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Monday, September 04, 2006

Pierre Hermé, je t'aime – History of a Cœur Velours

Did I really need to write another post about Pierre Hermé? No, not really if we consider I've already spoken about this genius at least six times before.
I'm sorry but I can't help.

Pierre Hermé, je t'aime.
I love every single thing you make. Who can deny that you are the most creative pâtissier of the world.
Avocat banane chocolat
Pêche abricot safran
Chocolat au lait banane passion
Just to say three of them.

Pierre Hermé, je t'aime.
Though I already secretly knew I had to be a pâtissier, you gave me the courage to finally face the truth. Now I'm brave enough to say that as soon as I'll graduate and save enough money I will attend the pastry course at le Cordon Bleu to, one day, open my own patisserie.
Maybe it was my fate. I am a Lenoir's mascotte afterall.

Pierre Hermé, je t'aime.
By publishing a book collecting all your recipes you couldn't make me happier. At the second I had PH10 in my arms, I knew we would love each others.
This book is more than a cookbook. It's my bible. Whenever I feel like making something special I only have to open the book and choose (and there you don't have to be fiddly about the choosing time – it is long but every second is worth it).

After that love delclaration you may think I'm insane and though I pretend I'm not, I am, well almost!
I simply love Pierre Hermé's work to the point of no-return.
So when I say Pierre Hermé, I love you; I do mean, in fact, I love what you do, but isn't I love you more poetic than I love what you do?

This was just an introduction to a dessert I made the other ~~three~~ days.
- Did I already say how much I loved Plaisir Sucré?
- Everyone says YES!
So I pass this part.
Anyway this is, for me and for most of the people I know, milk chocolate heaven.
It was then a quick decision to make one for my dad's birthday. Though, I wanted it to look more like a birthday cake; thus when I found the recipe for Coeur Velours (otherwise know as Coeur Plaisir Sucré) I knew it was the ONE.

It takes quite a long time to make – I started Friday whereas the birthday party was on Sunday.
But although it's really time-consuming I simply don't mind because, for me, making of of Pierre Hermé's creation is like choosing the perfect wedding dress or to grow the perfect orchid. It needs time, love and devotion.

Here is its history.

Coeur Velours
This entremet de fête, as Pierre Hermé calls it, is another form of the famous Cerise sur le Gâteau.
It makes a lovely birthday cake and would be perfect in fact for every occasion (have you ever thought of self-inflicted parties – think 'I have a new car, why not make a party', or 'it's raining, why not…').
Pierre Hermé suggests that it should be eaten alone to underline the different tastes and textures and I can only agree with my maître-à-penser.

Coeur Velours

serves 8

Friday
make a list of all the ingredients needed
go food-shopping
write down a retro-planning

6pm – make the dacquoise aux noisettes
Preheat the oven to 170°C and line a large baking sheet.
Sieve the hazelnut powder (135g) and icing sugar (150g). Whip the egg whites (150g) with the caster sugar (50g) until stiff. Fold into the nutty mixture.
Pipe two 19cm disks on the lined baking sheet and sprinkle with roasted and crushed hazelnuts (125g).
Bake at 170°C for 25 minutes. Unmould and allow to cool on a wire rack until completely cold.

6.20pm – make the milk chocolate chantilly
Bring the cream (300g) to the boil and pour over the milk chocolate (210g), mix until smooth and place into an airtight container with some clingfilm on the surface to prevent the formation of a skin. Refrigerate overnight.

6.30pm – make the milk chocolate ganache
Bring the cream (115g) to the boil and pour over the milk chocolate (125g). Mix until smooth and allow to cool at room temperature. And don't forget to set 1/4 of the ganache aside.

6.45pm – check if your water pulveriser can actually pulverise chocolate
Now you know it doesn't work so you have to find a solution before Sunday.

7pm – make the praline feuilleté
After having read the PH10 recipe you finally decide you should (to preserve yourself from the nervous breakdown) use the fully approved one from My chocolate desserts
In a bowl mix the Nutella (200g), melted milk chocolate (50g), broken crêpes gavottes or rice krispies (30g) and melted butter (15g)

7.15pm – go back to your work; you still have a 50-page paper due in five weeks

8pm – spread the praline feuilleté over one of the dacquoise disks
Then freeze both disks

Saturday
9.15am – make the fines feuilles de chocolat au lait
Temper the milk chocolate (160g) and spread onto a rhodoïd sheet or two. As soon as it starts getting set, draw three 18,5cm circles. Keep in the fridge.

9.30am – spread the half of the chocolate ganache onto one chocolate disk, then top with the other chocolate disk, spread with the remaining ganache and top with the last chocolate sheet. Freeze.

10am – work, work, work!

