Marquise Alice

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •6-inch (15 cm) deep springform or manqué mould, about 1 1/4-quart (1.2 L) capacity
• •Parchment paper
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Electric mixer or sturdy balloon whisk
• •Small offset spatula
• •Piping bag fitted with a 1/8-inch (3 mm) plain tip
• •Two rimmed baking sheets
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Line the manqué

   Line the base and sides of a 6-inch (15 cm) deep springform or manqué mould with parchment. Trim enough ladyfingers to stand closely around the wall, then fit the remaining biscuits across the base, cutting pieces to close every gap. Brush the anisette over them in several slow passes, turning loose pieces as needed, until the biscuits are saturated but still hold their shape. A broken biscuit is no calamity; press it into a gap on the base and continue.

2. 2

   Cook the custard

   Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the cold water and leave it to swell for 5 minutes. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until trembling just below a simmer. Whisk the yolks with the granulated sugar and salt until smooth, then slowly whisk in half the hot milk. Return everything to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard reaches 180°F (82°C) and coats the back of a spoon. Never let it boil. If a few curds appear at the edge, pull the pan from the heat and strain the custard immediately; ça se rattrape. A custard cooked into firm scrambled egg must be remade.

3. 3

   Add the Pralin

   Add the swollen gelatin to the hot custard and stir until completely dissolved. Whisk in the nougat-powder Pralin (No. 2352), then pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a wide bowl. Set the bowl over ice water and stir until the custard cools to 75 to 80°F (24 to 27°C). It should feel cool, flow in a thick ribbon, and show no set rim around the bowl.

4. 4

   Fold and fill

   Whip the 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) cream to soft peaks that bend at their tips. Fold one-third into the pralin custard to lighten it, then fold in the remainder with broad strokes until no white streaks remain. This temperature is the principle of the dish: a warm base melts the cream, while a cold one sets before it can be folded. If gelatin begins setting around the bowl, warm it for a few seconds over barely warm water and whisk it smooth before adding the cream. Spoon the Bavarois into the lined mould, level the top, cover, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

   Test the base with one spoonful of whipped cream. It should fold in cleanly and remain distinct for a moment before blending; if it melts at once, the base is still too warm.
5. 5

   Bake Condé triangles

   Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Cut the cold puff pastry into 12 small triangles, each about 2 inches (5 cm) tall, and prick them lightly with a fork. Arrange them between two sheets of parchment with a second baking sheet resting on top, then bake until crisp and evenly golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the upper sheet, spread each triangle thinly with the spreading-form Pralin (No. 2352), the Pralin à Condé required by the formula, and lower the oven to 300°F (150°C). Dry the coated triangles for 8 to 10 minutes, until the topping is set and old-gold rather than dark brown. Cool completely on a rack.

6. 6

   Turn out cold

   Chill the serving plate. Run a thin knife around the top edge of the mould, release the ring, and peel away the side parchment. Set the plate over the Marquise Alice and invert it carefully, then lift away the base and remaining paper. If the centre yields when touched or the sides begin to bow, return it to the cold before forcing matters; another 2 hours in the refrigerator, or 20 minutes in the freezer, will firm it enough to unmold cleanly.

7. 7

   Coat with Chantilly

   Reserve 2 tablespoons of the measured cream, then whip the remainder with the icing sugar and vanilla until it holds very stiff, smooth peaks. Coat the top and sides of the unmolded Marquise Alice evenly, closing every gap and keeping the surface level enough to carry the jelly design. Stop whipping as soon as the whisk leaves sharp ridges. If the Chantilly turns slightly grainy, fold in the reserved cold cream a spoonful at a time until smooth; once butter grains form, it has gone beyond rescue.

8. 8

   Comb the jelly

   Warm the red-currant jelly over low heat only until smooth and pipeable, then press it through a fine sieve and let it cool to room temperature. Chill the Chantilly-coated marquise for 10 minutes. Pipe thin parallel jelly lines across the top, spacing them about 1/2 inch (1 cm) apart. Draw the point of a small knife through the lines at right angles, alternating direction with each pass and wiping the blade clean every time. If the jelly begins bleeding into the cream, stop, chill the dessert for 10 minutes, and patch the mark with a little reserved Chantilly before continuing.

   The jelly must be fluid but not warm. Test one line on a cold saucer first; it should pipe cleanly without melting the cream beneath it.
9. 9

   Finish the border

   Stand the cooled Condé triangles around the base, overlapping them slightly so they form a crisp pastry collar. Chill the completed Marquise Alice for 30 minutes, then cut it with a thin knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between slices. Serve it properly cold, while the Bavarois is silky and the pastry remains crisp. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use the Pralin (No. 2352) in its nougat-powder form inside the Bavarois and its spreading form for the Condé triangles. Smooth commercial praline paste carries extra fat and moisture, so it can loosen the custard and is not an honest substitute.
• •Choose crisp, dry ladyfingers rather than soft sponge fingers. They must absorb a generous brushing of anisette without dissolving, because the anisette saturation is part of the dish, not brigade scaffolding.
• •Heavy cream needs at least 35% fat to hold the very stiff Chantilly this finish demands. Chill the cream, bowl, and whisk, then stop the moment the ridges stand sharply.
• •Purchased ladyfingers and all-butter puff pastry are sensible home equivalents for components once maintained by a pastry brigade. Keep the Pralin, Bavarois, anisette, Chantilly, jelly comb, and Condé border intact; those steps are the Marquise Alice.
• •Bring the dessert from the refrigerator only when the table is ready. A chilled knife gives ragged slices, while a hot, dry blade passes through the Chantilly and Bavarois cleanly.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare both required forms of Pralin (No. 2352) separately before beginning. The nougat-powder form keeps well sealed in a dry container; keep the spreading form covered as its own formula directs.
• •The lined and filled Bavarois can be made a day ahead and left covered in its mould overnight. The long chill improves the set and makes unmolding calmer.
• •Bake and coat the Condé triangles up to one day ahead, cool them completely, and store them airtight at room temperature. Attach them no more than 30 minutes before serving so the pastry stays crisp.
• •The Chantilly coating and red-currant design can be completed up to 4 hours before serving. Keep the marquise refrigerated and loosely covered without letting the covering touch the cream.
• •Leftovers keep refrigerated for up to 2 days, though the anisette-soaked biscuits and pastry border soften with time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 230g)