Coffee Sponge with Cherries, Junket and Lychees

By corlear

Ingredients

• For the sponge:
• 11/4 cup icing sugar
• 1/2 cup egg yolks
• 1 whole egg
• 3/4 cup egg whites
• 2 oz sugar
• 13/4 cup plain flour
• For the basic syrup:
• 7/8 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• For the all-spice syrup:
• 1/2 cup basic syrup (see previous step)
• 3/4 oz all-spice powder
• For the stewed cherries:
• 4 cherries, split in half
• 1/3 cup cherry purée
• 3 tbsp sugar
• For the lychee water ice:
• 1/3 cup lychee pulp
• 3/4 tbsp basic syrup(see previous step)
• % sheet gelatin (previously rehydrated in cold water)
• For the junket sorbet:
• 2 cups sheep's milk junket
• 1/2 cup milk
• 31/4 tbsp glucose
• 1 tsp sorbet stabilizer
• 1/4 cup basic syrup (see previous step)
• For the liquid cocoa croquant:
• 31/4 tbsp cacao
• 13/4 tbsp glucose
• 1 cup basic syrup (see previous step)
• For the vinegar reduction:
• 1/2 cup Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar
• 13/4 tbsp glucose
• To finish:
• 1/2 cup expreso coffee
• 13/4 oz diced Oreo biscuit (do not use the
• cream filling)
• Maldon salt

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

For the sponge:
1. Beat the egg yolks and icing sugar together.
2. Make a meringue by whisking the egg whites and sugar into stiff peaks.
3. Add the whole egg to the beaten egg mixture and then carefully fold in the flour.
4. Finally, add the meringue.
5. Spread the mixture over a tray and bake in the oven at 410ºF for 5 min.
6. Cut the sponge into 5" x 2/3" strips.

For the basic syrup:
1. Mix both ingredients together and bring to the boil.

For the all-spice syrup:
1. Reduce the syrup and stir in the all-spices until it is brown in color and has the consistency of liquid caramel.

For the stewed cherries:
1. Caramelize the sugar. Add the sautéed cherry halves and stir in the cherry juices.
2. Leave to stew, remove the cherries and reduce the sauce until it has thickened.

For the lychee water ice:
1. Heat the syrup to 120ºF and dissolve the gelatin in it.
2. Mix in the lychee pulp.
3. Strain and freeze.

For the junket sorbet:
1. Heat the milk, glucose, stabilizer and syrup to 185ºF.
2. Leave to cool and stir in the junket. Leave to cool and then stand for 8 hours in the fridge.
3. Process in the ice cream maker.

For the liquid cocoa croquant:
1. Mix the 3 ingredients together in the Thermomix till you have a smooth paste. Sieve and leave to rest until the mixture stabilizes.
2. Use an icing bag to pipe thin 3" long strips on a Silpat liner.
3. Bake in the oven at 325ºF for approx. 4 minutes
4. Store in a Tupperware dish with silica gel.

For the vinegar reduction:
1. Reduce the mixture over a gentle heat until you have a thick sauce with the consistency of liquid caramel.
2. Leave to cool.

Final Steps & Preparation:
1. Soak the sponge strips in the coffee. Drain and use them to form a number 9 on the plate.
2. Put a little all-spice syrup beside the straight part of the number. Place ½ a cherry inside and ½ a cherry outside of the sponge circle.
3. Fill the hollow in the cherry with vinegar reduction. Coat them with the cherry purée.
4. Place a small quenelle of lychee sorbet on top of the cherry that is inside the circle and the lychee water ice behind the cherry. Make sure that it all stays inside the sponge circle.
5. Sprinkle the diced Oreo biscuit and a pinch of Maldon salt on top of the sorbet.
6. Place a small bar of cocoa croquant across the top of the lychee sorbet.