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!
Prep Time 1 hourhour
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Servings 1people
Ingredients
Apricot Filling
100gapricot puréee.g., Ponthier
1gPectin NH
1Tbspsugar
½gelatin sheet
Vanilla Ganache
100mlheavy cream
150gwhite couverture chocolateor Callets, chopped
Seeds from ½ vanilla bean
Almond Sponge with Olive Oil
15gpeeledgrated almonds
10gsugarI
2egg yolks
1egg white
11gsugarII
17gall-purpose flour
5golive oil
Almond Mousse with Olive Oil
34gmilk
33gheavy creamI
Seeds from ½ vanilla bean
168gValrhona Inspiration Amandeor white couverture, chopped
2egg yolks
1Tbspsugar
1½gelatin sheets
50mlolive oil
280gheavy creamII
Mirror Glaze
120gglucose syrup
120gsugar
60gwaterportion I
8gpowdered gelatin
48gwaterportion II
120gwhite couverture chocolateor Callets, chopped
80gsweetened condensed milke.g., Nestlé
Green and yellow gel food coloring
Crunch Base with Apricots & Lotus Cookies
60gLotus cookiesfinely chopped
42gchopped almonds
18gdried apricotsfinely chopped
50gdark couverture chocolate
5gcocoa butter
Decoration
Macaronssee 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!