Smoked White Chocolate &...Smoked White Chocolate & Sea Buckthorn Tartlet

An exquisite dessert balancing the velvety rich sweetness of applewood-smoked white chocolate ganache with the bright acidity of sea buckthorn curd, encased in a delicate toasted buckwheat sablé shell.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   To make the buckwheat sablé, pulse buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, and cold butter in a food processor until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and pulse until the dough just comes together. Chill wrapped in film for 30 minutes.

2. 02

   Roll the pastry to 2mm thickness between parchment sheets. Line four 8cm perforated tart rings. Dock the bases with a fork and freeze for 15 minutes.

3. 03

   Bake the tart shells at 160°C (320°F) for 14-16 minutes until golden and crisp. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

4. 04

   Infuse the heavy cream with applewood smoke using a food smoking gun in a covered bowl for 15 minutes. Gently warm the smoked cream to 80°C (176°F).

5. 05

   Pour warm smoked cream over chopped white chocolate in three stages, emulsifying with a spatula to create a glossy ganache. Divide ganache evenly into cooled tart shells, filling halfway. Chill for 1 hour until set.

6. 06

   Soak gelatin sheet in cold water. Whisk sea buckthorn juice, eggs, and caster sugar in a heatproof bowl over a double boiler until thick and thermometer reads 82°C (180°F).

7. 07

   Remove curd from heat, stir in bloomed gelatin, and allow to cool to 40°C before blending in 40g butter until ultra-smooth. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a round tip.

8. 08

   To assemble, pipe delicate spheres of sea buckthorn curd over the set smoked chocolate ganache. Garnish with fresh bronze fennel fronds and edible gold leaf before serving.