Chocolate Raspberry Bombe Abbey

A beautiful, rich and sublimely delicious dessert!

No bomb of a dessert this, but a lovely dome of tender cake and creamy chocolate mousse, enrobed with chocolate ganache. When you truly want to impress, take the time and be precise to create this showstopper. You’ll be so dleighted at the results……that pleasure of accomplisment is in and of itself is worth the effort

chocolate raspberry Bombe Abbey

1 pound cake, loaf-pan size
2 cups fresh raspberries 1/3 cup sugar 1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water 1/2 cup butter, softened 6 ounces semisweet chocolate 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate 3 egg yolks 3 egg whites 1/2 cup sugar 2/3 cups heavy cream 1 tablespoon vanilla extract pinch of salt
12 ounces semi-sweet or 60% bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 1/4 cup room-temperature butter 3 cups powdered sugar pinch of salt 1 1/2 tablespoons milk (approximately) few drops of red or pink food coloring 1 teaspoon raspberry flavoring

-Cut pound cake horizontally into 5 even layers with a serrated knife, approximately 1/2 inch thick. Cut ten 3 1/4 inch circles from the layers with a round donut or biscuit cutter.

-Reserve 10 raspberries for garnish. Place remaining raspberries in a medium saucepan. Stir in sugar and cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to break down raspberries. Turn heat down to medium and continue cooking until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Puree should be the thickness of a loose jam.

PREPARE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE:

-Melt chocolate in medium saucepan over low heat until almost melted. Stir in butter until completely melted. Remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes.

-In a medium mixing bowl of electric mixer, beat chocolate mixture with egg yolks for 5 minutes then refrigerate for 10 minutes.

-In a separate mixing bowl, using electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 1/2 cup sugar as mixture is beating, 1 tablespoon at a time until stiff and glossy. Fold egg white mixture, carefully into chocolate mixture with a wire whip or spatula until just a few streaks of white remain.

-Whip cream until soft peaks form and add vanilla extract. Stir gently into chocolate mixture, again using a wire whisk or spatula. Let sit for 10 minutes.

-Prepare silicone dome molds by dusting lightly with powdered sugar. Spoon about 1/4 cup mousse into each dome mold, and using the back of a spoon, thin mousse out until it covers the bottoms and sides of each dome, leaving an indentation in the middle.

-Place 1 tablespoon of raspberry puree in the indentation in each mold. Add enough mousse to completely cover the puree and fill to within 1/4 inch of the top of each dome. Place a cake round on the top of the mousse pushing gently into the mouse until the bottom of the cake is level with the top of the dome mold. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 4 - 6 hours in refrigerator. Place in freezer for about 40 minutes.

TO PREPARE GANACHE

-Pour cream into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Watch carefully so cream doesn’t boil over the edge of the pot. Remove from heat and place chocolate in the cream without stirring. Let sit for about 15 minutes, then with a wooden spoon, spatula or wire whisk, blend in the chocolate stirring until chocolate is completely melted. Set aside for at least 30 minutes, until completely cooled and thickened slightly.

TO PREPARE RASPBERRY BUTTERCREAM:

-Add room temperature butter to medium bowl of electric mixer. Add powdered sugar and beat with butter about 5 minutes on medium-high speed until very smooth and creamy. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons milk, pinch of salt, food coloring and 1 teaspoon raspberry flavoring and mix until buttercream is smooth and of piping consistency. (Add a bit more milk if buttercream is too thick to pipe.) Fill piping bag fitted with a star or round tip with the buttercream.

TO ASSEMBLE BOMBES:

-Remove from freezer and invert bombes onto wire rack placed over a cookie sheet, then gently peel off silicone molds. Pour cooled ganache over each dessert to completely cover mousse and cake. Remove each bombe carefully to a flat surface and pipe raspberry buttercream around bottom of each mousse. Pipe rossette on top of each. Garnish with a chocolate curl or decoration and a whole raspberry.

Chill for at least 1 hour or up to two days, until ready to serve. Makes 10

Spoon mousse into molds and spread up sides and on bottom of mold.

Place raspberry puree into indentation in mousse in each mold.