Sugar Plum Trio Clafouti & Trio Mousse Parfait

Sugar Plum Trio Clafouti are tarts made from a sable dough, then filled with one of three different flavored custards and topped with one of three different fruit compotes. Don’t forget to make the tarts the day before serving. The Trio Clafouti can be served with the Trio Mousse Parfait — an elegant, layered parfait — for a showstopping dessert combination. The parfait features three different mousses which would make enough for 48 or 50 glasses. Too much? The mousses freeze beautifully! 

And to make your holiday creations especially glamorous, we’ve added a list of optional garnishes.

Sugar Plum Trio Clafouti 

INGREDIENTS*

Baked sable tarts with the clafouti fillings
Cherry, fig & plum compotes
Vanilla whipped cream
Plum vanilla sauce
White chocolate cremeux

Optional garnishes:
White chocolate curls
Glazed fresh sliced plums
Brûléed fresh figs
Fresh Bing cherries

*Recipes found below

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Once the sable crust tarts are fully baked and completely chilled, sprinkle them with granulated sugar on top, and use a blow torch to caramelize the sugar.
2. Place the trio clafouti onto plates, garnish with a quenelle of whipped cream, the plum vanilla sauce, white chocolate cremeux. 
3. To garnish you can add white chocolate curls, glazed fresh sliced plums, brûléed fresh figs, and fresh Bing cherries.

Sweet Lovliness: The delicate chimes of the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” epitomize the magic of the glinting lights and glistening frosts of the winter season. When the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier dance their elegant duet, the noise of the world disappears entirely and the audience is wholly transported to the Land of Enchantment. Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre principals Hannah Carter and Lucius Kirst certainly transported us! The parfait created by the team at Nemacolin captures some of their lofty, elevated elegance with its combination of three delicious sugared-fruit mousses.

Trio Clafoutis Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1 ¼ cups whole milk
2/3 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp bitter almond extract
2 tsp honey
2 tsp citrus zest (a blend of orange and lemon zest)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, and flour in a blender. Blend at top speed until smooth and frothy. 
2. Divide the batter equally into three mixing bowls. Into one bowl add the bitter almond extract. Into the second, add the honey and into the third, the citrus zest. 
3. Refrigerate the batters until read to bake the tarts.

Vanilla Sable Recipe

Makes 15-3” fluted tarts

INGREDIENTS

28 oz cold unsalted butter, small dice
42 ounces all-purpose flour
18 ounces powdered sugar
9 ounces egg yolks

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine butter with the flour and sugar until pea-sized, then add the eggs. Mix until just combined.
3. Roll out to ¼ inch thick cut into squares large enough for the 3” tart shells.
4. Line the tart shells, place on a baking sheet and fill them with the three different clafoutis batters, leaving room to garnish each tart with a single flavor of compote.
5. Place in the oven and back for 4 minutes, rotate and cook for another 4 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Fruit Compotes Recipe

INGREDIENTS

Cherry Compote

1 cup sugar
4 cups fresh or frozen Bing cherries, pits removed
½ cup water #1
1 cinnamon stick
3 tbsp corn starch
3 tbsp water #2

Fig Compote

1 cup
¼ cup water #1
3 cinnamon sticks
3 tbsp corn starch
3 tbsp cold water #2

Plum Compote

1 cup sugar
4 cups plums, have and pitted
½ cup water #1
1 cinnamon stick
1 orange zested
3 tbsp corn starch
3 tbsp cold water #2

INSTRUCTIONS

To make each compote:

1. Combine sugar, water #1, and the fruit. Cook until soft but not mushy.
2. Make a slurry with the corn starch and water #2. Add to the fruit mixture and cook until it bubbles, stirring constantly.
3. Remove from the heat, cool, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Vanilla Whipped Cream Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1 quart heavy cream
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean past

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla together to form medium peaks.
2. Refrigerate until ready to plate the dessert.

Plum Vanilla Sauce Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1 quart fresh plums, halved and pit removed
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 ½ oz pectin
3 cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla pod

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine the plums and water. Add the cinnamon sticks and vanilla and bring to a simmer.
2. Mix the sugar and pectin together, add to the plum mixture, and bring to a boil.
3. Remove from the heat, discard the cinnamon sticks and vanilla pod. Blend to a smooth puree and strain through a fine mesh strainer. Refrigerate until ready to use.

White Chocolate Cremeux Recipe

INGREDIENTS

8 ½ oz heavy cream
9 oz whole milk
½ vanilla bean pod or 1 tsp vanilla extract
5 egg yolks
1 oz granulated sugar
2 gelatine sheets
8 oz white chocolate, couverture

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the gelatine in water and allow to bloom.
2. Bring cream, milk and scraped vanilla bean pod to a boil.
3. Beat together the yolks and sugar. Temper into the egg mixture. Return to the heat and gently bring to a simmer.
4. Strain into a bowl, add the bloomed gelatine and chocolate. Blend well.
5. Place plastic wrap on top of the cremeux so a skin doesn’t form and refrigerate overnight.

Note: If using a vanilla bean pod, boil it with the cream and milk. If using vanilla extract, add it to the bloomed gelatine and chocolate and blend.

Trio Mousse Parfait Recipe

INGREDIENTS*

Cherry mousse
Orange mousse
Strawberry mousse

*Recipes found below

Optional garnishes:
Croquants
Puffed rice
Cake crumbs
Chocolate shavings and decorations
Fresh Berries
Whipped cream
Fresh cherries

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Assemble the parfaits with alternating layers of the three mousses and any crunchy ingredient that you want to add in such as croquants, puffed rice, chocolate shavings or fresh berries.
2. Whipped cream, chocolate decorations and a final cherry can be added to the top.

Mousse Trio Recipe

INGREDIENTS

Cherry Mousse

74 oz whipping cream
1 oz gelatine sheets, silver
25 oz cherry puree
25.5 oz granulated sugar
25 oz egg yolks
20 oz unsalted butter

Orange Mousse

74 oz whipping cream
1 oz gelatine sheets, silver
25 oz orange puree
25.5 oz granulated sugar
25 oz egg yolks
20 oz unsalted butter

Strawberry Mousse

74 oz whipping cream
1 oz gelatine sheets, silver
25 oz strawberry puree
25.5 oz granulated sugar
25 oz egg yolks
20 oz unsalted butter, room temperature

INSTRUCTIONS

To make each of the fruit purees:

1. Whip the cream to medium peaks and set aside.
2. Bloom the gelatine in water, then heat in a microwave at :10 second intervals until it is melted.
3. Boil the puree and sugar, temper in the yolks and continue to cook at a low simmer until it forms a thick anglaise.
4. Whip the anglaise until it reaches the ribbon stage.
5. Cut the butter into small pieces and fold it in.
6. Fold in the whipped cream.

Recipes by Nemacolin Executive Pastry Sous Chef Isaac Ortiz Montalvo and Pastry Sous Chef Mary Mae Co Laskody / Story by Keith Recker / Portrait Photography by Jeff Swensen / Food Photography by Scott Goldsmith

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