Almond Tarts “Happy Green”
It’s bright green as we head into carnival weekend. Are you on ‘Team Carnival’ or ‘Team No-Carnival’? I’m definitely Team No-Carnival, but it can still be colorful ☺. Of course, it’s a shame there are no parades or festivities this year, especially for all the children who love dressing up once a year as little clowns, princesses, or “Mäschgerle.” As a former fashion designer, Cécile Farkas-Moritel creates her pastries as if designing for a haute-couture show—feminine, vivid, and deeply personal. Inspired by her style, I’ve combined two special ingredients—olive oil and Valrhona’s “Inspiration Amande” couverture—to create an exceptionally creamy, chocolate-nut mousse. A hint of apricot adds a delicate fruit note that harmonizes beautifully with the almond. Finally, macaron decorations add a playful touch, though any creative garnish will work. Enjoy these tarts as a tribute to the festive season!
Ingredients
Apricot Filling
- 100 g apricot purée e.g., Ponthier
- 1 g Pectin NH
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- ½ gelatin sheet
Vanilla Ganache
- 100 ml heavy cream
- 150 g white couverture chocolate or Callets, chopped
- Seeds from ½ vanilla bean
Almond Sponge with Olive Oil
- 15 g peeled grated almonds
- 10 g sugar I
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 egg white
- 11 g sugar II
- 17 g all-purpose flour
- 5 g olive oil
Almond Mousse with Olive Oil
- 34 g milk
- 33 g heavy cream I
- Seeds from ½ vanilla bean
- 168 g Valrhona Inspiration Amande or white couverture, chopped
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1½ gelatin sheets
- 50 ml olive oil
- 280 g heavy cream II
Mirror Glaze
- 120 g glucose syrup
- 120 g sugar
- 60 g water portion I
- 8 g powdered gelatin
- 48 g water portion II
- 120 g white couverture chocolate or Callets, chopped
- 80 g sweetened condensed milk e.g., Nestlé
- Green and yellow gel food coloring
Crunch Base with Apricots & Lotus Cookies
- 60 g Lotus cookies finely chopped
- 42 g chopped almonds
- 18 g dried apricots finely chopped
- 50 g dark couverture chocolate
- 5 g cocoa butter
Decoration
- Macarons see note
Instructions
Apricot Filling
- Soak the gelatin sheet in cold water.
- Mix the sugar with Pectin NH.
- Warm the apricot purée gently, stir in the sugar–pectin mixture, then bring to a light simmer for about 1 minute.
- Remove from heat, squeeze out the gelatin, and stir it into the hot purée until fully dissolved.
- Pour into half-sphere molds and freeze solid.
- Tip: If you don’t have Pectin NH, you can use apple pectin or simply increase the gelatin quantity.
Vanilla Ganache
- Heat the cream with the vanilla seeds until just boiling.
- Place the chopped white chocolate in a bowl; pour one-third of the hot cream over it, stir until melted, then repeat in two more additions.
- Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate overnight.
- Note: This makes more ganache than needed for the tarts—you can halve the recipe or use the remainder for other treats.
Almond Sponge with Olive Oil
- Preheat the oven to 170 °C (Ober/Unterhitze).
- Beat the grated almonds, egg yolks, and sugar (I) until thick and pale.
- In a separate bowl, whip the egg white with sugar (II) to stiff peaks.
- Gently fold the meringue into the almond mixture, then sift in the flour and fold again.
- Finally, fold in the olive oil just until combined.
- Spread the batter about 1 cm thick on a parchment-lined baking sheet or silicone mat and bake for 15 minutes, until pale golden.
- Cool completely, then cut out 6 cm discs.
- Pipe a spiral of chilled vanilla ganache onto each disc using a small round tip; freeze until firm.
Almond Mousse with Olive Oil
- Soak the remaining gelatin in cold water. Melt the chopped couverture in the microwave or over a bain-marie.
- Heat the milk, cream (I), and vanilla seeds just to a simmer.
- Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, then temper with the hot milk mixture. Return to the pan and heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 83 °C.
- Remove from heat, squeeze out the gelatin, and stir it in.
- Divide the hot custard into three portions, stirring each into the melted chocolate until smooth (this forms a stable emulsion).
- Allow the mixture to cool to about 30 °C, stirring occasionally to prevent skinning.
- Whip the cream (II) to soft peaks and fold it gently into the cooled chocolate mixture—do not overmix.
Assembly of the Tarts
- Fill each half-sphere mold about two-thirds full with the almond mousse, spreading a thin layer up the sides.
- Place one frozen apricot sphere into the center of each mold.
- Top with a frozen almond-olive oil sponge disc (ganache-side down), pressing gently so the mousse reaches the edges.
- Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid.
Mirror Glaze
- Soak the powdered gelatin in the portion II water.
- In a saucepan, combine glucose syrup, sugar, and portion I water; bring to 103 °C.
- Remove from heat, stir in the condensed milk, then the bloomed gelatin.
- Pour the hot mixture over the chopped white chocolate; let sit 1 minute, then blend with an immersion blender (keeping the blade below the surface) until smooth.
- Stir in green and yellow food coloring to achieve a vibrant green.
- Cover with plastic wrap on the surface and refrigerate overnight.
Crunch Base with Apricots & Lotus Cookies
- Mix the chopped cookies, almonds, and dried apricots in a bowl.
- Melt the dark chocolate and cocoa butter together; stir into the dry ingredients until evenly coated.
- Place a 7 cm ring on parchment or a silicone mat; spoon in about 3 tsp of the mixture, press flat, and carefully remove the ring.
- Repeat to make eight circles total.
- Chill until fully set.
Finishing
- Prepare macarons (see your favorite recipe) and fill them with any leftover vanilla ganache; chill until set.
- Warm the mirror glaze to 40 °C, then let it cool to 34–35 °C. Blend briefly to re-emulsify.
- Unmold the frozen tarts onto a wire rack set over a tray.
- Pour the glaze evenly over each tart, ensuring full coverage.
- Once the glaze sets, use a toothpick or small palette knife to release each tart from the rack, wiping away any excess drips.
- Place each tart on a crunchy base circle. Thaw in the refrigerator (or a cool cellar) until just soft—this takes only a short time.
- Decorate with the filled macarons and fresh mint leaves (or your preferred garnish).
Notes
Wishing you a wonderful carnival weekend—enjoy these vibrant “Happy Green” tarts!
I’m Chef Mimo, a passionate pastry chef with over 17 years of experience in the world of fine desserts. I specialize in French-style entremets, refined cakes, and creative chocolate work. Pastry is not just my profession—it’s my lifelong passion. Through PastryCrafted.com, I love sharing my recipes, techniques, and inspirations with anyone who dreams of mastering the art of pastry. Whether you’re a curious beginner or a seasoned pro, you’re welcome in my sweet world.