Jaconde Alize.....a sexy dessert

Every good menu needs a stunning dessert to end the meal, so we need to have something really sexy for dessert. The name is already sexy, Jaconde Alize.

If you google the dessert you will quickly find out that it is actually a classic dessert which has be brought to perfection by Michel Roux. It is soft layers of almond sponge, then praline butter cream and raspberries, something that is just too wonderful.

So yes, our pastry chef was for many years on ships and had the privilege to work with Michel Roux....what a lucky guy. And I am now a lucky guy to have the pastry chef working for us here. I met Michel Roux when he came for a well deserved break in the Relais et Chateaux hotel where I was the chef at the time. Such a humble and great man, no arrogance, just simply enjoying his time with us and the food.

The almond sponge is soaked with a bit sugar syrup, then you paint dark chocolate on it, so it gets just a tiny bit crispness, then the raspberries and the butter cream, wow, it is really great

Just be aware, it takes a bit time and loads of love to make this recipe work

Recipe
600 G Almond Sponge
300 G Frozen Raspberries
400 G Butter Cream
50 G Hazelnut paste
50 G Chocolate
20 G Cocoa Powder
30 G Sugar

50 G Mango sauce

Method
Bake the almond sponge in sheets
Cook the chocolate with cocoa powder and sugar till melted
Paint the chocolate on top of the sponge
Defrost the berries, chop
Put the berries on top of the chocolate

Mix Butter cream with hazelnut paste
Spread the butter cream on top of the berries
Put the individual layers on top of each other
Press gently
Cool over night
Add a last layer of butter cream on top

Cut slices of 140 g each
Garnish with mango sauce

And here is the recipe for the Almond Sponge

600 g Almond Flour
600 g Icing sugar
200 g Flour
150 g Butter
750 g Eggs

Beat the eggs with the sugar till light and creamy
Add the other ingredients carefully, except the butter
Melt the butter and add at the end
pour on baking trays and make sure it is not thicker than 1 cm
Bake at 180 C till light brown in color