Cherry and chocolate dessert with the worlds best cherries!

My vegetable supplier Rungis invited me to learn more about the world best cherry, the cerisa cherry. After that we’re using it to make a beautiful cherry dessert inspired by a Black Forest gateau. It’s a chocolate mousse with a cherry interior, a cherry and vanilla gel, a cherry and chocolate cream and a chocolate vanilla powder.

I’m a guest at Willie’s cherry orchard. Here he grows the most

delicious cherries in the world. And yes I know that that’s a statement, but I grew up not far from this area that’s known for its cherries and every year I eat kilos of different cherries.

These Cerisa cherries are really something else. The cherries are at least 28 millimeters and still the texture is amazing while they are so juicy and flavorful. It’s really a product made it heaven! Well these Cerisa cherries are originally from Switzerland, but Willie imported them here to the Netherlands where he grows them with a lot of passion. He really is one of the most passionate persons I ever talked to and it’s amazing to hear his vision on quality over quantity. The Cerisa cherry is picked with stem and a little piece of the wood, also known as the cork. This protects the cherry from drying out and if stored properly you can keep them in your fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. Willie checks his cherries every day and only if the flavor is optimal, they are picked cherry by cherry. Only the best cherries are selected. Once they are picked, they are cooled as fast as possible to protect the flavor and quality. The season is quite short, so get them

while you can! Willie and I picked a beautiful box full and I’m bringing

them back home to make a delicious dessert!

The cherry gel & interior

First we’ll start by cleaning these beautiful Cerisa cherries. Remove the stems and then the pit. The pit I remove by using a cherry pitter. You can also cut them in half and then twist them open to remove the pit, but this is much easier and faster. I remove the pit in a measuring cub because the cherry juice otherwise splashes everywhere. Now cut them in small cubes, it doesn’t need to be super precise. Then keep them in your fridge for later.

500 grams	(frozen) Cerisa cherries
50 grams	sugar
1	vanilla pod
	Agar powder

Transfer the Cerisa cherries into a saucepan and also add the sugar. Then cut the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds. Add them to the pan as well and then bring it to a boil on a low heat. Let it simmer for 5 minutes. I use frozen cherries from last year because you boil them, and this will affect the flavor. You can use fresh as well, but you won’t notice the difference. Then remove the empty vanilla pod and blend it till smooth. After that measure the total weight of the cherry coulis and pour it back into the pan. For every 100 grams of coulis, you need to add 1 gram of agar. This was 450 grams, so I added 4.5 grams of agar powder. Now mix it well and bring it to a boil for one minute. Then pour it into a bowl and let it cool down completely in your fridge. Once cold transfer it into a blender and blend it till smooth. Now transfer half of the gel into a bowl and add the cut cherries. Mix this well and then fill your desired mold. These once are from Mold Brothers. Then level it using a pallet knife and let it set in your freezer. The remaining gel you can transfer into a piping bottle and keep in your fridge for later.

The chocolate mousse

50 grams	sugar
20 grams	water
90 grams	whole egg
2 leaves or 3.3 grams	gelatin
100 grams	cream
180 grams	dark chocolate
200 grams	cream

Mix the sugar with the water and heat this up till the temperature is 121 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile pour the whole egg into a mixing bowl and start beating it. Once the egg is fluffy and the syrup is at temperature slowly add it to the bowl and beat it till completely cold. While that’s happening soak the gelatin in cold water. Then pour the 100 grams of cream into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Now turn off the heat and dissolve the gelatin. Then add the dark chocolate and mix it well. Set it aside for later. Now pour the 200 grams of cream into a bowl and beat it till it’s at yoghurt thickness. Then take the fluffy egg yolks and add your chocolate ganache. Gently fold this together and then add the whipped cream. Also gently fold this together till it’s an even fluffy chocolate mousse. Now fill your desired mold threequarters with the mousse and tap the mold a couple of times to remove any air bubbles. Then press the frozen interior in there and level it with a pallet knife. Now let it set completely in your freezer.

The dark chocolate brush

150 grams	cacao butter
150 grams	dark chocolate

First melt the cacao butter on a low heat. Then transfer the dark chocolate into a measuring cub and once the cacao butter is melted pour it on the chocolate. Blend this till completely smooth. Now pour it into your brush machine and cover your worktop with foil. Then remove the frozen chocolate mousses from the mold and lay them on a frozen tray. Brush a thin layer of the chocolate brush on there. Do this all around. Now keep them in your freezer for later.

The chocolate and cherry cream

250 grams	cream
50 grams	cherry liquor
100 grams	egg yolk
30 grams	sugar
20 grams	corn starch
100 grams	dark chocolate

First pour the cream into a saucepan and also add the cherry liquor, the egg yolk, the sugar and the corn starch. Now mix this well and then while stirring bring this to a boil to thicken it. Once thickened turn off the heat and add the dark chocolate. Mix this till completely smooth and emulsified. Then pour it into a bowl, cover it and let it set in your fridge. After that mix it for a minute with a whisk and then transfer it into a piping bag that’s fitted with a nozzle. Keep it in your fridge for later.

The chocolate & cherry tuille

60 grams	egg white
40 grams	sunflower oil
10 grams	freeze dried cherries
50 grams	sugar
10 grams	butter
25 grams	flour
15 grams	cacao powder

Mix the egg white with the sunflower oil, the freeze dried cherries, the sugar, the butter, the flour and the cacao powder. Now blend this till smooth. Once smooth spread it on a tuille mold and level it with a pallet knife. Then bake the tuilles at 160 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes till crispy. Remove them when still hot to prevent them from breaking.

The chocolate vanilla powder

200 grams	sugar
40 grams	water
1/2	vanilla pod
100 grams	dark chocolate

Mix the sugar with the water and then cut half a vanilla pod in half and scrap out the seeds. Add both to the pan as well and then heat this up till it’s 135 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile transfer the dark chocolate into a bowl and melt this on a double boiler or in a microwave. Now while mixing slowly add your hot sugar syrup and keep on mixing till you end up with a really fine powder. Then remove the empty pod and mix it some more. Once that’s done dust a thin layer of the powder on the tuille.

How finish the dessert

First place the chocolate mousse on a plate and let it defrost for 15 minutes. Then pipe a line of the cream in the middle and place some sliced cherry on both sides. Now pipe a couple dots of the gel in between and decorate it with edible flowers. Then gently place the tuille on top and be careful so no powder falls on the plate. And then it’s ready to be served!