BISCUIT JOCONDE IMPRIME/ENTREMET

Baked out from the holidays or not I was not ready for the Daring Bakers Challenge at all! As soon as I read the post I was ready to turn away and run away, but could not hide for long from my twin…yes I have a "crazy baking" twin! So I started off by scheduling the work:
Day1: Make the Joconde (Trial 1)
Day 2: Make the Joconde (Trial 2) just in case Trial one hopelessly failed.
Day 3:Make the Chocolate Ganache, Chocolate-Coffee Ganache, Mocha Bavarian Cream and Pistachio Mousse.

Luckily for me the Jocodne worked brilliantly the first time…I piped the Décor paste onto the silpat creating a free hand design. Left it in the freezer for 2 hours, while I shopped for the other ingredients. Made the Joconde sponge and baked it for just over 5 minutes.

The January 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge is hosted by Astheroshe from the Blog, accro. Astheroshe chose Joconde imprime /entremets as the challenge for the month. Her challenge recipe is based on recipe from Chef John O, from The International Culinary School in Atlanta, Georgia USA.

The mandatory part of the challenge was to make the full biscuit joconde imprime, cut & fit into a dessert mold and Complete entremets.

JOCONDE: an almond sponge cake. This biscuit is named for the Mona Lisa (La Joconda in French). In addition to containing almonds, it differs from other sponge cakes by having whole eggs (rather than just yolks) beaten with sugar and ground almonds before the meringue is folded in. Joconde is baked in thin layers on baking sheets. Joconde is used to make linings for the outsides of charlottes, a traditional French raspberry mousse cake, and other Bavarian mousse cakes. (source)

Joconde Imprime with Pistachio Mousse & Mocha Bavarian Cream
For the Joconde Imprime
Ingredients
85g almond flour/meal
75g confectioners' (icing) sugar
25g cake flour *
3 large eggs
3 large egg
10g white granulated sugar or superfine (caster) sugar
30g unsalted butter, melted
*Note: How to make cake flour: http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/09/how-to-make-cake-flour/
Method: 
1. In a clean mixing bowl whip the egg whites and white granulated sugar to firm, glossy peeks. Reserve in a separate clean bowl to use later.
2. Sift almond flour, confectioner’s sugar, cake flour. (This can be done into your dirty egg white bowl)
3. On medium speed, add the eggs a little at a time. Mix well after each addition. Mix until smooth and light.
4. Fold in one third reserved whipped egg whites to almond mixture to lighten the batter. Fold in remaining whipped egg whites. Do not over mix.
5. Fold in melted butter.
6. Reserve batter to be used later.
Patterned Joconde-Décor Paste 
Ingredients
200g unsalted butter, softened
200g Confectioners' (icing) sugar
7 large egg whites
220g cake flour
Food coloring gel, paste or liquid
Method: 
1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Gradually add egg whites. Beat continuously.
3. Fold in sifted flour.
4. Tint batter with coloring to desired color.
For the Mascarpone-Ricotta Pistachio Mousse (slightly adapted from Tartlette)
60g ground pistachios
120g mascarpone
120g ricotta
100g sugar
3g gelatin
375ml heavy cream
Method:
Soak gelatin in 3 tbsp cold water. Whisk the mascarpone & ricotta with sugar. Add the ground pistachios to this. Whip cream till soft peaks form. Microwave the gelatin for 10 sec and fold into the cream. Gently fold the cream into the pistachio mixture. Chill until needed.
For the Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
80gms dark chocolate chopped
1/4 cup cream
Method:
Bring the cream to a simmer and pour over chopped chocolate and whisk till smooth. Let cool slightly.
For the Mocha Bavarian Cream (follow this recipe here)
For the Espresso Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
80gms dark chocolate chopped
1/4 cup cream
1-2 tbsp freshly brewed strong coffee
Method:
Bring the cream & coffee to a simmer and pour over chopped chocolate and whisk till smooth. Let cool slightly.
Assembly:
1. Start with a large piece of parchment paper laid on a very flat baking sheet. Then a large piece of cling wrap over the parchment paper. Place a spring form pan ring, with the base removed, over the cling wrap and pull the cling wrap tightly up on the outside of the mold. Line the inside of the ring with a curled piece of parchment paper overlapping top edge by ½ inch. Cut the parchment paper to the top of the mold. It will be easier to smooth the top of the cake.
2. Trim the cake of any dark crispy edges. You should have a nice rectangle shape.
3. Decide how thick you want your “Joconde wrapper”.
4. Once your height is measured, then you can cut the cake into equal strips, of height and length.
5. Make sure your strips are cut cleanly and ends are cut perfectly straight. Press the cake strips inside of the mold, decorative side facing out. Once wrapped inside the mold, overlap your ends slightly. You want your Joconde to fit very tightly pressed up to the sides of the mold. Then gently push and press the ends to meet together to make a seamless cake. The cake is very flexible so you can push it into place. You can use more than one piece to “wrap “your mold, if one cut piece is not long enough.
6. The mold is done, and ready to fill.
7. Spread a thin layer of the chocolate ganache and leave to set in the fridge while you make the pistachio mousse.
8. Spread the pistachio mousse on top of the ganache and leave to set in the fridge for a couple of hours.
9.Spread a thin layer of espresso chocolate ganache on top of the pistachio mousse and leave to set in the fridge while you make the mocha bavarian cream.
10. Pour the mocha bavarian cream to fill the mold, smooth tops and place the cut-out joconde on top to cover. Leave to set for a few hours.
11. Loosen the spring form tin and serve.