Where do you draw inspiration from? When I’m cooking or baking I’ll usually browse through a number of cookbooks or call my Mom and ask for a recipe. Sometimes I’ll search the web for great ideas or check out other blogs. Honestly, I’ve never looked to an iconic chocolate for inspiration. That is, until a day or two ago. I was fortunate enough to be invited as a guest of Ellie to the launch of Ferrero’s Festival of Light which was held infront of the Customs House in Sydney. The event was hosted by Charlotte Dawson and was officially launched by Rocco Perna from Ferrero Australia. What a great way to kick start the Christmas season than with a spectacular light show!
Drawing inspiration from Ellie’s beautiful Ferrero macarons, I decided to make a Ferrero Tart and Verrine, both desserts are perfect when you are looking for that additional extra to entertain during the holiday season and are made from the same components, just served differently. In true Ferrero form, this dessert is made with a chocolate tart, hazelnut mousse and topped with crushed candied hazelnuts enrobed in a chocolate and hazelnut ganache.
Tart Base (adapted from Matt Moran)
- 60 grams cocoa powder
- 150 grams cold butter, diced
- 75 grams caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 320 grams flour
- 5 grams baking powder
- pinch of salt
- Place the butter, caster sugar and cocoa powder in a food processor and pulse until it resembles fine bread crumbs. Add the eggs, flour and baking powder and process until the mixture just comes together.
- Lay the dough on to a lightly floured surface and knead into a disc measuring around 2 cm in height.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to rest.
- Once the dough has rested, place the dough back on to a lightly floured surface and roll out until around 2 mm thick. Cut the dough such that it is at least 1 cm wider than the tart shell (which will form the wall of the tart).
- Place the cut dough in the tart shells and allow refrigerate for another 1 hour.
- When ready, blind bake the pastry for 10 minutes in a pre-heated fan forced oven at 180c. Once done, bake for another 5 minutes (this time, do not blind bake).
- Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Hazelnut Mousse (adapted from Baking and Pastry, Culinary Institute of America)
- 375 grams milk
- 75 grams caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 37 grams cornflour
- 80 grams hazelnut praline (or nutella)
- 250 grams cream
- 5 grams gelatin (titanium strength)
- Mix the sugar and cornflour into a bowl and slowly add the eggs. Ensure that this is well mixed, removing and lumps.
- Bring the milk to the boil. Once the milk is boiling, pour the milk slowly into the bowl with the egg mixture.
- Pour the egg and milk mixture back into the pan and cook on medium heat for a few minutes until the custard becomes thick.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool. Cover with a plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- When the custard has cooled, place the gelatin sheet in a bowl of cold water to soften.
- In the meantime, mix the hazelnut praline (or nutella) with the custard using a whisk.
- Semi-whip the cream.
- Remove the gelatin from the water and heat in a microwave proof container for 15 seconds on high. Mix the gelatin with the custard.
- Fold the custard into the semi-whipped cream.
- Cover with plastic wrap until ready to use.
Chocolate Hazelnut Thing (adapted from David Chang’s Momofuku Cookbook)
- 55 grams hazelnut praline paste (or nutella)
- 55 grams gianduja or milk chocolate
- 1/4 teaspoon grapeseed oil or any neutral oil
- pinch of salt
- 10 grams smallish pieces bittersweet chocolate, ideally 70% to 72% cacao range
- 1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
- 4 tablespoons crushed caramelized hazelnuts
- Place all the ingredients in a microwave proof bowl and microwave in 20 second intervals on high until the chocolate has melted.
- Add the caramelized hazelnuts until ready to use.
Caramelized Hazelnuts
- 100 grams sugar
- 50 grams water
- 200 grams toasted hazelnuts
- Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a heavy based pan and let the temperature reach 115c (using a candy thermometer)
- Add the toasted hazelnuts and take the pan off the heat.
- Mix the nuts until the texture changes to become sugary like and bring back the pan on the heat.
- Mix carefully until the sugar turns into a golden caramel colour and place on a silpat or baking paper to cool.
Assembly
Tarts
To assemble the tarts, pipe some hazelnut mousse on to the chocolate tart shells and then top with the Chocolate Hazelnut Thing and a few caramelized hazelnuts.
Verrine
To assemble the verrines, crush the chocolate tart shells and spoon into a clear glass. Pipe some hazelnut mousse and then spoon some more crushed chocolate tart shells and top with the Chocolate Hazelnut Thing. Finally, add a few caramelized hazelnuts.
