A Slice of Life
The summer celebrations continue with one of the many birthdays of the season. Since my friends know me well, they usually ask me to take care of the dessert.
In summer, I like to focus on fruit-based desserts. Since we try to eat fruits and vegetables according to the seasons, we make the most of the delicious summer berries, which, unfortunately, are only available for a short time. I do admit to allowing myself a few occasional “out-of-season” treats, mainly thanks to the fruit I freeze during the summer. It lets us enjoy them a little longer and helps us wait until they return.
About the Red Berry & Hibiscus Entremet
I used the Abbracico mold from Silikomart. The proportions I’m giving you are therefore adapted to a mold that is 22 cm in diameter.
A small tip if you buy silicone molds: avoid molds with a hole in the center when making entremets. Even though the result looks very elegant, it quickly becomes a headache in practice (especially for inserts). I own several of them, so I still use them, but in the future I’ll avoid them for this type of recipe.
The Hibiscus
I really enjoy the floral, tangy, and delicate flavour of hibiscus. It’s incredibly refreshing. I use it more and more, especially in drinks, where it gives a lovely pink colour. I had been wanting to try making an entremet combining red berries with hibiscus for months—I just needed to wait for the right season. I found dried hibiscus flowers at the Palais Royal herbal shop in Paris. As for the quantities, I simply followed the instructions on the package.
The Cream
I took inspiration from a cream by Christophe Felder (from his book Entremets), which combines a custard base (infused with hibiscus) and mascarpone. Initially, I followed the quantities in the recipe, only to realize that my mold was much larger. So I quickly made the cream again, doubling the quantities and adjusting the proportions to make it lighter.
Practical Tips
Start preparing the dessert at least 2 days before serving (though it can be made several days in advance). The red berry insert and the crunchy layer will need to be frozen for assembly. Prepare the sponge and the hibiscus cream on the day of assembly. After that, the entremet will need to rest in the freezer for at least one night to allow the glaze to set. As you can see, it requires a bit of planning ahead. However, each individual step is simple and quick, so it’s easy to spread the work across the week and take your time. For example, I started my preparations on Tuesday for a dessert served on Sunday.
