Help me design a dessert, pretty please

[Abra]

First, let me say that I'm going to be in a rented beach house over Christmas, but I'm able to take some equipment with me.

I want to make something splendiferous for dessert, just for 4 people. On a whim, I bought caramel cream d'Isigny, crushed nougat from Montelimar, and a bunch of Valrhona Caraibe 66% chocolate Treats from l'epicerie

I'm thinking some sort of chocolate base, with maybe a mousse made with the caramel cream and some creme fraiche or mascarpone, sprinkles of the nougat...or maybe I should make a separate layer that showcases the nougat. Hmm, maybe a nougat meringue base, then use the other elements differently. Like a sort of nougat Pavlova filled with caramel cream fluff and a chocolate sauce. I feel that my imagination is limited to pretty traditional-sounding choices here. I know, I could have just made my own caramel cream and nougat, but this being French has a certain romantic appeal that we'll appreciate. So, fellow pastry-lovers, what is the most scrumptious but managable confection you can imagine with these elements?

[aidensnd2]

I'd do something simple like make chocolate cups filled with nougat ice cream with caramel whipped cream and a chocolate garnish. Something along those lines anyway.

Edited December 7, 2004 by aidensnd (log)

[Abra]

I do already have one ice cream on the menu over the holiday, so I'm thinking more along the lines of a cake-like dessert. Your idea does sounds delicious, though.

[K8memphis]

What you're describing is reminding me of this cake I have attempted to make - I have not experienced the final product - I saw this on food tv - but I did have fun trying it.

See if my clicky for Hazelnut Butter Brickle Cake from Duflett Pastries works.

Maybe this will spark a few ideas ...

[Abra]

That recipe looks very interesting, K8memphis. I'm wondering if it's coma-inducingly sweet, but it's giving me lots of ideas. I love the hazelnut part - now to see if chocolate can be in there somewhere.

[FWED]

A lot of what I might recommend will depend upon what type of kitchen you have at the cabin. Is their a decent oven, refrigerator, freezer, mixer, bowls, pots and pans, and sheet pans? Will you be making the dessert there or could you do parts of it ahead of time and take them with you? I know you are planning on doing ice cream one night but how about doing a cake and semifredo dessert. If you had a couple of nested bowls of say medium and small or large and medium you could make a frozen bomb of chocolate semifredo shell in the larger bowl and fill the interior (created by the smaller bowl) with layers of cake, chocolate ganache, nougat, and caramel bavarian cream or caramel pastry cream. Freeze the whole thing and place on a round of cake. I might suggest a layer of financier cake the thickness of about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch baked in a sheet pan then cut out the same size as the diameter of the largest bowl used. Or you could skip the chocolate ganache and coat the entire bomb with a chocolate glaze. When sliced it would show the layers. The cake and the semifredo could be made ahead of time and transported to the cabin and assembled there. Hope this helps.

[Abra]

FWED - please send recipe by earliest post. Stop. You might just save my reputation. Stop. Sounds wonderful. Full stop.

Appliances will be what they may. All portable equipment goes with me.

[K8memphis]

Wull. maybe you already have your recipe - but yes it has chocolate in it - focus in on the last bit of the third paragraph of directions - you brush each one with melted chocolate. Speaking of sweet comas, mmmmnoo, not an especially conservative dessert.

That recipe looks very interesting, K8memphis.  I'm wondering if it's coma-inducingly sweet, but it's giving me lots of ideas.  I love the hazelnut part - now to see if chocolate can be in there somewhere.

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[Abra]

Actually, I was teasing FWED. There's no way I can do all that in a rental house 4-5 hours from home. Really, I want FWED to come down and deliver that cake! But I think I might be able to combine both of your ideas somehow.