Black shortcrust pastry with almonds
- Using an electric mixer, mix all the dry ingredients and the butter.
- Slowly add the eggs and stop as soon as the mixture is thoroughly mixed.
- Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Choux Pastry
- Bring the butter, milk, water, salt and sugar to a boil.
- Add the flour and powdered charcoal.
- Using an electric mixer, continuously beat the mixture until the temperature cools to 50°C.
- Gently add the previously beaten eggs. Set aside.
Gula Melaka Cream
- Melt the Gula Melaka with the water over medium heat, skim off any impurities.
- Bring the cream, salt and Gula Melaka to a boil, add the egg yolks and cook until 85°C is reached.
- Remove from the heat and add the softened gelatin.
- Let it cool.
- When the temperature reaches 45°C, add the butter and mix with a hand blender.
- Pour the mixture into 3cm diameter silicone moulds.
- Place in the freezer until needed.
Almond Cream
- Using an electric mixer, combine all the dry ingredients.
- Add in the butter.
- Then add the beaten eggs, cream and rum separately. Refrigerate.
Pastry Cream
- In a bowl, mix the sugar, egg yolks and corn starch.
- Boil the cream and milk.
- Pour the hot liquid over the egg mixture.
- Bring back to a boil.
- Transfer to an electric mixer and mix at slow speed until the temperature reaches 40°C.
- Add the butter and cool to 30°C. Refrigerate.
Pandan Cream
- Mix the whipped cream, Pandan extract and pastry cream together.
- Refrigerate.
Pandan Chantilly Cream
- Whisk the ingredients until the consistency of whipped cream is reached.
- Refrigerate.
Pandan Topping
- Bring the milk and glucose to the boil, and add the softened gelatin.
- Pour over the chocolate pieces and the sugar paste icing, then adding the extract of Pandan.
- Refrigerate overnight.
Assembly
- Roll out the pastry to 2mm thickness, cut rounds of 5.5cm diameter with a cutter. Refrigerate.
- Pipe a circle of choux pastry on the edge of the shortcrust dough, pipe the almond cream in the centre of the circle of choux pastry and bake at 165°C.
- Pipe the choux into 5.5cm diameter pastries.
- Bake at 180°C for 18-20 minutes and allow to cool.
- Fill the choux with the Pandan Cream. Refrigerate.
- Cover the choux with Pandan Topping.
- Assemble the choux onto the pastry round using the Pandan Topping to secure them in place.
- Place the choux in a circle, top the centre with the Gula Melaka cream and decorate with the Pandan Chantilly Cream.