Sea Salt Chocolate Mousse with Biscoff Crumble and Cranberry Consommé

CONSOMMÉ

• Place 1 cm of water into a large pot and bring to a boil.
• In a glass or metal bowl, place your cranberries, lemon juice, and sugar, and stir to combine. Place your bowl on the pot, above the boiling water, and place a lid on top of the bowl that fits as snugly as possible.
• After about 3-5 minutes, remove the lid briefly, tightly cover and wrap your bowl with foil, and place the lid back on. Turn the stove down to low and cook for one hour.
• If desired, strain cranberries out of the juice. I prefer to leave it in and then add a little drizzle extra to my parfait. You can save any excess for another use – mocktail (or cocktail) anyone?
• Store airtight in the fridge until ready to use. Must be completely cool before assembly.

BISCOFF CRUMBLE

• Preheat oven to 356F (180C) CONVECTION
• In a mini food processor, break up your biscoff cookies until just crumbled. They don’t need to be pulverized but they’ll probably be close.
• Melt butter and pour over biscoff crumbles. Stir to combine, make sure can hold together but not too wet.
• Place on a parchment-lined sheet and pat together to make an even, flat circle (or rectangle or whatever shape works based on how you spread it), about ¼” thick
• Bake 6-7 minutes, remove and cool completely
• For assembly, just break as desired into bits.

MOUSSE

• Soak the gelatin sheets in a bowl of ice water until soft, about 20 minutes. (If using powdered gelatin, sprinkle 2 tsp [6g] gelatin over 6 tsp [30g] water in a small bowl, stir, and let sit for 20 minutes to bloom.)
• In a small pot, bring the milk to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a whisk. Remove from heat.
• Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Pour half of the hot milk over the chocolate and let it stand for 30 seconds. Stir gently with a spatula until the milk has melted the chocolate. Once melted, pour in the remaining milk, and stir to combine.
• Switch to a hand blender and emulsify the ganache until smooth, glossy, and free of any lumps.
• Squeeze out any excess water from your bloomed gelatin sheets. Whisk the bloomed gelatin into the hot ganache until the gelatin has dissolved. Let cool to 90 to 95°F (32 to 35°C).
• In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cream until it forms medium-stiff peaks.
• Using a large rubber spatula, slowly pour the ganache into the whipped cream as you constantly fold until fully incorporated. Be careful not to overmix, so as not to deflate the airy texture of the mousse.
• Cover the mousse with plastic wrap or wax paper pressed directly on the surface, to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours to set.

ASSEMBLY

• Parfait: In a parfait or trifle dish, place a layer of your biscoff at the bottom, top with a layer of the set mousse, and then top with a layer of cranberry consommé. Repeat to the top of the dish. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired.
• Plating: Using a spoon, scoop a little of the cranberry liquid from the bowl and drizzle it around the edge of the plate, place an oval of biscoff crumbles in the center. With a warm (not hot) spoon, scoop a rocher or quenelle* of mousse from the bowl and place on the crumbles. Carefully top with one or two cranberries, placing a few cranberries around the edge within the drizzle as well. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired.
• Store airtight in the fridge for two days.