Blackberry & basil dessert

Today we're making a delicious blackberry dessert! It’s a pine tree cremeux with homemade blackberry chocolate, blackberry and basil ice cream, crispy meringue and a blackberry & basil broth.

The blackberry broth & powder

800 grams	frozen blackberries
80 grams	sugar

Start by mixing the frozen blackberries with the sugar. Now cover this well with plastic wrap. Then cook it on a double boiler for 3 to 4 hours. After that remove the wrap and let the liquid drain on a sieve that’s lined with a kitchen paper. Do this in your fridge. Once drained transfer the blackberry pulp on a silicon sheet and spread them. Now let this completely dry at 60 degrees Celsius. Then transfer it into a blender and blend it into a fine powder.

The blackberry chocolate

200 grams	cacao butter
100 grams	sugar
100 grams	milk powder
90%	of the blackberry powder

First melt the cacao butter on a low heat. Then pour it into a wet grinder and while grinding add the sugar, the milk powder and 90% of the blackberry powder. Save the remaining powder for later. Now let the chocolate grind for at least 6 hours till silky smooth. Once the chocolate is also beautiful and silky so when can take it out of the grinder.

The meringue

80 grams	sugar
30 grams	water
50 grams	egg white
15 grams	sugar

First pour the sugar in a saucepan, also add the water. Now heat this up till it’s 118 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile pour the egg white in a bowl and start beating it. Once a white foam starts to form add the sugar to stabilize the egg white. Then slowly add the hot sugar syrup and continue mixing it till it’s at room temperature and it has stiff peaks. Then transfer it into a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle. Now pipe small dots on a silicon sheet. Once done take your remaining blackberry powder and dust a thin layer on top. Let them dry at 60 degrees Celsius for a couple of hours. Then let them cool down and gently remove them from the sheet. Now keep them dry and covered for later.

The pine tree syrup

500 grams	sugar
150 grams	water
200 grams	young pine tree shoots

Pour the sugar into a pan together with the water. Now bring this to a boil. Meanwhile transfer the young pine tree shoot in a preserving jar. When the sugar has boiled pour it into the preserving jar. Then close it up and let it marinade for at least 12 hours. The longer the more flavor the syrup will have.

The sable cookie

100 grams	flour
40 grams	icing sugar
15 grams	almond powder
15 grams	beaten egg
55 grams	butter
2 grams	salt

Pour the flour into a bowl. Also add the icing sugar, the almond powder, the beaten egg, the butter and the flaky salt. Now knead this into a nice dough. Then transfer it onto a silicon sheet and put another sheet on top. Roll it till it’s about 2 to 3 millimeters thick. Now let it the dough set in your fridge for 1 hour. After that remove the top sheet and cut the dough with a big round cutter. Then remove the trimmings and cut the rounds in two. Bake them at 160 degrees Celsius for around 25 minutes till golden. Once baked let them cool down and the grate the flat side with a thin grater to make it even more tight.

The blackberry gel

200 grams	blackberry broth
2 grams	agar powder

Pour the blackberry broth in a saucepan and also add the agar powder. Mix this well and then bring it to a boil for 1 minute. Then pour it into a bowl and let it cool down completely in your fridge. Once chilled transfer it into a blender and blend it into a smooth gel. Now transfer it into a piping bag and keep it in your fridge for later.

The blackberry and basil ice cream

750 grams	blackberries
300 grams	sugar
75 grams	lime juice
8 grams	basil leaves

First pour the blackberries in a blender together with the sugar, the lime juice and the basil leaves. Now blend this till completely smooth. Then pass it through a fine sieve into an ice cream machine. Use a ladle to make it a bit easier. Now spin it into a beautiful ice cream. Once that’s done let it set for around 1 hour in your freezer.

The blackberry & basil broth

Mix the remaining broth and add a couple crushed basil leaves for seasoning. Let it marinade for a couple of hours. After that pass it through a fine sieve and pour it into your desired mold. Let it freeze till solid. Then remove the blackberry rings from the mold and using toothpicks or pins cover them quickly with a thin layer of the blackberry chocolate. Keep them in your fridge for later.

The pine tree cremeux

2 leaves of 3.3 grams	gelatin
100 grams	pine tree syrup
150 grams	cream
40 grams	egg yolk
10 grams	corn starch

First soak the gelatin in cold water. Then pour the syrup in a saucepan and also add the cream, the egg yolk and the corn starch. Now mix this well and while stirring cook it through the desired thickness. Then dissolve your gelatin. After that fill your desired mold with the cremeux and let it set in your freezer.

200 grams	cacao butter
200 grams	white chocolate

Then transfer the cacao butter in a saucepan and melt it on a low heat. Once melted add the white chocolate and emulsify it with a hand blender. Then pour it into a brusher. Now remove the cremeuxs from the mold and transfer them on a plateau. Then brush the cremeux with a thin layer of the chocolate. I always brush outside because otherwise your kitchen will be totally covered with chocolate. Once brushed transfer the cremeux on a plate and let it defrost.

How to finish the dessert

place the blackberry ring in the middle. Then cut a couple of blackberries in half and glaze them with the pine tree syrup. Now pipe some of the blackberry gel on half of the cremeux and place the sable on top. Pipe a couple dots of the gel on top and place the blackberries in between. Pipe some more gel on top and place the meringue on the gel. Then decorate with oxalis flowers and small oxalis leaves. And then finish it of with a nice quenelle of the blackberry ice cream.