Hello everyone !!
So happy to share you a new recipe !
And today is not a random recipe beacause the origin of this pastry is my favorite french pastry ! « Opéra » was created in 1955 by Cyriaque Gavillon who is one of the most famous pastries in France. It is called Opéra to represent about the opera’s Garnier sets and scenes, the famous museum in Paris.
Originaly, it is composed by différent successives layers of « biscuit joconde », butter coffee cream and chocolate ganach. Of course I have changed the first recipe to offer you another one, with tea inside. I removed the coffee and added some matcha inside the biscuit joconde.
So let’s start the recipe !
Ingredients :
Joconde biscuit :
200gr almond powder
200gr icing sugar
300gr of eggs.
35gr flour
200gr white eggs
30gr sugar
7gr matcha: https://obubutea.com/shop/cooking/premium-cooking-matcha/
2gr baking powder
Chocolate Ganache :
170gr of milk
40gr yellow eggs
40gr sugar
120gr dark chocolate
Vanille Butter cream :
8 egg yolks (room temperature)
250gr sugar
250 unsalted butter
½ table spoon vanilla extract
Matcha syrup :
160gr sucre
250gr of water
8gr matcha
Chablon :
30gr dark chocolate + 60gr if you want the same decoration as me !
First realise the matcha syrup :
In a saucepan, heat the sugar and the water until boiling, let it cold down and add your matcha.
To avoid cooking the matcha and keep its taste well… Mix your preparation.
Joconde biscuit :
Mixed together eggs, almond powder, icing sugar then add the flour and the matcha and mixed again.
Now you have to realise a french meringue, first beat your white eggs and add your sugar in three different times, increasing the power whisking each time. If you want to know more about it, check out my macaron blog ! I explained step by step with how to prepare the french meringue !
Add your meringue to the other preparation, mixed together with a spatula and be delicate. This is very important to be delicate to avoid that white eggs felt and to give lightness to your Joconde biscuit !
Your paste must be verry light and airy now !
Usually, the Jocond biscuit do not contain some baking powder but to secure the recipe, I decided to add some !
Now devise your preparation in three parts and put it on three different plates. Finally put it into the oven (quite quickly to avoid the dough from fallling back) for about 10 min at 190°C. Please try to check because the baking depends on each oven !
Chocolate ganache :
Quite easy, mix together sugar and eggs to bleach them. Heat the milk in a saucepan and when it starts to boil pour half of your milk on the eggs mixture. Blend them and spill it again into your milk.
Heat for about 79°C by continuing to mix with a spatula. Tip your milk on your chocolate and blend it. Put your chocolate ganache in the fridge.
Vanilla butter cream :
Prepare your ingredients before starting for not being embarrassed. First cut your butter into small cubes.
Tip the sugar in sauce pan and add some water just to humidify the sugar (not to much, roughly 4cl !).
Boil sugar and water until 118/120°C (I advice you to use thermometer because it’s very important to keep control of the temperature).
When the syrup is ready, start to beat your egg yolks ; It’s easier but not mandatory to use a pastry, food processor bowl. I just used an electric whisk.
Pour your sugar on the container (not directly on the eggs to reduce the temperature difference) and continue to beat until the mixture becomes cold. Add progressively your butter which is at room temperature too.
Continue beating until the right consistency (the whisks are supposed to let some marks on the cream). Finally add your vanilla extract !
Now let’s dress your Opéra !
Assembling
Chocolate will be used two times, first for decoration, the other one for the stencil step.
For the chocolate decoration if you want the perfect one you have to temperate it correctly. I not gonna lie I didn’t made it… This is necessary if the weather in your region is warm because the chocolate can melt quickly.
Temperate the chocolate is something I find difficult and delicate. Especially when you don’t need a lot because it is less precise during the process.
So if you want to temperate your chocolate I advice you to follow this recipe (link)
If not just melt your chocolate and let it stand a few minutes (it musn’t be to warm). Spread it in aluminium paper, cover it with another sheet put your chocolate plate between two boards before refrigering to avoid deformation.
Now, melt your chocolate to spray your cake. With a kitchen brush, spread your chocolate of the smooth side on one Joconde biscuit sheet. Wait until the chocolate becomes cold and turn over the cake.
Imbibes all the biscuits with your matcha syrup on the rougher side ( when you press your cake the syrup must comes out).
Place your first Joconde biscuit on a plate (the side with chocolate downwards)
Spread some of your butter cream (roughly 2/3 of) with a pipper bag or spatula. Place another Joconde biscuit and spread some chocolate ganache. Place the last biscuit sheet on the top.
Now you can choose your decoration if you want to do the same as me cut some rectangles (choose your ideal size and put your butter cream rest on a pipper bag with the well tip (if your cream becomes to cold and hard let it stands and whisk it) hold your pipper straight and make balls with.
Get your chocolate sheet from the fridge and cut some rectangles according to the size of your cakes.
Finally, place your chocolate plate at the top of your Opera !
Finished!! I hope you enjoyed it!