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pistachio biscuit sponge, blackberry mousse, pistachio mousse

this is a second recipe i tried from hidemi sugino's book and its nothing short of amazing. during the lunar new year, my family requested for a cake (as with every year, or rather, every occasion) so i decided to make this coz its one of the easier recipes from the book. in terms of appearance, its similar to the fruits rouges but simpler to make and better tasting.

mr. sugino is famous for his mousse cakes and i can see why. both the blackberry and pistachio mousses were light, not too sweet yet bursting with flavor and were very very creamy. mom liked it so much that she said she's gonna visit his patisserie in tokyo but i thought the highlight wasn't the mousses but the pistachio biscuit sponge. i can safely say its the BEST sponge i've ever tasted coz biscuit sponges (where whites/yolks are beaten separately) are usually drier and firmer compared to genoises. not this one. perhaps its the use of cornflour instead of regular flour and the addition of almond paste that makes the cake really really cottony soft and fluffy, or perhaps its due to baking on very high heat for a short time that result in this wonderful cake texture, i'm not too sure. now i can't wait to try out other recipes from the book!

ingredients (makes six 4.5cm(H) x6.5cm(Ø) individual mousse rings) :

for the pistachio biscuit sponge :

90g almond paste

37.5g pistachio paste

45g whole eggs

40g egg yolks

25g egg whites

80g egg whites

50g caster sugar

45g corn flour

20g melted butter

for the blackberry mousse :

90ml whipping cream

90g blackberry pulp

4g sheet gelatin

18ml raspberry liqueur (optional)

25ml water

50g sugar

25g egg whites

for the pistachio mousse :

225ml milk

25g pistachio paste

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

50g egg yolks

50g caster sugar

5g sheet gelatin

225ml whipping cream

for the 30°B sugar syrup imbibage :

30ml syrup (made by boiling 32.5g sugar & 25ml water together), cooled & measure out 30ml

20ml water

15ml kirsch

for the nappage neutre :

50g neutral glazing gel, warmed & strained

fresh blackberry halves & pistachios for decor

directions :

1. to make the pistachio biscuit sponge, combine almond & pistachio paste in a bowl. add in egg yolks, egg whites & whole eggs gradually and beat until thick & fluffy. fold in corn flour and melted butter. in another bowl whisk 80g egg whites and 50g caster sugar until stiff peaks then fold in 1/3 of the whites into the yolk mixture, followed by the rest of the whites. pour mixture into 12" shallow tin and bake on 230C for 5-6 mins. leave to cool and cut out six 5cm (Ø) rounds. the recipe yields a rather large batch of sponge so if you'd like you can also scale down the recipe by half and pour the mixture into a 6" tin instead.

2. to make the blackberry mousse, heat blackberry pulp until boiling, add in softened gelatin and mix well. leave to cool, add in raspberry liqueur (if using) then whisk whipping cream until soft peaks. fold into the puree. make italian meringue by boiling water and sugar until 117C. whisk egg whites until foamy then pour in sugar syrup and whisk until stiff peaks. measure out 30g then fold into the puree mixture. pour mixture into a 6" square tin, refrigerate until firm then cut out six 5cm (Ø) rounds.

3. to make the pistachio mousse, combine pistachio paste, milk & vanilla bean paste together in a pan and heat until boiling. in another bowl combine egg yolks & sugar then pour milk mixture over. return mixture to stove and heat until 84C. add in softened gelatin, strain & leave to cool. whisk whipping cream until soft peaks and fold into the pistachio mixture.

4. to make the 30°B sugar syrup imbibage, combine syrup, water & kirsch in a bowl.

5. to assemble, place sponges at the bottom of the cake rings lined with cling film. brush generously with syrup, pour some pistachio mousse over and refrigerate until firm. place blackberry mousse on top and top up with the rest of the pistachio mousse. level the top with a spatula and refrigerate until firm. glaze tops with neutral glazing gel and loosen the sides of the rings with blow torch. decorate with blackberry halves & pistachios.