Marie-Rose Pudding

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1-liter (1-quart) metal charlotte mould, about 14 cm across and 9 cm deep
• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Instant-read or sugar thermometer
• •Two piping bags
• •8 mm plain piping tip
• •Medium star piping tip
• •Small offset spatula
• •Flat serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill the equipment

   Clear a level freezer shelf. Chill the charlotte mould, the plain piping tip, one piping bag, and a small tray for at least 20 minutes. Temperature is structure here: a cold mould buys you the few precise minutes needed to fill the Gaufrettes before the strawberry ice softens.

   Keep the Gaufrettes sealed at room temperature until the mould is cold. Refrigeration makes an unfilled wafer damp rather than crisp.
2. 2

   Build the gaufrette wall

   Stand the Gaufrettes upright against the inside wall of the cold mould, open ends facing upward and the tubes touching snugly. Use as many as the mould requires, breaking none to force a gap; one trimmed length may close the final narrow space. The wafers are the architecture, not a decoration, so keep them straight and tightly packed.

   Buy several extra Gaufrettes. Their delicacy is part of the pleasure, and one or two will invariably volunteer themselves for quality control.
3. 3

   Pipe the strawberry ice

   Let the strawberry ice stand only until it can be pushed through the piping bag, about 2 to 4 minutes. It must remain very stiff, mounding without settling. Fit the chilled bag with an 8 mm plain tip, pack in the ice, insert the tip to the bottom of each Gaufrette, and pipe while slowly withdrawing so every tube fills without an air pocket. If the ice begins to shine, spread, or slump, stop and return the bag and mould to the freezer for 10 minutes. Ça se rattrape. Pressing on with slack ice softens the wafers and the wall gives. Freeze the filled mould for 20 minutes.

4. 4

   Cook the bombe base

   Whisk the egg yolks at medium speed in a heatproof bowl. Put the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan, bring to a boil without stirring, and cook to 118°C (244°F). If crystals form before the syrup reaches temperature, cover the pan for 30 seconds so condensation washes down the sides; if grains remain, add the reserved spoonful of water and dissolve them gently before continuing. Stream the hot syrup down the side of the bowl while whisking, avoiding the beaters, then whip for 6 to 8 minutes until the pâte à bombe, the cooked yolk foam, is pale, thick, and no longer warm. Beat in the praliné paste and vanilla until completely smooth.

5. 5

   Fold and fill

   Whip the cold cream to medium peaks. Fold one-third into the pralined pâte à bombe to loosen it, then fold in the remainder with broad turns until no white streaks remain. The mixture should hold a soft ridge. If the base was still warm and the cream loosens, set the bowl over ice water and fold slowly until it regains body. Spoon the vanilla pralined Bombe-preparation into the centre of the Gaufrette wall in three additions, pressing gently with an offset spatula to remove hidden gaps without disturbing the wafers. Level the surface.

6. 6

   Freeze the pudding

   Cover the surface and freeze the mould on its level shelf for at least 5 hours, until the centre is firm from edge to edge. The source's three-hour refrigerator hold does not translate to an ordinary home refrigerator, which is not cold enough to set this architecture. Five hours in a domestic freezer is the honest equivalent, scaled for one cook and a 1-liter mould.

7. 7

   Whip two-tone Chantilly

   Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cold cream, then whip the remainder with the confectioners' sugar and vanilla until the Chantilly, sweetened whipped cream, holds firm piping ridges. Divide it evenly between two bowls and tint one half pale pink with the gel coloring, leaving the other white. Transfer each color to one side of a star-tipped piping bag, or use two small bags. If the Chantilly turns grainy, fold in the reserved cream a teaspoon at a time until smooth.

8. 8

   Unmould and serve

   Lay a neatly folded white napkin on a chilled flat platter. Wrap the outside of the mould with a warm, barely damp towel for 5 seconds, invert it onto the napkin, and lift straight upward. If it resists, repeat for 3 seconds; prolonged warmth melts the strawberry cores and softens the wafers. Pipe alternating pink and white Chantilly rosettes generously over the top. Bring the chocolate ice cream separately in a chilled bowl, exactly as the dish intends. Let the Marie-Rose stand for 3 minutes, then cut with a warm, dry knife. À table!

Chef Tips

• •A Gaufrette is a special wafer. For this pudding, seek crisp hollow cigar-shaped rolls without chocolate lining or cream filling; flat waffle biscuits cannot be piped and won't build the required wall.
• •Choose a smooth strawberry ice with no fruit pieces and little trapped air. A dense sorbet pipes cleanly and freezes firm, while a fluffy one collapses quickly and sends moisture straight into the wafers.
• •Pralined means treated with pralin. Use a smooth almond-hazelnut praliné paste made from caramelized nuts, not a chunky nut spread; the paste must disappear into the Bombe-preparation without weighing down its foam.
• •The separate chocolate ice cream is deliberate. Put it in a chilled bowl and let each guest take a small scoop beside the strawberry, vanilla, and praline rather than burying the crisp wafer wall beneath it.
• •The Marie-Rose is best assembled and served within the same half-day. It remains safe when held frozen longer, but the gaufrettes gradually trade their crispness for the moisture of the ice.

Advance Preparation

• •Chill the mould, piping equipment, and serving platter earlier in the day so assembly can move without pauses.
• •Assemble the pudding 5 to 8 hours before serving. It may remain frozen for up to 12 hours with good texture, but a longer hold gradually softens the Gaufrettes.
• •Measure the Chantilly ingredients and chill its bowl in advance, but whip and pipe the cream shortly before serving so the pink and white ridges remain soft and distinct.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 180g)