Matcha Black Sesame Entremet

The January 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Astheroshe from accro. She chose to challenge everyone to make a Biscuit Joconde Imprime to wrap around an Entremets dessert. And we loved it! Meeting challenges like this one was the reason we joined the Daring Bakers.

We decided to make matcha Joconde with black sesame pattern filled with two mousses – matcha and black sesame. But black sesame paste isn't available at the supermarkets here so we had to make it from scratch (recipe below). But I assume there is colour added to the store bought black sesame paste, because ours wasn't so black. In fact the paste was very dark in colour but the mousse got some purple/greenesh undertones. Despite this, the taste was ok.

For the Joconde sponge we adapted Astheroshe's recipe and for the matcha mousse and the sesame nougatine we adapted recipes by Evan's Kitchen Ramblings.

Matcha Black Sesame Entremet with a Sesame Nougatine Recipe:
Serves 6

For the Black Sesame Paste:

• 100 gr black sesame seeds;
• 30 gr sugar;
• 250 ml water.

Toast the sesame seeds in a pan over the stove until fragrant. Add in the water and sugar and let simmer for 10 minutes. Leave to cool, then blend to achieve a paste consistency. Pass through a sieve. Store in the fridge.

For the Patterned Joconde-Décor Paste:

• 30 gr unsalted butter, softened;
• 30 gr confectioners' sugar;
• 30 gr egg whites;
• 20 gr cake flour;
• 20 gr black sesame paste.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the black sesame paste. Add the egg whites and beat well. Fold in the sifted flour.
Line a baking pan with a silpat.
Pour the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip and pipe parallel lines diagonally on the silpat. Then slide the silpat into the fridge for half an hour to set. Meanwhile prepare the joconde.

For the Joconde Sponge:
Yields 35 x 24 cm silpat

• 42 gr almond flour;
• 37 gr confectioners' sugar;
• 12 gr cake flour;
• 10 gr matcha powder;
• 75 gr eggs;
• 45 gr egg whites;
• 5 gr white granulated sugar;
• 15 gr unsalted butter, melted.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Sift together almond flour, confectioner’s sugar, cake flour and matcha powder.
Whip the egg whites and the granulated sugar to firm, glossy peeks.
In a separate bowl beat the eggs until pale and fluffy. Add in the sifted dry ingredients. Mix until smooth and light. Fold in one third of the whipped egg whites to almond mixture to lighten the batter. Fold in the remaining whipped egg whites. Do not over mix.
Fold in the melted butter.

Take out the silpat from the fridge and pour the Joconde batter over the pattern Spread evenly to a thin layer. Bake for around 10 minutes, but watch carefully as the batter is very thin and it's easy to over bake it. Cool. Flip cooled sponge onto a parchment paper. Remove silpat. Cake should be right side up, and pattern showing. Trim the cake of any dark crispy edges. You should have a nice rectangle shape.

Prepare 6 rings – 5,5cm in diameter and 6cm tall. Cut 6 cellophane strips with the height of the rings and 20cm long.

Cut 6 strips from the Joconde sponge – 4cm tall and around 16,7cm long. It's better to measure out precisely the inner side of the rings so the sponge could fit tightly. Fit each Joconde strip to the bottom side of a cellophane strip, pattern side down facing the cellophane. Form the cellophane-joconde strip into a ring and enter it into the moulding ring. Gently push and press the ends of the sponge to meet together to make a seamless cake. The cake is very flexible so you can push it into place.

From the rest of the Joconde layer cut 6 rounds to fit inside the 6 rings and place each of them into the bottom of the rings but in that way that the bottom is encircled from the side layer. Place each mould to an individual cellophane strip or wrap it in cling wrap from the outside bottom side. Thus it would be easier to handle it. The mould is done, and ready for further action.

For the Matcha Soaking Syrup:

• 1 tsp matcha powder;
• 30 ml water;
• 30 gr granulated sugar.

Combine matcha powder, sugar and water and heat until sugar and matcha powder has dissolved completely. Lightly brush the joconde with the syrup.

For the Matcha Mousse:

• 320 ml milk;
• 10 gr matcha powder;
• 100 gr white granulated sugar;
• 5 gr agar agar powder;
• 240 ml whipping cream.

Mix together matcha, agar powder and sugar.
Bring the milk to a simmer. Whisk in the matcha-agar-sugar mixture and bring to a boil. Leave to cool but beware as agar starts to set at around 45ºC. Whip the cream until soft peaks and fold into the above mixture. Pour the mousse into joconde layered rings leaving 0,5-1 cm to the top.

For the Black Sesame Mousse:

• 160 ml milk;
• 35 gr white granulated sugar;
• 50 gr black sesame paste;
• 2 gr agar agar powder;
• 90 gr whipping cream.

Mix together agar powder and sugar. Bring the milk to a simmer. Whisk in the agar-sugar mixture, then add in the black sesame paste and bring to a boil. Whip the cream until soft peaks and fold into the above mixture. Pour over the matcha mousse till the top of the rings. Reserve in the fridge.

For the Sesame Nougatine:

• 12 gr glucose;
• 5 gr water;
• 32 gr unsalted butter;
• 37 gr granulated sugar;
• 12 gr black sesame seeds;
• 12 gr white sesame seeds;
• pinch of sea salt.

In a small saucepan over medium heat combine glucose, water and sugar. When sugar and glucose melt, add in butter and salt and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in the sesame seeds and mix well. Quickly pour mixture on silpat then put another silpat on top and roll out thinly. Chill in the fridge until set. Preheat the oven to 170ºC. Remove the top silpat and bake for 10-15 minutes until bubbles appear. Leave to cool and break into pieces. Store into an airtight container and use for decoration just before serving.