Palet d'or and poached cherries

Preparation method

1. For the palet d’or center, add the double cream, water, full-fat milk and trimoline to a pan and heat gently to melt, without boiling.

2. Once hot, pour over the chocolate and cocoa powder and whisk until dissolved.

3. Pass through a fine metal sieve into a small, rectangular clingfilm-lined container and freeze until set.

4. For the palet d’or base, melt the chocolate over a bain marie. Pour over the feuilletine and mix until completely combined.

5. Pour onto baking parchment, then place another piece of baking parchment on top. Flatten with a rolling pin until you have an even thickness of approximately half a centimetre.

6. Remove the top layer of parchment and push four 5cm x 5cm/2in x 2in pastry rings into the base.

7. Refrigerate until completely set.

8. For the palet d’or ganache, warm the trimoline and the cream in a saucepan to approximately 50C/122F.

9. Melt the chocolate over a bain marie to approximately 50C/122F.

10. When the mixtures are equal temperatures, add the trimoline mixture to the chocolate mixture, slowly incorporating it with a hand-blender to knock any air out of the ganache.

11. Then slowly feed the butter in piece by piece, again incorporating it with the hand-blender.

12. Continue blending until silky, then transfer to piping bag and leave at room temperature.

13. For the white chocolate cream, heat the milk and cream and mix together.

14. Pour over the white chocolate, beaten eggs and caster sugar.

15. Cook slowly over a bain marie until thickened. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until set.

16. For the poached cherries, place the cherry purée, kirsch, caster sugar, cinnamon stick and star anise into a pan and bring to the boil.

17. Pour over the liquid over the cherries into a bowl and cover with clingfilm until cool.

18. To assemble the palet d’or, take a 5cm/2in diameter pastry ring, 5cm/2in deep. Place a circular piece of the frozen base at the bottom. Pipe the ganache half-way up each ring.

19. Cut out four 2cm/¾in cubes of the frozen centre. Add one of the cubes to the top of the base then pipe the ganache to the top of each ring.

20. Leave at room temperature - they may need 15 minutes in the fridge to prevent them from melting.

21. For the chocolate paint, melt the chocolate and butter together over a bain marie.

22. To plate, using the chocolate paint, brush a strip across each plate. Remove the ring from the assembled palet d'or using a chefs’ blow-torch and glaze the top with the blowtorch.

23. Place the palet d’or at one end of the painted chocolate topped with a spoonful of white chocolate cream, with the poached cherries on the other side.

• Vegetarian

Over 2 hours preparation time

Over 2 hours cooking time

Serves 4