Blackberry and chamomile tartlets

Gluten-free almond and chamomile shortcrust pastry

1. Mix the icing sugar with chamomile flowers, using a mini food processor, in order to obtain a fine powder.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment combine butter, rice flour, Teff flour, almonds flour, cornstarch, chamomile flavored icing sugar and salt and work until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Add eggs and beat on low speed until the dough comes together.
4. Once the pastry has come together, press into a neat flat square and cover in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge overnight.
5. Preheat the oven to 160°C, ventilation mode. Line a micro-perforated baking tray with micro-perforated silicone mat. Grease generously with butter 6 tartlet rings (Ø 8,5 cm x h 3,5 cm) and place them onto the prepared baking tray.
6. Roll the chilled shortcrust pastry on a lightly floured surface to approximately 2-3 mm in thickness, adding flour when needed so it doesn't stick.
7. Cut out the rolled pastry with the tartlet ring to obtain the base. Place the pastry base onto the prepared baking tray. Cut out a pastry strip of 8,5 cm long and 4 cm high and line the side of the ring. Join the ends of the pastry strip and 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. Freeze for at least 1h.
8. Line the frozen and unbaked tart shells 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 easier to remove.
9. Place the tartlets in the oven, reduce the temperature at 150°C and pre-baked for about 20 minutes. Remove the rice and bake for a further 10 minutes at 150°C to finish baking.
10. Remove the tartlets from the oven and dust with cocoa butter powder (Mycryo) while they're still hot. This prevents the pastry to get soggy once filled with the cream. Once the tartlet is lukewarm to touch, gently remove the tartlet ring. Do not worry if you don't have the cocoa butter powder, because the baked and cooled tart will be covered with a thin chocolate layer (see below).
11. Melt some Dulcey 32% chocolate in the microwave to 45°C. Brush the melted chocolate all over the base and the sides of the baked pastry shell, into a thin layer. The chocolate makes a barrier which prevents the shortcrust pastry from getting moist, as making the tart even crispier and tastier. Allow the chocolate to harden at room temperature or in the fridge, eventually.

Blackberries compote

1. In a saucepan, combine fresh blackberries, blackberries puree, glucose syrup and honey and heat to 40°C.
2. In a small bowl, mix sugar and pectin NH.
3. Add the mix of sugar-pectin to the warm blackberries mix once it is 40°C, mixing constantly with a fine whisk to let the mix of sugar-pectin dissolve into the liquids. Bring to boil and cook for around 1 minute to medium heat, mixing continuously with the whisk. The pectin NH is activated at the temperature of 70°C, so it's very important to bring the mixture to boil.
4. Remove from the heat and pour into a baking dish. Cover with clingfilm pressed on top of the compote and chill in the fridge for about 1h, until the compote is firmed.
5. Transfer the chilled and gelled compote into a mixing glass and mix with the hand blender to obtain a smooth and soft gel.
6. Transfer the gel into a disposable piping bag and fill each tartlet with a layer of blackberries compote of about 1,5 cm thick. Freeze for about 1h in a domestic freezer or for about 30 minutes in a blast freezer. In this way, the blackberries compote will not mix up with the chamomile crémeux once it is poured over the compote.

Chamomile, white chocolate and vanilla crémeux

1. Heat milk and cream without bringing to boil. Add in the dried chamomile flowers and let to infuse for 5 minutes. Strain and pressing well the chamomile flowers to squeeze out as much liquid (and flavor) as you can. Weigh the strained liquid to obtain 256 g. If it weighs less than 256 g, add extra heavy cream and extra milk (half dose of heavy cream and half dose of milk) till obtaining 256 g.
2. Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water.
3. Chop the white chocolate with a knife and place the chunks into a mixing glass.
4. Make the crème anglaise. Place egg yolks, sugar and vanilla seeds in a bowl and whisk everything together using a fine whisk. In a saucepan brings to simmer the chamomile flavored milk and heavy cream. Add the hot liquids to the yolks in 3 times while whisking constantly with a fine whisk. Place everything back into the saucepan and reheat to 82-85°C, stirring continuously with a rubber spatula over low to medium heat. A method for determining the doneness is to look closely just as the custard's consistency. When you start stirring, you will see lots of tiny bubbles on the surface of the crème anglaise. But as soon as it is done, these bubbles disappear and they are replaced with ticker and silky waves. The crème anglaise is also done when you can make a line on the rubber spatula with your finger.
5. Strain the crème anglaise directly over the chopped chocolate, then add the soaked gelatin sheets. Emulsify with the hand blender to obtain a smooth and shiny cream.
6. Pour the crémeux over the frozen blackberries compote, ensuring to leave enough space (about 1,5 cm) for the blackberries whipped ganache. Place in the fridge for 12h (overnight).
7. The next day, once the crémeux is chilled and firmed, freeze the tartlets for 1-2h in a domestic freezer or for about 30 minutes in a blast freezer.

