Crystal - by Nicolas Nikolakopoulos
Crystal is the mold conceived by Nicolas Nikolakopoulos together with Martellato designers. The idea came from the desire to create a shape that can be composed and is perfectly adapted to different creativity.
Crystal is one of the VIP line praline, for which Nicolas Nikolakopoulos is ambassador together with other master chocolatiers on the international scene.
The Crystal chocolate mould signed by Nicolas Nikolakopoulos: a new shape to enrich the VIP line of Martellato.
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"CRYSTAL" - Recipe by Nicolas Nikolakopoulos
MOULD PREPARATION
Ingredients:
Flame Red Color
Purple Color
White Color
Cacao Barry Guayaquil 64%
Procedure:
Thorougly clean and polish the mold cavities. Temper the cocoa butter colors and spray half the mold (one tip till the middle) with intense flame red color. Paint the tips completely and create a gradient area in the middle of the cavity. Repeat the process with purple color for the other half of the mold. Let set and spray with natural white cocoa butter color. Let set and cast the mold with Cacao Barry Guayaquil 64%.
Strauberry bhutan pepper
Ingredients:
Strawberry puree 260 g
Cassis puree 40 g
Raspberry Puree 50 g
Bhutan pepper (freshly ground in powder) 1,6 g
Sugar 21 g
Yellow pectin 4,8 g
Carob gum 1,2 g
Sugar 172,5 g
Glucose 93 g
Citric acid solution 50% 6,8 g
Procedure:
Boil everything apart from the acid, until 104°C. Remove from heat and add acid. Let cool and blitz smooth. Fill 1/3 of the prepared bonbon shell.
Halzenut bhutan pepper ganache
Ingredients:
Strawberry puree 50 g
Yuzu puree 10 g
35% fat cream 115 g
Bhutan pepper (freshly ground in powder) 1,3 g
Invert sugar 50 g
Sorbitol 35 g
Glucose syrup 50 g
Hazelnut paste 50 g
Cacao Barry zephyr caramel 150 g
Cacao Barry lactee superieure 38% 160 g
Butter 60 g
Cacao Barry cocoa butter in pellets 17,5 g
Procedure:
Boil the cream with the sugars and pepper and let it infuse for 5 min. Combine the strawberry puree with the yuzu and heat in the microwave at 50°C. Pour the cream over the chocolates, hazelnut paste and cocoa butter and blitz smooth, then add the purees and continue mixing. At 35 degrees add the butter. Cool down to 28°C and then fill the rest of the prepared shell (above the gel) leaving space for the crunch and the closing chocolate layer.
Buckwheat halzenut crunch
Ingredients:
Zephyr 34% Cacao Barry 141 g
Deodorised cocoa butter 11,35 g
Bhutan pepper (freshly ground) 0,25 g
Hazelnut paste 57 g
Feuilletine 63 g
Caramelized hazelnut chopped in croquant (barry sablage) 54 g
Buckwheat roasted 72 g
Fine salt 1,1 g
Procedure:
Melt the cocoa butter together with the chocolate. Add the rest of the ingredients, and roll out between two plastic sheets at 2.5-3mm. Freeze. Cut with a marquis shaped cutter and place on the ganache. Let the bonbon set overnight and close with Cacao Barry Guayaquil 64%.
Would you like to know more about Crystal moulds? Click the bottom to discover it.
ABOUT Nikolas Nikolakopouls:
Nicolas is Greek Chocolate Master 2022 and placed 3rd at the World Chocolate Masters.
Throughout his career, he has gained valuable experience in various hospitality establishments.
He is a professor at Le Monde Institute of Tourism Studies in Athens, where his journey began. He gives consultancy and master classes all over the world. He is also pastry chef at NZ Dessert Designers.
