Creme diplomat with mango gel, white chocolate crumble & berries
This dessert is a mixture of vanilla custard, whipped cream, gelatine & rum. The ratio of custard and can vary depending on sweetness and presentation of the final dish. One of the simplest of the desserts but sees difficult if the rules are not strictly followed.
Diplomat cream can be flavoured with Kahlua, Caramel, Praline mixture or even Fruit pulp. The amount of gelatine or corn starch depends on the purpose of the dish. Creme Diplomat can be served in jars or martini glass and decorated with fresh berries & crumble. It can also shaped using pastry cutter for garnish to accompany another dish. Often, people misunderstand Creme Diplomat & Creme Anglaise & Creme Brulee.
Creme Anglaise is a sauce type custard which is made from same ingredients except gelatine & cream is optional. However, Creme Diplomat is a set custard and more dense & sweeter than Anglaise. Creme Brûlée on the other hand, is baked in barn marie and is sprinkled with sugar on top and caramelised using a blow torch.
Ingredients
Diplomat Cream:
Milk- 500ml
Vanilla Bean Paste- 2 tbsp
Orange zest- 15gms
Egg yolks- 5
Caster Sugar- 50gms
Corn Starch- 40gms
Heavy Cream- 180ml
Icing Sugar- 50gms
Savoury tart shells - 2 no.
Fresh berries- 10 gm
White Chocolate Crumb-
Plain flour- 150gms
Butter Salted- 100gms
Brown Sugar- 50gms
White Chocolate chopped- 50gms ( I prefer Weiss White Chocolate with hint of vanilla)
Mango Gel-
Mango Puree- 50ml
Agar Agar- 10gms (1 1/2tsp)
Lemon juice- 2 tbsp
Coconut water- 30ml
GUIDELINES:
Mix cold vanilla custard until smooth.
The temperature of eggs & cream will decide the texture of final product. If the heat is high you risk curdling the eggs & if its too low then it sticks in the bottom of the pan.
Keep all ingredients measured and in front of you before cooking.
If using gelatine, the form of gelatine can change the complexion of the dish. 1 leaf of gelatine is equal to 2 tsp of powdered gelatine.
In the recipe, we use corn flour instead of gelatine. Make sure we cook the corn starch completely before cooling the mixture.
“If you can make a creme diplomat to perfection, then you have understood the basic fundamentals in patisserie”.
Use a probe or candy thermometer if unsure at any stage.
method:
stage 1 - making the crumble
Preheat oven to 200 C.
Mix all the ingredients together. Ensure your butter is cold to get the right texture.
Keep mixing till a dough like structure is observed or all the ingredients are well combined especially butter.
Do not over do it.
Place a baking paper on a roasting tray & place the mixture evenly.
Bake at 200C for 12-15mins or until golden brown. Ensure it is throughly cooked and hard at the centre. If you observe soft centre then cook it longer.
Allow it to cool down and blitz into course powder.
stage 2- mango gel
Place mango puree & sugar on a saucepan and bring it to a boil.
Once the mixture is boiling, add agar agar and whisk constantly to avoid lumps.
Agar agar activates only once the temperature has reached 90 C or 194 F.
Boil the mixture till reaches at least 95 C or higher. Use a probe if needed.
Add coconut water and lemon juice once it has reached the desired temperature.
Cool the mixture in blast chiller or place on top of ice. Keep stirring occasionally.
Once mixture has thickened and cold, place in piping bag.
Store in fridge.
stage 3 - making the diplomat cream
Place milk, orange zest & vanilla paste in a sauce pot and bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl mix egg yolks, sugar and corn starch using a whisk.
Once the vanilla is infused in the milk and it is boiling, bring off the heat and allow to cool slightly.
We want to our milk to be warm (70-80C), if its too hot we risk curdling the eggs in later stage.
Pour half milk in egg mixture and using a whisk combine it into smooth consistency. Avoid any lumps.
Now in a new saucepan, combine the rest of vanilla infused milk & custard mix.
On a low- medium heat, using a whisk keep the stirring the mixture to prevent curdling.
Cook the custard on and off the heat to ensure the bottom of pan does not get too hot.
Once it starts to thicken due to activation of corn starch, use a spatula and scrap all sides of the pan.
The mixture must coat the bottom of the spoon and resemble consistency of a honey.
Keep in mind, the mixture will eventually thicken as it cools down. So you can take it off the heat just before it reaches that stage.
Pour the custard into a mixing bowl and place it on top of ice to slow down the cooking process. We want the custard to be room temperature to combine it well with cream chantilly.
As the mixture is cooling down, whip cream, hint of vanilla and icing sugar together to stiff peak.
Using a spatula, combine half of the cream chantilly with custard throughly. Now, once the cream has in-coporated in the mixture you will feel the custard airy and lighter than before. At this stage, combine rest of the cream and gently fold into the custard. Using cut & fold technique avoid any loss in air bubbles.
Place the mixture in piping bags and fill in savoury tart shells.
Store in cold room or fridge for at least 1-2 hrs.
stage 4- presentation
In this recipe, we are serving the Creme Diplomat cold after it sets. However, warm diplomat (as soon as its made) also taste amazing & hits your taste buds.
On a white flat plate, place a dallop of mango gel and place the tart shell on top. This helps the tart to stay in its shape & flavour the base of tart.
Pipe mango gel on top of the tart using a floral nozzle. Garnish with white chocolate crumble & micro- herbs.
Bon Appetite.
