RASPBERRY, VIOLET, MERLOT CHERRY, SORREL AND PISTCHIO HALVA DESSERT

Exclusive Dessert Created By Top Dutch Pastry Chef Jurgen Koens

Pastry Chef Jurgen Koens developed a deep passion for all things culinary from an early age. His grandmother baked the most delicious cakes, pastries, and desserts, igniting his love for the craft. At just 14 years old, he spent his holidays and weekends working as a kitchen assistant in a hotel in Cadzand, in Zeeland. Little did he know, this would set the stage for a successful career in Michelin-starred restaurants such as De Kromme Watergang, De Swaen, La Gavroche, and Inter Scaldes, as well as serving as the pastry chef aboard the cruise ship Navigator (Radisson Seven Seas) and at Maison van den Boer.

Jurgen graduated as a chef, chocolatier, and pâtissier, having pursued extensive training in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. Today, he runs his own pastry business, The Pastry Club in Eindhoven, while also mentoring young talent around the world. Under his guidance, many have won prestigious international awards for their pastry skills.

Jurgen’s greatest passion lies in innovation, constantly pushing the boundaries to
discover new combinations and creations in the world of pastry.

Let's start

Ingredients for four servings

For the Raspberry and Violet Tartlet:

  • 100 g Pistachio Halva
  • 100 g Raspberry puree
  • 2 Drops of natural violet oil
  • 2 g Gelatine
  • 12 g Sugar
  • 80 g Heavy cream
  • 20 g Egg white
  • 32 g Sugar

For the Raspberry Glaze:

  • 150 g Raspberry puree
  • 290 g Sugar
  • 290 g Glucose
  • 210 g Condensed milk
  • 22 g-Soaked sheet gelatine
  • 300 g White chocolate
  • 3 g Milk chocolate
  • Red food colouring

For the Cherry Crèmeux:

  • 224 g Cherry coulis
  • 288 g Soft whipped cream
  • 128 g Egg yolk
  • 86 g Sugar
  • 14 g-Soaked sheet gelatine
  • 100 g Merlot vinegar

For the Cherry Gel:

  • 1 l Cherry coulis
  • 12 g Gellan
  • 150 g Dark cherry balsamic

For the Lime Gel:

  • 100 g Lime juice
  • 25 g Sorrel juice
  • 100 g Sugar syrup (1:1)
  • 25 g Ginger syrup
  • 3.2 g Agar agar

For the Crispy Cherry Cake:

  • 30 g Hazelnut powder
  • 8 g Red cherry powder
  • 52 g Sugar
  • 48 g Egg yolk
  • 92 g Egg white
  • 40 g Cake flour
  • 1 g Salt
  • 1 g Citric acid

For the Decoration:

  • Violet Floweres
  • Raspberries
  • Freeze-dried raspberry powder
  • Pink chocolate discs
  • Beet sorrel
  • Pistachio kernels

For the Tahini Dressing:

  • 100g Tahini
  • 50g Lime Juice
  • 20 g Ginger syrup
  • 215 g Olive oil

Instructions:

Soak the gelatine in cold water. Make a meringue from the egg whites and 20 g powdered sugar. Heat the raspberry puree, add the violet oil and 12 g sugar, and dissolve the gelatine in it. Allow the mixture to cool to 25°C, then carefully mix it with the whipped cream and gently fold in the meringue. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and pipe into silicone bombe moulds. Freeze.

Cook the raspberry puree, sugar, and glucose to 104°C. Add the chocolate, gelatine, and condensed milk. Mix until smooth and let it rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Warm it to 45°C before use and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Remove the raspberry tartlets from the moulds, dip them in the glaze, and allow them to set.

In a saucepan, heat the coulis, sugar, egg yolks, and vinegar while stirring until it reaches 84°C. Dissolve the gelatine in it, then allow it to cool to 28°C. Carefully mix with the soft whipped cream, transfer to a piping bag, and pipe into silicone bombe moulds. Freeze.

Mix the gellan with the coulis, bring to a boil while stirring, and cook for 2 minutes.
Pour it into a saucepan and let it set. Blend the mixture smooth in a blender and add
the balsamic until smooth. Mix all ingredients with the immersion blender, bring to a
boil while stirring, and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour it into a saucepan and let it
set. Blend the mixture smooth in a blender.

Combine all dry ingredients into powder in the Thermomix. Add the egg yolk and mix
into a smooth paste. Add the egg white and mix until dissolved. Sift the mixture through a fine sieve and let it rest in the fridge for 24 hours. Fill a siphon and pressurize with one cartridge. Pipe 1/3 of the mixture into a plastic cup and microwave the "sponge cake" for 25 seconds at 1200 watts. Place the cup upside down on a rack to cool. Remove the sponge cake from the cup and tear it apart with two forks. Place the sponge in an oven at 90°C for 50 minutes to dry and crisp.

Mix all ingredients for the tahini dressing until smooth. Arrange all components on the
plate as shown in the photo.

Enjoy!

Back to blog