Whisky and chocolate cremeux with whisky ice cream, coffee and caramel

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Geoffrey Smeddle's decadent chocolate dessert is flavoured with whisky, making it perfect for a special occasion such as New Year's or Hogmanay. The chef uses the Islay whisky Bunnahabhain in his version, but if you are unable to get this particular variety opt for a single malt with an oaky smokiness and delicate peaty taste to avoid overpowering the other flavours of the dish.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Whisky ice cream

  • 75g of sugar
  • 50g of glucose
  • 155g of egg yolk
  • 250g of milk
  • 250g of cream
  • 100g of whisky

Cremeux

Chocolate caramel tuile

  • 100g of sugar
  • 50g of glucose
  • 25g of water
  • 75g of 64% dark chocolate, broken or chopped into small pieces
  • vegetable oil, for greasing the rolling pin

Coffee foam

Streusel

  • 160g of plain flour
  • 100g of caster sugar
  • 40g of soft dark brown sugar
  • 110g of butter
  • 30g of cocoa powder
  • 130g of sunflower seeds

Chocolate sugar stick

  • 50g of glucose
  • 50g of Isomalt sugar
  • 50g of 64% dark chocolate, broken or chopped into small pieces

Caramel sauce

  • 250g of sugar
  • 350g of cream
  • 1 pinch of sea salt

Chocolate sauce

To serve

Equipment

  • Ice cream maker
  • Espuma gun
  • Gas cartridge
  • Food processor

Method

1
Start with the whisky ice cream. Whisk together the sugar, glucose and egg yolks in a large bowl until thoroughly combined and set to one side. Combine the milk and cream in a medium pan and place over a medium heat, gently heating until just before boiling point
  • 75g of sugar
  • 50g of glucose
  • 155g of egg yolk
  • 250g of milk
  • 250g of cream
2
Remove the pan from the heat and, whisking continuously, pour the warm cream over the egg mixture. Transfer the mixture back to the pan and gently heat until it reaches 84°C and thickens to form a crème anglaise
3
Remove from the heat and mix in the whisky, folding the alcohol evenly through the mixture. Leave to cool, then transfer to an ice cream machine and churn until set
4
Meanwhile, make the cremeux. Whisk together the sugar and yolks in a bowl while gently heating the milk and cream in a clean pan as before. Pour the hot milk and cream over the egg mixture, then return to the pan and cook to 84°C until the mixture has thickened
  • 30g of sugar
  • 40g of egg yolk
  • 125g of milk
  • 125g of double cream
5
Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl and carefully pour the warm anglaise over the top, mixing thoroughly until the chocolate has melted and incorporated into the anglaise. Stir in the whisky and allow to cool slightly, then transfer the cremeux to a piping bag and refrigerate until ready to serve
6
Preheat the oven to to 180˚C/gas mark 4
7
To make the tuile, boil together the sugar, glucose and water in a pan until it turns a golden caramel colour. Remove from the heat and beat in the chocolate until melted and smooth
  • 100g of sugar
  • 50g of glucose
  • 25g of water
  • 75g of 64% dark chocolate, broken or chopped into small pieces
8
Working quickly, pour the tuile mixture onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat and leave to harden and cool. Once hard, roughly break into shards and blitz to a dust in a food processor
9
Using a template measuring 5cm x 18cm, sprinkle four rectangles of dust onto a silicone mat and bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until the dust has melted. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for a few minutes
10
While still warm, carefully roll each rectangle around a lightly greased rolling pin to form four rings – if they harden too quickly, return to the oven for a few minutes to soften again. Slide off and allow the rings to cool before storing in an airtight container
  • vegetable oil, for greasing the rolling pin
11
For the coffee foam, combine the milk, cream and coffee beans in a pan and bring almost to the boil. Remove from the heat and cover the pan with cling film, leaving to stand and infuse until cool
12
Once the coffee cream has cooled whisk together the sugar, glucose and egg yolks in a separate bowl until thoroughly combined. Pass the coffee cream through a fine sieve into a clean pan and place over a medium heat until almost boiling, then pour the hot cream mixture over the egg yolks while whisking continuously
13
Return to the pan and heat until the mixture reaches 84˚C and thickens into an anglaise. Allow to cool, then transfer to an espuma gun and charge with one cartridge, shake thoroughly and refrigerate until serving
14
To make the streusel, place all of the ingredients except the sunflower seeds into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the sunflower seeds
  • 30g of cocoa powder
  • 160g of plain flour
  • 100g of caster sugar
  • 40g of soft dark brown sugar
  • 110g of butter
  • 130g of sunflower seeds
15
Bring the mixture together with your hands to form a dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes to firm up
16
Preheat the oven to 175˚C/gas mark 4
17
Roll out the chilled dough until approximately 3mm thick. Transfer to a lined baking sheet and bake for 10–12 minutes until brittle, then remove from the oven and leave to cool. Break into a crumb and store in an airtight container until ready to serve
18
Increase the oven to 180˚C/gas mark 4
19
To make the chocolate sugar stick, add the glucose and isomalt sugar to a pan and heat to 150˚C until light caramel in colour. Whisk in the chocolate until melted and smooth, then spread the mixture out on a silicone mat
  • 50g of glucose
  • 50g of Isomalt sugar
  • 50g of 64% dark chocolate, broken or chopped into small pieces
20
Bake in the oven for 5 minutes and remove, then lie another silicone mat or sheet of baking paper over the top while the mixture is still hot. Roll out with a rolling pin to create a thin sheet, then pull long strands off with your fingers and lie these on another lined tray to harden and cool
21
For the caramel sauce, add the sugar to a pan and heat until dissolved. Allow to bubble to a golden caramel colour without stirring, then mix in the cream and salt until well combined
  • 250g of sugar
  • 350g of cream
  • 1 pinch of sea salt
22
Boil the caramel until it reaches the desired consistency, then remove from the heat and leave to cool at room temperature until ready to serve
23
For the chocolate sauce, bring the cream, milk and sugar to a boil in a pan. Add the chocolate and cocoa powder and whisk until melted and combined. Gradually whisk in the butter until beginning to emulsify, then strain through a fine sieve and reserve until serving
24
To serve, spread a little of the chocolate and caramel sauces across each serving plate. Place a tuile ring on top and pipe in the cremeux to three-quarters full, sprinkle over some streusel and cover with a squirt of the coffee foam to fill the tuile. Place a quenelle of ice cream alongside the filled tuile and garnish with the sugar stick, leftover streusel and a dusting of cocoa powder

Geoffrey Smeddle, proprietor and chef of The Peat Inn in Fife, started his career working for Herbert Berger at The Café Royal and for Christopher Galvin in London. He then sealed his reputation as one of Scotland’s top chefs by opening Terence Conran's Etain, in Glasgow.

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