Toasted white chocolate & mandarin dessert

• Spread the white chocolate on a silicon sheet and toast it at 150 °C for about 20 minutes till its golden-brown.
• Once it’s golden take it out of the oven and let it cool down completely. Meanwhile mix the milk with the cream, the sugar and the skimmed milk powder. Now give it a good mix and bring it to a boil. Stir it every now and then to prevent it from burning.
• Once it has boiled add the toasted white chocolate and blend it till smooth.
• Then transfer the egg yolk into a bowl and while stirring add the hot toasted white chocolate mixture. If you are by yourself add the mixture in small batches to prevent the yolks from curdling.
• Then pour the mixture back into the pan and while stirring heat it up till the temperature is 85 °C.
• After that turn off the heat and add the ice cream stabilizer. I use Stab2000. Give it a good mix and then pour it into a bowl. Now cover it and let it rest in your fridge for at least 8 hours. I always leave it overnight.
• The next day you can pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and turn it into a beautiful ice cream. It’s best to serve the ice cream straight away, but otherwise keep it in a freezer that’s around -12 °C.

• Mix the cream with the sugar, the butter, the glucose syrup and the salt. Now cut the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds. Add both to the pan and then heat this up till the temperature is 118 °C. Stir it every now and then to prevent it from burning.
• Once the fudge has the right temperature turn down the heat and remove the vanilla pod. Now add the fondant. Then use a spatula to give it a good mix before poring it on a tray that’s lined with some parchment paper.
• Spread it and then let it set for at least 3 hours at room temperature.
• Once set use a clean knife to portion the fudge to the desired size. Clean the knife after 3 or 4 cuts to insure you nice cubes. Then keep them covered for later.

• Transfer the sugar into a frying pan and start caramelizing it on a medium heat.
• While the sugar is caramelizing cut the mandarins in half and once the caramel has a nice golden brown color place the mandarins flat side down in the pan. Then let them caramelize for a couple of minutes.
• Also cut the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds. Add both to the pan. The mandarins really need to get a nice golden brown color.
• After that turn off the heat and use the back of a spoon to press all the juice out of the mandarins. Now pass it through a fine sieve into a pan and measure the liquid.
• For every 100 grams of liquid add a gram of agar powder. I had 200 grams, so I added 2 grams of agar. Give it a good mix and then bring it to a boil for a minute.
• Once it has boiled pour it into a bowl and let it set in your fridge.
• Then transfer it into a blender and blend it till smooth. Now pour it into a piping bottle and use the gel to fill a medium sized sphere mold. Level the top and then let it set in your freezer.

• Transfer the hazelnuts into a blender and blend it into a fine powder. Keep it aside for later.
• Now pour the egg white into a stand mixer bowl and start beating it. Once a white foam starts to form slowly add the fine sugar.
• Then cut the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds to the bowl as well and continue beating till you have a nice firm meringue.
• Once that’s done mix the flour with the cornstarch on a sieve and add it to the meringue together with the hazelnut powder. Gently fold it in.
• When everything is incorporated spread the batter on 2 silicon mold and level it.
• Now bake them at 180 °C for 20 to 25 minutes till golden on top.
• Then let them cool down for 5 minutes before cutting them with a round cutter. Keep them covered for later.

• Soak the gelatin in cold water.
• Now spread the white chocolate on a silicon sheet and toast it at 150 °C for 20 minutes till golden brown.
• Then mix the milk with the cream, the egg yolk and the cornstarch. Now cut the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds. Add both to the pan and then while stirring bring it to a boil to thicken the cremeux.
• Once it has thickened remove the vanilla pod and dissolve the gelatin. Then add the toasted white chocolate and blend it till smooth.
• After that pass the cremeux through a fine sieve to insure it’s completely smooth. Now use the cremeux to fill the corn molds halfway. Click here for more info on the molds. 
• Then press the sponge in one of the molds and level the top. Press the mandarin filling in the other mold.
• Cover it as well and then let both set in your freezer. Once frozen gently press the cremeuxs out off the mold and keep them in your freezer for later.

• Spread the white chocolate on a silicon sheet. Also add the hazelnuts and toast it at 150 °C for around 20 to 25 minutes.
• Once golden take it out of the oven and let it cool down completely. Then transfer it on your cutting board and chop it into a fine crumble.
• Once it’s almost fine enough add the cacao nibs and chop it till you have reached the desired crumble. Now keep it dry and covered for later.

• First peel enough mandarins for 80 grams of peel. A mandarin can be quite hard to peel, so just put your peeler on top and zigzag the peeler for a super thin peel without any of the bitter white membranes.
• Then bring some water to a boil and blanch the peels for 15 seconds. After that drain the water and submerge the peels completely with new water. Now boil the water again for 15 seconds and then repeat this process once more.
• Meanwhile cut the peeled mandarins in half and juice them for 220 grams of juice.
• Then add the blanched peels, the salted mandarin pulp or the salt, the ginger syrup and the agar powder. Now blend this till smooth.
• Then pour it into a saucepan and bring this to a boil for at least 30 seconds. Stir it every now and then to prevent it from burning.
• Then pour it into a bowl and let it cool down completely in your fridge. Once set transfer it into a blender and blend it into a smooth gel.
• Now I always vacuum my gels. By doing this you will remove the air bubbles and that will leave you with a lovely clear and intense gel.
• You can keep the gel for 3 days in your fridge and if you want to freeze it for a couple of weeks. If frozen be sure to let it defrost in your fridge. This way the gel will keep it's thick texture.

• Mix the water with the sugar and caramelize it on a medium heat till it has a golden color.
• Once golden add the hazelnuts and caramelize everything for a couple more minutes till it’s a dark caramel. Now pour it on a silicon sheet, spread it and let it cool down completely.
• When it has cooled down break the caramel in smaller pieces and transfer it into a blender. Then blend it into a fine powder. Now add the egg white and mix it into a thick batter.
• Then spread it on a silicon sheet using a leaf stencil and level the top.
• Now gently remove the stencil and bake the leaves at 150 °C for 12 minutes.
• When still hot carefully remove the leaves from the sheet and shape them between a leaf press. Feel free to heat up the leaves in between to prevent them from breaking. Now keep them dry and covered.

Light glaze

• Super simple, melt the cacao butter on a low heat and once it’s melted add the milk chocolate and the white chocolate.
• Mix it till it’s an even mixture. Then pour it into a cup and set it aside for later.

Darker glaze

• For the second glaze again melt the cacao butter and once it’s melted add the milk chocolate. The lighter glaze I use to cover the bottom of the acorns.
• Just cover them with a thin layer and then keep them in your fridge for later.
• The darker glaze I use for the tops. Again, a thin cover and then keep them in your fridge for later.

• Cover the center of a plate with the crumble and pipe two dots of the gel on the side.
• Then stick the two halves of the acorn together and place them on the gel.
• Now pipe some more gel in between and add the salted fudge, a nice quenelle of the ice cream and the hazelnut leaves.