Belle Isle School of Cookery
Lisbellaw
Enniskillen
County Fermanagh
Northern Ireland
BT94 5HG
Tel: +44 (0)28 6638 7231
Fax: +44 (0)28 6638 7261
info@irish-cookery-school.com
www.irishcookeryschool.com
Smithsonian Festival-Northern Ireland 2007
Pear and chocolate mousse tort
Ingredients
For the cake layers:
250g/9 oz bournville chocolate
110g/4 oz unsalted butter
6 free range eggs, separated
75g/3 oz caster sugar
For the chocolate mousse:
300g/11 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
2 tbsp. liquid glucose
4 free range egg yolks
300ml/ ½ pint double cream
For the pears:
820g/1¾ lb. tinned pears in syrup, drained
300ml/ ½ pint double cream, whipped until thick
Method
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Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
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Melt the chocolate and butter together over a low heat. Cool slightly.
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Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until thick and pale. Pour in the chocolate and butter mixture, stirring all the time.
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Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold in well.
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Pour into a well greased 9 inch loose-bottomed cake tin and bake for 40-45 minutes.
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Allow the cake to cool in the tin.
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Meanwhile, make the mousse by melting the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Remove from the heat. Mix the glucose with the egg yolks and 2 tbsp. of warm water. Stir into the melted chocolate. Cool and chill.
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To assemble to cake, carefully divide it into three layers by slicing through it with a long knife. Spread half of the chocolate mousse on the first layer and place some pears over the top. Put a layer of cake over this.
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Now spread the rest of the mousse, followed by pears and then a layer of whipped cream.
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Press down lightly on the cake and dust with icing sugar before slicing.