Decadent Paillette Feuilletine Mousse Petit Fours

I absolutely love when a favorite recipe can be transformed into a completely different dessert. I was in a conundrum trying to create a special treat for Sydney, she is having her top wisdom teeth removed.  Anyone over 18 years of age, who has ever had to endure the procedure, knows that there is a very specific soft diet that needs to be followed for at least 3 days. Sydney is already petite, so I truly do not want her to loose any weight.  We knew petit fours would be perfect due to their size, but the sugary fondant coating can be quite hard. Both Sydney and I looked back at our pastries to see if anything would work, she wanted crème brulée; however the hard beautiful sugar top might not work. Then it hit me, lady fingers, the ones we bake, are soft and Paillete Feuilletine Mousse would be perfect. Paillete Feuilletine, are crushed thin crepes, if I blitzed them in the food processor they would be soft and smooth in the mousse.

I realize the extraction of wisdom teeth is a common occurrence; Sydney however has never been sedated. She is terrified of needles; and the mother in me is starting to worry. I keep having to remind myself, 95% of the American population has had their wisdom teeth extracted without major issues. The irony of this situation is the same Dentist whom removed my wisdom teeth, twenty plus years ago, is extracting Sydney’s wisdom teeth now. She is in very capable hands.

1- recipe for ladyfingers:

Instead of piping the batter into lady fingers, use a mold or sheet pan. I use an ingot flexion mold and cut them in half, if you choose to use a sheet pan cut the petit four into  into 1 1/2x 1 1/2-inch squares. Follow the assembly.

 

Paillete Feuilletine Mousse:

132 grams/ ½ -cup milk

136 grams/ 2/3-cup cream, heavy

1-vanilla bean

30 grams/ 2-Tablespoon sugar

70 grams/ 4 egg yolks

7 grams/ 3 ½  sheets gelatine

190 grams/1 1/2-cup Paillete Feuilletine

250grams/ 1 1/8-cup heavy cream

175 grams/3/4-cup cream

75 grams/1/3-cup crème friache

50 grams /2 large egg white

50 grams sugar/1/4-cup superfine sugar

Prepare your  mise en place. Place the paillete feulletine into a food processor and grin to a powder.

In the bowl standing mixer with the whisk attachment, beat egg yolk and sugar till pale yellow, triple in volume, and fall back on it’s self in ribbons.

In a heavy bottom saucepan place milk, vanilla and cream to a boil. Pour about 1/3 of milk mixture into the eggs yolks, pour the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan and bring to 85 degrees C/ 185 degrees F. Take 1/3 of the hot milk mixture, in a steady stream, pour into the egg mixture (tempering the eggs), constantly whisking. Whisk the tempered mixture back into the milk pot.

Place the mixture over high heat and constantly whisking, return to a boil. Continue boiling the pastry crème scraping the bottom and the sides, until  the creme is thick and smooth. Add the gelatine sheet and strain through a chinois.

In a bowl add egg whites, whisk till foam and slowly add sugar, continue to whisk till stiff peaks.

Fold the meringue into  the pralines into the custard. Cool and fold whip cream.

Strawberry Coulis

 

 

Assemble:

Layer the sponge with 1/3 mousse, the strawberry coulis, another 1/3 of mousse of the mousse, top with the sponge, and finish with last 1/3 of mousse. Smooth and place in the refrigerator over night, covered with plastic wrap.

Decorate with strawberry coulis.