Chocolate Hazelnut Heart Entremets
Individual desserts These elegant heart-shaped entremets feature layers of smooth milk chocolate mousse, a two-part insert made of chocolate crémeux and hazelnut praline, a hazelnut dacquoise base coated with a crunchy layer, and a two-chocolate mirror glaze. They’re topped with roasted hazelnuts and milk-chocolate-coated cereal pearls for an irresistible finish.⚠️ Note: This recipe requires multiple freezing stages and is best prepared over two days.
Ingredients
Homemade Hazelnut Praline
- 400 g hazelnuts
- 250 g granulated sugar
- 70 g water
Chocolate Crémeux Insert
- 42 g whole milk
- 42 g heavy cream
- 1 egg yolk
- 5 g granulated sugar
- 0.3 g gelatin hydrated
- 36 g dark chocolate
- 15 g milk chocolate
Milk Chocolate Mousse
- 162 g milk chocolate 35%
- 45 g whole milk
- 180 g heavy cream
Hazelnut Dacquoise
- 57 g egg whites
- 15 g granulated sugar
- 40 g powdered sugar
- 35 g hazelnut flour
- 9 g cornstarch
Hazelnut Crunch
- 35 g roasted hazelnuts
- 30 g cornflakes
- 52 g milk chocolate
- 18 g hazelnut praline
Two-Chocolate Mirror Glaze
- 70 g water
- 110 g granulated sugar
- 24 g glucose syrup
- 70 g heavy cream
- 70 g milk chocolate
- 30 g dark chocolate
- 6 g powdered gelatin + 36 g cold water
Instructions
Hazelnut Praline
- Roast hazelnuts at 160 °C for 15 minutes.
- In a wide pan, heat sugar and water until 121 °C.
- Add hazelnuts and stir until fully coated.
- Cook further until caramelized (this takes a few minutes).
- Spread onto parchment paper; let cool.
- Blend for several minutes until a smooth, semi-liquid paste forms. Set aside.
Chocolate Crémeux Inserts
- Soak gelatin in cold water.
- Whisk egg yolk and sugar.
- Heat milk and cream, then pour over yolks, stirring constantly.
- Return to the pan and cook to 84 °C.
- Remove from heat, add gelatin and both chocolates.
- Stir until smooth, then pour into 8 Globe mold cavities (leave room for praline).
- Freeze for 2 hours, then spoon a layer of hazelnut praline over each.
- Freeze overnight.
Milk Chocolate Mousse
- Whip the cream and refrigerate.
- Heat the milk.
- Melt the chocolate, then mix in the warm milk.
- Let the mixture cool slightly, then gently fold in whipped cream.
- Fill the Amorini mold cavities halfway with mousse.
- Insert the frozen crémeux–praline centers.
- Cover with remaining mousse and smooth the tops.
- Freeze overnight.
Hazelnut Dacquoise
- Preheat oven to 180 °C.
- Sift and combine powdered sugar, hazelnut flour, and cornstarch.
- Whip egg whites to soft peaks, adding granulated sugar gradually.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the meringue.
- Spread into a rectangle on parchment paper, about 1 cm thick.
- Bake for 10–15 minutes until golden. Let cool.
- Use the Amorini mold cutter to cut 8 heart shapes.
Hazelnut Crunch Base
- Coarsely chop roasted hazelnuts and cornflakes.
- Melt the milk chocolate.
- Stir in hazelnut praline and crunchy mixture until well combined.
- Spread over each dacquoise heart and smooth the top.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set.
Mirror Glaze
- Soak gelatin in cold water.
- Place chocolates and cream in a tall container.
- In a saucepan, heat water, sugar, and glucose to 103 °C.
- Pour the hot syrup over the chocolate mixture.
- Add gelatin and blend with an immersion blender until smooth (avoid air bubbles).
- Let cool to 28 °C before use.
Final Assembly & Glazing
- Unmold the frozen mousse hearts.
- Set each one on its corresponding dacquoise crunch base.
- Place on a wire rack and pour mirror glaze over the top.
- Allow excess glaze to drip off and clean the edges.
- Decorate with roasted hazelnuts and chocolate-coated cereal pearls.
- Let thaw in the fridge for a few hours before serving.
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.