12pm – line the side of a 19cm cercle à pâtisserie with the reserved ganache
Place the dacquoise, then the chocolate sheets/ganache then top with the whipped chocolate chantilly and cover with the upside-down dacquoise. Smooth the top with some remaining chantilly and freeze overnight.

Sunday
6.45am – melt 100g of milk chocolate with 50g of butter

7am – release the entremet from the cercle and ice it with the prepared mixture
After I discovered the pulvériser wouldn't pulverise chocolate, I decided to simply chill the milk chocolate/butter mixture then spread it on the entrement as you would for any icing/frosting.

7.20am – after having struggled against the ~~pulvérisateur~~ spatula, place the entremet on a nice cake stand, pop into the fridge and go back to bed

2pm – finally enjoy the delicious entremet and don't worry if it's not as good-looking as it was on the book

Labels: chocolate, entremets, favourites, pierre hermé, recipe inside

sweet link | posted by *fanny* at 17:03

28 sweets:

Anonymous said something sweet:: Fanny,
I am a devoted fan of Pierre Hermé as well - visiting his store was like a trip to paradise! I am waiting for the translation of PH10, and am envious you are already making so many beautiful creations out of it! I think you could open your own patisserie already!; 04 September, 2006 19:09
Anonymous said something sweet:: Sans avoir le livre, je suis pourtant sûre que c' était aussi beau, quelles photos toujours et encore!!; 04 September, 2006 19:10
Anonymous said something sweet:: Woohoow! That's simply amazing!; 04 September, 2006 21:22
daniela said something sweet:: Fanny,
d'abord: le nouveau visage de ton blog est vraiment jolie, colorè et lumineux!
après:j'habit Paris et de temps en temps je colle mon nez à la vitrine de la patissêrie de PH, mais je t'assure ton gâteau il est magnifique!!; 04 September, 2006 21:54
Anonymous said something sweet:: Reading this makes me want to hurry to my local bookstore!

Your creation is a feast for the eyes. Love that this first post after changing to your new look equally match it's elegance.

Pink is the new black. Elegant and sophisticated! oh, ok, pink and blue :); 05 September, 2006 00:10
Anonymous said something sweet:: "Enjoy" is the word ... quoique je préfère "jouir" tellement l'expérience de la dégustation doit être intense !; 05 September, 2006 07:36
Sandra Le Petrin said something sweet:: Hi Fanny! I was trying to post last night at 4:00 AM and bam! my screen became black!! Une façon de me dire d'aller me coucher!! Je voulais te dire bravo et merci pour avoir retranscrit la recette (une autre à essayer!!) et surtout te dire que ton coeur velours est superbe: dis-toi qu'on n'a pas les mêmes outils et matériels que les pâtissiers pro pour faire d'aussi belles réalisations qu'eux mais l'important c'est d'abord le goût!! Perso, je viens de faire le Meringué d'Automne pour l'anniversaire de mon dernier, le goût m'a un peu déçue! Comme quoi..; 05 September, 2006 11:41
Anonymous said something sweet:: Hi Fanny,
I second that love for Pierre Hermé's work. It's quite frequent that I've been requested to make those 3 day cakes for celebrations by friends, collegues or family. Although it's a lot of work, I really do enjoy it. I haven't yet gotten ph10, but I love my english/french edition of La Patisserie de Pierre Hermé. I wonder how long it would be for the (hopefully) translated version of ph10! I suppose that means I should finish the creations detailed in La Patisserie and the Dessserts cookbooks.
In the meantime, here's my "circular" version of the Coeur Velours. :)

Before the final coat:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sifu_renka/92046589/
After the coat of milk chocolate:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sifu_renka/92046591/
and
A cross section:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sifu_renka/92046593/; 05 September, 2006 16:11
Anonymous said something sweet:: Okay, I was inspired to go out and buy the book. It will be here on Friday. Yay.; 06 September, 2006 09:29
Elodie said something sweet:: Oh oh ! Celui là il va passer par ma cuisine aussi ! Tu as le don de me donner envie de me mettre aux fourneaux ! Thank you so much fanny for these "chocolate post", it's so good to read and watch !; 06 September, 2006 11:26
Anonymous said something sweet:: Fanny,
You are amazing!! This cake looks absolutely divine and I'm sure the taste was beyond amazing. When I get a lucky chance to visit Pierre Herme, I'll think of you =); 06 September, 2006 21:20
*fanny* said something sweet:: Anita - i think i still have lots and lots of things to learn.

Ellie - merci. Mais bon je suis sûr que le VRAI coeur velours est 100x plus beau que ma version.

Nemisbéka - thank you for dropping by.

Daniela - la méga chance d'habiter a Paris, plus près de mon PH d'amour.

Mae - 'pink is the new black' you're totally right.

Béa - i couldn't agree more with you.

