Chef Juliette
Various Almond Preparations
Five almond preparations, one discipline: remove the skins cleanly, dry every kernel through, then cut, toast, or cloak it in pale caramel without letting its fragrant oils escape.
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Croûte à la Mexicaine
Created by Chef Juliette
Based on No. 2721, Croûte à la Mexicaine, from Le Guide Culinaire (1907) by Auguste Escoffier
A crown of almond-crusted Génoise surrounding a jagged mound of Plombière ice: this grand frozen entremets succeeds on one quiet discipline, drying every cake finger hard before cold cream can touch it.
Desserts
French
Dinner Party
Special Occasion
Celebration
25 min
Active Time
35 min cook•1 hr 45 min total
Yield6 servings
Croûte à la Mexicaine (crisp Génoise crown with Plombière ice) teaches that a frozen dessert is won by controlling moisture. The almond-coated croûtes must be dried hard and cooled completely before the ice comes near them. Leave their centers tender, and the proud crown wilts into cake.
The original assumed an entremets station with stale Pâte à Génoise Fine (No. 2376), cake-coating Pralin (No. 2352), and Plombière ice waiting in readiness, plus a drying oven and cold storage close at hand. A low home oven, a wire rack, and a freezer-chilled platter do the same work. The brigade centerpiece becomes twelve three-inch fingers and one quart of ice, enough for six. Batch production was scaffolding and goes; the dry croûtes and last-minute rocky pyramid are the dish and stay. One cook, one stove, one evening.
The finished dessert should arrive as a rough ivory mound rising above a dry, almond-gold crown, generous enough that everyone takes a second finger. The decisive step is the drying: one cooled croûte must be crisp through before you build the crown.
Croûte à la Mexicaine belongs to the Parisian grand-kitchen repertoire of pièces glacées (frozen showpieces), assembled from prepared pâtisserie components at the entremets station. Here the title Mexicaine does not signal Mexican ingredients or method; it belongs to the repertoire's decorative naming, echoed by the rocky pyramid, while the structure is thoroughly French: Pâte à Génoise Fine (No. 2376), almond Pralin (No. 2352), and Plombière ice. Plombière ice is associated by name with Plombières-les-Bains in the Vosges, though its precise naming story remains debated, and generations of pâtissiers have used it as a rich frozen centerpiece.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
stale Pâte à Génoise Fine
Quantity
12 fingers (about 4 oz / 115 g) from Pâte à Génoise Fine (No. 2376)
cut into 3 x 1½ x ⅓-inch (7.5 x 4 x 0.8-cm) fingers
Plombière ice
Quantity
1 quart (4 cups / 950 ml / about 700 g)
frozen firm
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| stale Pâte à Génoise Finecut into 3 x 1½ x ⅓-inch (7.5 x 4 x 0.8-cm) fingers | 12 fingers (about 4 oz / 115 g) from Pâte à Génoise Fine (No. 2376) |
| cake-coating Pralinprepared in the Condé style | ¾ cup (180 ml / 180 g) Pralin (No. 2352) |
| Plombière icefrozen firm | 1 quart (4 cups / 950 ml / about 700 g) |
Equipment Needed
- •Serrated bread knife
- •Rimmed baking sheet
- •Parchment paper
- •Wire cooling rack
- •Small offset spatula
- •10 to 12-inch (25 to 30-cm) round serving platter
- •Firm ice-cream scoop
Instructions
- 1
Cut the Génoise
Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment. Put the round serving platter in the freezer. With a serrated knife, cut the stale Pâte à Génoise Fine (No. 2376) into 12 fingers, each 3 inches long, 1½ inches wide, and ⅓ inch thick. Keep the dimensions even: thin pieces break beneath the coating, while thick ones hold enough moisture to soften the finished crown.
- 2
Apply the pralin
Spread the cake-coating Pralin (No. 2352) over every face of each finger in a thin, even layer, about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. Set the coated fingers on the prepared sheet without letting them touch. Work lightly so you coat the crumb rather than compressing it. If the surface tears and lifts, stop and chill the fingers for 10 minutes before continuing. Ça se rattrape: the cold firms the Génoise enough to accept the pralin cleanly.
- 3
Dry them hard
Dry the croûtes in the moderate oven for 30 to 40 minutes, rotating the sheet after 20 minutes, until the almond coating is pale old-gold and the fingers feel firm through their centers. Colour is not the test; dryness is. If the coating darkens while the centers still yield, lower the oven to 275°F (135°C) and continue drying. Cool one finger for 5 minutes and test it. If it bends or feels tacky, return the batch to the oven for another 8 to 12 minutes.
The croûtes must be crisp through, not merely crusted outside. Any trapped moisture migrates into the coating and leaves the crown limp when it meets the ice. - 4
Cool completely
Transfer the croûtes to a wire rack and cool them for at least 40 minutes. They must be completely cold before assembly, because residual warmth melts the ice and starts the softening you worked to prevent. If holding them for later, seal them in an airtight container at room temperature once cold. Do not refrigerate them; the refrigerator supplies humidity.
- 5
Form the crown
Take the chilled platter from the freezer. Arrange the 12 croûtes in a close, overlapping crown, with their long sides following the circle and a 5-inch (13-cm) hollow left in the middle. The ring should look generous and architectural without being fussy. Keep the Plombière ice frozen while you arrange it, since every minute of firmness helps at the next step.
- 6
Build the pyramid
Let the Plombière ice stand only until a scoop can enter it cleanly, usually 3 to 5 minutes. Pack a broad base into the center of the crown, then stack irregular, angular scoops into a rocky pyramid that rises clearly above the croûtes. Do not smooth it; the broken, craggy silhouette is the intended finish. If the pyramid slumps, put the platter in the freezer for 10 minutes, then rebuild the top with firmer scoops. Serve immediately, giving each guest ice and two croûtes. À table!
Chef Tips
- •Use Pâte à Génoise Fine (No. 2376) that has rested for a day. Fresh Génoise compresses beneath the coating and holds too much moisture; slight staleness is an ingredient here, not a defect.
- •Choose the cake-coating form of Pralin (No. 2352), prepared in the Condé style, not the nougat-powder variation. The coating form adheres to the Génoise and dries into the required almond crust.
- •Begin with Plombière ice fully hardened. Plain vanilla ice cream changes both the flavour and identity of the dish, so if the Plombière is not ready, postpone the assembly rather than pretending the substitution is invisible.
- •Assemble at the last possible moment. The croûtes can wait dry and airtight, and the ice can wait frozen, but once they meet, the clock begins.
Advance Preparation
- •Prepare the Pâte à Génoise Fine (No. 2376) a day ahead so it can become properly stale before cutting.
- •The croûtes may be coated with Pralin (No. 2352), dried, cooled, and stored airtight at room temperature for up to 24 hours. Keep them away from the refrigerator and every source of humidity.
- •Have the Plombière ice completely frozen before dinner and chill the serving platter for at least 30 minutes. Form the crown and rocky pyramid only when the table is ready for dessert.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 165g)
Calories
470 calories
Total Fat
24 g
Saturated Fat
11 g
Trans Fat
1 g
Unsaturated Fat
12 g
Cholesterol
80 mg
Sodium
125 mg
Total Carbohydrates
57 g
Dietary Fiber
2 g
Sugars
47 g
Protein
9 g
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