Black Forest Pancakes
Maddie created this dish for MasterChef UK ™ Series 22. A deconstructed Black Forest gateau built on fluffy American pancakes, the plate pairs a delicate chocolate mousse, a small dark chocolate brownie, vanilla-bean mascarpone cream and amaretto-macerated cherries with a glossy cherry syrup. Judges Anna Haugh and Grace Dent praised every component - the fluffy, golden pancakes, the fine-bubbled mousse and the excellent brownie - with Anna calling the mascarpone cream a welcome relief among the richer elements and noting the skill on show. This relaxed Fix-It reconstruction keeps every praised element intact and simply tightens the plating, dialling the brownie back to a single small accent so the composition reads as composed rather than 'a bit much'.
- Time: 195 min
Source: Relaxed Recipes
Ingredients
- FOR THE AMARETTO-MACERATED CHERRIES & SYRUP
- fresh or frozen cherries, pitted and halved
- caster sugar
- amaretto
- lemon juice
- cornstarch, slaked in 1 tbsp water
- FOR THE DARK CHOCOLATE BROWNIE
- dark chocolate, chopped
- unsalted butter
- large egg
- all-purpose flour
- cocoa powder
- FOR THE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
- dark chocolate , finely chopped
- large eggs, separated
- of salt
- heavy cream, cold
- FOR THE VANILLA-BEAN MASCARPONE CREAM
- mascarpone, cold
- icing sugar, to taste
- vanilla bean pod, seeds scraped
- FOR THE AMERICAN PANCAKES
- baking powder
- salt
- whole milk, room temperature
- unsalted butter, melted
- vanilla extract
- EQUIPMENT
- Non-stick frying pan or flat griddle
- Mixing bowls / batter bowl with lid
- Hand or stand mixer with whisk
- Small saucepan
- inch square brownie tin
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Piping bag with plain nozzle
- Digital scale and measuring spoons
- Palette knife / offset spatula
- Microwave or heatproof bowl