Sandra - c'est vrai on a pas le meme materiel, mais je persevere! Dommage pour le meringué d'automne.

Renée - it looks good!
Regarding La Partisserie de PH i think it's more or less the same as PH10 (just a change in the layout and maybe a few more recipes)

Peabody - i'm sure you won't regret it. Truth to be told, PH10 is now my favourite cookbook or as i say in the post 'my bible'.

Elodie - ooooh le chocolat j'adore. Si je pouvais, je ne ferais que des desserts au chocolat. C'est trop yummy.

Dianka - give him a kiss on the cheek for me :)

fanny; 07 September, 2006 10:01
Camille Clech said something sweet:: Mais quelle spendeur ce gâteau !!! Et tes photos... à tomber.
J'adore, j'adore la nouvelle robe de Food beam !!!; 07 September, 2006 16:35
Anonymous said something sweet:: Hi Fanny!
Its quite weird to write to you in english...but well, i'll play the game :) I've discovered your blog few weeks ago and I couldn't chose the recipe were to place a comment since there are all sublime. I even thought of making Plaisir Sucré this morning but didn't have enough time to make it. And then, i drop by your blog and THE cake was there: luscious, perfect, amazing...whatever, time for me to say that your blog is a real gold mine for sweet recipes. I think I'm gonna go to P. Hermé store in few days. I'll think of you for sure. Can't wait to make your cake!!! My dad's B-day is in 10 days!!!! youhouuuuu!! If you come to Paris, tell me, we'll go shopping in bookstores and at some pâtissiers!!; 07 September, 2006 22:49
Anonymous said something sweet:: such a pretty cake! i have only been to paris once and am still kicking myself for not going to Pierre Hermé. i read so many wonderful things after i returned. some day....:); 08 September, 2006 03:06
Anonymous said something sweet:: That cake looks soooo good, I can only imagine how it tasted! I am new to your blog, and I am really enjoying it! I look forward to future posts!; 09 September, 2006 08:27
Anonymous said something sweet:: Hi Fanny,
I just have to say: WOW
Absolutely amazing and very impressive (!)

o, and I love your new 100%sweet-look - very pretty and girlish! =); 09 September, 2006 22:15
Camille Clech said something sweet:: Absolument fabuleux ton Coeur Velours ! Et j'adore, j'adore la nouvelle robe de Food beam !; 11 September, 2006 11:59
Joycelyn said something sweet:: hi fanny, this is beyond divine - am sure every lucky person who had a taste of that gorgeous cake must have swooned from sheer delight...btw, am loving the sweet pink new look ;); 12 September, 2006 00:20
sooishi said something sweet:: My god Fanny quelle patience!
Il est magnifique bravo, j'ai vraiment envie d'y goûter :)
C'est une belle façon d'inaugurer le new Food Beam, so chic!

Bisou; 12 September, 2006 17:01
Rachael Narins said something sweet:: Fanny? Do you have a room with a pink wall? Is that what is in the backround there?

I mean, the cake is ravishing, but the idea of a pink room has my head swimming...with delight.; 14 September, 2006 06:00
Anonymous said something sweet:: Wouah je découvre ton blog, je le trouve superbe ! Bravo !; 27 September, 2006 21:19
Anonymous said something sweet:: Your phots are really beautiful! Great! And your recipes too.
Ciao.; 29 September, 2006 20:29
Anonymous said something sweet:: wow, that looks really nice :) Good luck in joining Le Cordon Bleu.. I'm a student in LCB, Sydney.. But I'm pretty sure that the one in France will be very much much better :) ta; 01 October, 2006 10:42
Kate Croft said something sweet:: i thought of you today when Pierre came to dine at my restaurant =); 04 October, 2006 18:05
Anonymous said something sweet:: I nearly died and went to heaven when I saw an article in the New York Times Magazine this morning about salted butter caramel treats, my absolute favorite. And then I saw your site mentioned at the end! Congratulations! A well-deserved nod.; 08 October, 2006 19:29
Anonymous said something sweet:: merçi fanny de ton gentil compliment qui m'a fait énormément plaisir! tu as vu juste pour moi!! car c'est vrai que je suis très gentille, mais j'ai ressenti la même chose pour toi rien quand te voyant!!! j'ai des dons qui ne trompent pas!! je ne connaissais pas ton blog!!il est maintenant dans mes favoris!! bises Fanny et merçi encore pour ta gentillesse. micheline; 14 October, 2006 23:28
Cindy said something sweet:: Hi Fanny,
this cake looks real good. I think I'll try it soon, it'll give me an occasion to spray chocolate on something.
About the flan, yeah the recipe on the english version is the one I wouldn't give away on the french one (coz my boss was reading it).; 16 October, 2006 00:23