The Friday Baking Project

Christmas Ivoire

Yield: 1 6-inch cake

# of Servings: 6 to 8

• 1 Ivoire et Chocolat

• ½ cup fresh cranberries, rinsed and dried

• 1 cup (7.1 oz / 201 g) sugar
• 2 tbl cold water

• 1 (8 oz / 227 g) block white chocolate

• 1 package edible gold leaf¹

Tools and equipment needed:

• 1 small saucepan
• Silpat, or parchment-lined cookie sheet
• Instant read thermometer
• Vegetable peeler (preferably a Y-shaped peeler), paring knife, pastry brush
• Candy fork (optional)

Directions:

1. Make the Ivoire et Chocolat, leaving off the dark chocolate shavings.
2. Place the block of white chocolate on a plate and microwave in 5 second intervals, just until it is somewhat malleable.
3. Holding the white chocolate in one hand, peel off curls, letting them fall onto a plate.
4. Let the curls sit for 15 minutes to set.
5. Dust the curls with confectioners’ sugar, and place around the top of the cake.
6. In small saucepan, combine the sugar and water, avoiding sugar granules on the side of the pan as much as possible.
7. Bring the sugar syrup to the boil, washing down any sugar from the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water.
8. Cook to 240 °F.
9. Remove pan from heat and move to a heat-proof mat or trivet on the counter.
10. Dunk two or three cranberries at a time into the syrup, and using a standard fork or table work, remove each cranberry to the silpat.
11. Let the cranberries set for a minute, and place the nicest ones on the white chocolate curls.
12. Using the tip of a paring knife, gently press onto a square of gold leaf and then touch a cranberry for the gold to adhere.

Notes: Be sure to use gold leaf labeled as Edible. It is available from Amazon and L’Epicerie.