Blackberries whipped ganache

1. Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water.
2. Heat the heavy cream without bringing to boil. Add in the soaked gelatin sheets and stir until it is dissolved.
3. Melt together the white chocolate with the cocoa butter in the microwave to 45°C.
4. Pour the warm heavy cream over the melted chocolate-cocoa butter and stir with a rubber spatula until a smooth and fluid ganache is formed.
5. Transfer the ganache in a mixing glass and emulsify with the hand blender to stabilize the emulsion.
6. Add the mascarpone and emulsify once again, until it is completely melted.
7. Add to wire the blackberries puree, blending with the mixer at the same time.
8. Transfer the ganache into a baking dish, cover with clingfilm pressed on top of the ganache and place in the fridge for minimum 12h (overnight).
9. The next day, transfer the cold ganache in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whip the ganache on medium-high speed until it forms very soft peaks. If it looks too much soft, no worries. If you over-whip the ganache it will start to separate, to become grainy and to lose its shiny and silken texture.
10. Pipe the whipped ganache into a silicone mould with 6 round cavities of Ø 6,7 cm x h 2 cm (I've used the Kit Tarte Ring Ø80 from Silikomart) and freeze for at least 2h in a domestic freezer or for about 1h in a blast freezer.

Ruby chocolate crunchy coating

1. Melt together Ruby chocolate and cocoa butter in the microwave to 45°C and mix through the almond oil.
2. Transfer the glaze to a jug with a diameter just slightly wider than the tartlet. Let the glaze to cool down to 35-36°C.
3. Insert the tip of a knife in the centre of the frozen tartlet (I mean, in the centre of the chamomile, white chocolate and vanilla crémeux) and gently dip it into the glaze.
4. Wipe off the base of the tartlet on the side of the jug, then wipe off the base on a parchment paper or Silpat mat to remove any excess glaze. Place the tartlets in the fridge.

Ruby chocolate mirror glaze

1. Soak the gelatin sheets in 50 g cold water for at least 10 minutes.
2. Weigh Ruby chocolate into a mixing glass.
3. Heat almond milk, caster sugar, trehalose sugar and glucose syrup in a saucepan to 104°C.
4. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Emulsify with an hand blender without adding air bubbles and in order to obtain a smooth and shiny glaze.
5. Heat the Absolu Cristal in the microwave to 65°C and add into the glaze, followed by the drained gelatin sheets (add only the gelatin sheets and not the soaked water). Emulsify once more without adding air bubbles. Add the food colorings and blend once again.
6. Pass the glaze through a sieve and pour into a baking dish. Cover with clingfilm pressed on top of the glaze and chill in the fridge for at least 12h or overnight.
7. Heat the glaze in the microwave to 45°C then pour into a mixing glass and emulsify with the hand blender, ensuring the blade is submerged in the glaze and not showing, to avoid air bubbles. If you directly melt the glaze to 32-35°C (the temperature of usage), it will not be shiny and glossy. Place cling film on the surface of the glaze and cool it to 32-35°C. You can place the glaze in the fridge or take it at room temperature.
8. In the meantime, cover the working surface with two sheets of clingfilm, slightly overlapping. They will serve to collect the excess glaze. Place onto a cooling rack.
9. Once the glaze is 32-35°C, remove the discs of whipped ganache from the freezer and unmould. Place the discs onto the cooling rack. Pour the glaze over each disc ensuring that it is fully covered. Wipe off any excess glaze on top of the disc with a flat palette knife, angling it slightly and lifting it up at the edge. Allow the glaze to drip over the clingfilm sheets.
10. Once the glaze stops dripping, place a toothpick into the centre and use it to pick up the glazed disc. Gently scrape the bottom of the disc on the cooling rack to remove any excess glaze and place onto the crémeux. Gently twist the toothpick to remove and place in the fridge to defrost.

Assembly and decoration

Garnish with fresh blackberries and edible flowers.