Decadent Festive Wreath

Festive Wreath by Kirsten Tibballs

Australia's Queen of Chocolate, Kirsten Tibballs, has been busy creating a delectable looking (and tasting) Christmas dessert for the whole family to enjoy this December.

Time: 80 minutes

Wreath

Ingredients
60g egg yolks
60g caster sugar
30ml water
1 tsp Heilala vanilla bean paste
4g gold gelatine sheets
130g Callebaut White Chocolate
345ml Bulla Pure Cream, semi-whipped
25g glace cherries
25g dried cranberries
25g pistachios, roughly chopped
25g slivered almonds, roasted
25g Callebaut Dark Chocolate, roughly chopped

Method
You can use an 18cm doughnut silicon mould or a Bundt pan for this recipe. If you are using the Bundt pan, grease it with vegetable oil and line with plastic wrap.

Place the egg yolks into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and begin whisking.
Boil the sugar and water to 123°C in a medium saucepan. If you don't have a thermometer, test the sugar syrup by dropping a small amount of the boiling syrup into a bowl of cold water. It should have a firm but pliable consistency.
Slowly pour the boiling syrup over the whisked egg yolks, ensuring you don't hit the whisk. Add the vanilla bean paste and continue to whisk until it cools slightly.
Soak the gelatine in a bowl of cold water until it becomes soft and pliable. Once soft, drain off the excess water and melt in the microwave for 20 seconds or until melted, do not boil.
Melt the white chocolate in the microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring in between until melted and warm.
Fold ¼ of the semi-whipped cream into the melted white chocolate. Continue folding and add the whipped egg yolks. Add a small amount of this mixture to the melted gelatine and mix together before adding back into the mousse and folding through.
Fold in the fruits, nuts and dark chocolate chips. Lastly fold through the remainder of the semi-whipped cream.
Gently place the mixture into the prepared tin or silicon mould and level off the top. Place in the freezer for a minimum of 4 hours.
Unmould the wreath and place directly onto a serving plate. You can serve it frozen as a parfait or defrost it in the fridge for 2 hours and serve as a mousse.

Swiss Meringue

Ingredients
190 g caster sugar
95 g egg whites
Pinch of cream of tartar

Method
Place the sugar, egg whites and cream of tartar together in a stand mixer mixing bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
Heat to 60°C while mixing by hand.
Remove from the heat and attach the mixing bowl to the stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk until the mixture aerates and cools to room temperature to create a meringue.

Finishing

Ingredients
10 fresh raspberries
10 fresh blueberries
4 fresh strawberries
5 fresh cherries
10 pistachios
QS fresh mint leaves

Method
Spread the meringue over the prepared wreath.
Just prior to serving, garnish with the fresh berries, cherries, pistachios and mint.