[…] We had to make an eggless version of the recipe from Trissalicious. […]
How many tarts do you get with this recipe?
Hi! I’m working on a Ferrero Rocher recipe round-up for The Huffington Post Taste. I’d love to include your recipe. Please contact me if you’re interested. Thanks!
Wow! They are sweet! ehhehh.. I like it and love it. This is very simple and you’ve made it beautiful and tasty.
Good job. You really inspire me.
you are a goddess. oh my gosh, they look fanstastic.
Superbe recette
Trissa,
You are my idol! This dessert looks absolutely gorgeous. When is your cookbook coming out? Sign me up! Mwah!
I love forrero rocher! This is magnificent!
why didn’t i get to try this??? hamish also wants to know we get the avocado cereal, and not the ferrero tart! or the mousse???
Wow This is AMAZING, it has everything I like!
I’ll take my favorite chocolates in any and all forms! That sounds like a wonderful experience, and I’m glad you were so inspired by it and now have inspired us all as well.
This looks sensational Trissa! I love hazelnut and chocolate combos (oh and the odd ferrero or three) – well done! I’m so drooling right now
Oh my lord girl you should be arrested. There needs to be some sort of warning that you could become addicted from merely looking at this. YUm!
I love anything chocolate and hazelnut, and Ferrero Rocher is no exeption. Imagine an entire tart of that lovely taste….. mmm
Ooooo – deep sigh – there are just some things that should be forbidden for showing in public… This just looks soooo good, but then I love ferrero rocher so that – ofcourse – makes it hard to resist this! Gorgeous!
This tart was amazing! And I do the smart thing and leave mine behind at Ellie’s 😦
I guess you’ll just have to make it again for me 😛
[…] To fill, make a hole using the tip of a very small piping nozzle and fill with your choice of filling (hazelnut mousse recipe here). […]
OOh Yummm Love ferrero rocher! I want me some of that chocolate hazelnut thing!
For all chocolate lovers, this would be one to die for. My gosh…they look superb. Would be perfect after a lovely meal. I just love all your bakes…..so appealing and mouth-watering.
omg this is just as sinful as fererro can be. love the photos 🙂 chocolate + hazelnut always wins yay
Great looking tarts and they tasted good too. Thanks for bringing the giant one to my lunch 🙂
Wow, you and Ellie are so creative! I just bought Ferrero Rochers to put in little gifts, and I thought of you.
YUM! Is this the same recipe you used for the tart you made for Ellie’s lunch? That was so magnificent, I just loved the gooey hazelnut… omg. So good. It didn’t transport to well in that plastic bag though 😦 Great meeting you yesterday!
holy moly Trissa, that is one sexy looking tart! Is that the same as the one you brought to Ellie’s? I know I’m allergic to like 90% of it but I was tempted to sit there ready with my epi pen and antihistamines just to so I could try a little bit haha!
Hello this is Pierre in France
this tart looks scrumptious an delicate I want to bite it !!
Cheers from Paris
Oh Trissa! These look heavenly! One of my favourite chocolate treats before going gluten free were Ferrero Rocher, but the wafer shell makes it a no-no. But, seeing how these don’t actually contain any of them – just inspired by – I might have to try!
Yes! I knew I was in for a treat when I saw the title of this post, and you didn’t disappoint. Beautiful! I particularly like the “Ferrero meets the Ferrero Tart” photo – did they get along? Any rivalry?
Ferrero is my favorite chocolate! I wanna take a bite out of that!
Oh goodness, I heart Ferrero Rocher!
Your tarts look gorgeous. They can be a great treat in Christmas season! Can I have some?
Wow! How creative you are 🙂 And what effort you went to to create such lovely little ferrero rocher treats! The tart looked especially delicious.. well done!
Nice work with the desserts. Especially like the touch of the whole roasted hazelnut. Looks reasonably simple to make too.
Is the “Thing” actually called that in the Momofuku book?
That’s awesome Trissa. I’m speechless but not surprise because I know you can something absolutely amazing.
All your creations are beautiful, but I think the hazelnut mousse looks amazing! Such a wonderful combination of flavours, and all in a glass!
The tart turned out well. I wish I could have stayed to watch you make the whole thing. I could have had some ehehe. Hazelnut and chocolate are a match made in heaven.
oooohh!! that is decadent!!! I am not a big fan of the chocolates but the hub is.. the tart i really want to try.. haha best for both of us! great idea Trissa!
OH. MY…GOODNESS! *faint*
absolutely to die for!!!