05/08/2012 Exploding chocolate gateau recipe - Channel4 - 4Food

1/4 www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/chefs/heston-blumenthal/exploding-chocolate-gateau-recipe?pr
Exploding chocolate gateau recipe
By Heston Blumenthal from How to Cook Like Heston
Put some drama into your dinner party with Heston Blumenthal's cracking chocolate
dessert from How to Cook Like Heston
Heston: "Don't tell your guests about the popping candy in this simple chocolate ganache
gateau. Instead, sit back and watch the surprise on their faces as the base starts
exploding in their mouths. This dessert is the perfect excuse for getting the power tools
out, namely a paint gun which can be bought at any good hardware shop. Its great fun
to use and the effect is spectacular but the gateau has to be frozen for it to work."
Serves 12
Ingredients
For the base
Share
05/08/2012 Exploding chocolate gateau recipe - Channel4 - 4Food
2/4 www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/chefs/heston-blumenthal/exploding-chocolate-gateau-recipe?pr
150g all butter shortbread biscuits
30g unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp white caster sugar
25g neutral popping candy
For the chocolate ganache
175g whipping cream
Pinch of salt
Pulp from 6 passion fruits
50g fresh custard
110g dark chocolate (minimum of 60% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
50g milk chocolate, broken into pieces
For the flocking
500g dark chocolate
200g vegetable oil
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Place the shortbread biscuits on a baking
tray and bake in the oven for 10 minutes until golden brown.
2. Place the biscuits in a food processor and add the melted butter and sugar. Blitz
until the mixture resembles fine sand in texture.
3. Gently stir in the popping candy. Place the mixture inside a 15cm cake ring placed
on a tray lined with baking paper. Flatten using the back of a spoon then put to one
side to set.
4. Add the cream, salt and passion fruit to a small saucepan and place over a medium
heat until it almost comes to the boil. Remove from the heat and allow to stand for
5 minutes, then stir in the fresh custard.
5. Put the dark and milk chocolate in a bowl. Place over a bain marie (a pan of gently
simmering water) and allow to melt completely. Remove from the heat.
6. Strain the infused cream and add to the bowl of melted chocolate a third at a
time, making sure to incorporate the cream thoroughly after each addition. Allow
the ganache to cool to room temperature.
7. Once the tart base has set, use a pastry brush to spread some of the ganache on
top of the base and around the edges then place in the freezer for 5 minutes. This
will ensure that the ganache will not seep through.
8. After 5 minutes, pour the remaining ganache into the ring and place the tart in the
05/08/2012 Exploding chocolate gateau recipe - Channel4 - 4Food
3/4 www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/chefs/heston-blumenthal/exploding-chocolate-gateau-recipe?pr
fridge to set for 2 hours. Place the tart in the freezer at least 4 hours before
flocking.
9. After the gateau is fully frozen, sit the gateau on a wide upturning glass or pot.
Remove the metal ring by lightly warming with a blow torch. Remove by carefully
sliding the ring downwards. Place back in the freezer.
10. For the flocking, break the chocolate into chunks and place in a small bowl. Melt
the chocolate by placing the bowl over a bain marie. Leave to cool slightly before
stirring in the vegetable oil.
11. Fill the base of a paint gun with the melted chocolate mixture and attach the
nozzle. To avoid redecorating the kitchen in chocolate brown, set a large
cardboard box on its side to provide a protective roof and walls to work in.
12. Remove the gateau from the freezer and carefully lift it onto a plate. Place the
gateau in the cardboard box then spray it with the chocolate, turning carefully as
you go. Return it to the freezer until 20 minutes before serving.
A selection of recipes from the series can be found in 'Heston Blumenthal at Home,'
published by Bloomsbury
Buy the book now
More chocolate recipes
Banana blondies recipe
Chocolate, raspberry and blueberry tart recipe
Fruity explosion chocolate ganache recipe
Jaffa cake cheesecake recipe
Chocolate bread and butter pudding recipe
Watch on 4od
How to Cook Like Heston
Next episode: Sunday 12 August 5.30PM on Channel 4
05/08/2012 Exploding chocolate gateau recipe - Channel4 - 4Food
4/4 www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/chefs/heston-blumenthal/exploding-chocolate-gateau-recipe?pr
Last Broadcast: Wednesday 08 February 8.00PM
Watch now on 4oD
How to Cook Like Heston recipes
Give all your home cooking a bit of Heston magic with recipes from the show
How to melt chocolate and whip cream
Gordon Ramsay shows how to melt chocolate and whip cream in this video how to
Chocolate recipes
Eat it straight off the block, or throw it in some of these chocolatey recipes.
Guaranteed to turn you into a chocoholic
How to make ice cream
Watch this simple step-by-step video to making your own ice cream