break up yolks. When sugar is ready, beat yolks in mixer at medium speed and slowly drizzle sugar syrup into bowl of mixer. Once yolks are incorporated, increase mixer speed to high and beat until mixture is cool, about 15 minutes. With mixer on low speed, gradually add butter, one small piece at a time. If mixture appears curdled, continue to mix on low speed until it comes together. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the mascarpone maple cream: In large saucepan, bring maple syrup to a boil. Cook over high heat until reduced by nearly half. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. In medium saucepan, combine reduced syrup and cream and bring to a boil. Whisking constantly, pour half the cream mixture into yolks. Pour that mixture back into pan with cream mixture. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture coats back of wooden spoon. Squeeze excess water from gelatin and stir into mixture. Remove from heat and cool to 113 degrees. Stir in mascarpone.

For the white chocolate spray: Combine chocolate and cocoa butter in bowl over pan of simmering water. Stir to melt together, taking care that mixture does not exceed 113 degrees. Transfer to pastry spray gun.

For the white chocolate squares: Stir salt into chocolate and spread in thin layer on sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Once chocolate begins to harden, use pastry cutter to cut sixteen 2-inch squares. Store in refrigerator between sheets of parchment.

For the exotic glaze: In saucepot, combine water, zests and vanilla bean and heat to 113 degrees. Stir in granulated sugar and pectin and boil 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in juice and mint and let infuse 30 minutes. Strain through fine mesh sieve and store in cool place.