Whisky truffle, dark chocolate-chikki delice, orange mousse and cranberry kulfi
Vineet Bhatia’s layered mousse not only packs a visual punch but is a hive of exciting flavours – including orange, whisky and cranberry. A triumphant way to round off a meal – just be prepared for a bit of a challenge.
Ingredients
Caramelised nut ‘chikki’
Silky chocolate délice
Orange mousse
Whisky truffle
Cranberry kulfi
Instructions
  1. For the caramelised nut ‘chikki’ heat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4. Spread the nuts on a tray and roast until lightly browned. Check them every minute. Crush or finely chop
  2. 30g of pistachio nuts
  3. 30g of pine nuts
  4. 30g of broken cashew nuts
  5. Melt the sugar in a heavy pan, raise the heat and cook, without stirring, until it turns into a golden caramel. Add the butter and immediately add the nuts
  6. 120g of granulated sugar
  7. 35g of unsalted butter
  8. Quickly stir the mixture, so the nuts are coated in the caramel, then pour into a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Spread evenly to form a layer about 5mm thick. Leave to cool and harden
  9. For the silky chocolate délice heat the milk until almost boiling, pour onto the white chocolate and stir until melted
  10. 50ml of full-fat milk
  11. 100g of white chocolate, chopped
  12. Melt the dark chocolate in a bowl set over simmering water. Melt the butter. Whisk the egg yolk and melted butter together in a large bowl. Pour in the melted dark chocolate and whisk well
  13. 300g of dark chocolate, chopped
  14. 30g of unsalted butter
  15. 1 egg yolk
  16. Whip the cream with the caster sugar. Gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture
  17. 300ml of whipping cream
  18. 1 tbsp of caster sugar
  19. Put the nuts into a baking tray. Pour the mixture over the caramelised nuts and spoon the white chocolate and milk mixture unevenly over the top
  20. It will spread into the dark chocolate mixture on its own. Leave in the fridge for about 3 hours, until set
  21. For the orange mousse cover the gelatine leaf with cold water, leave for 5 minutes until soft and pliable
  22. 1 gelatine leaf
  23. Put the egg yolk, 25g sugar and the milk in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, making sure the water does not touch the base of the bowl
  24. 1 egg yolk
  25. 25g of sugar
  26. 25ml of milk, warmed
  27. Whisk until the mixture thickens to a custard-like consistency. Remove from the heat. Squeeze any excess water from the gelatine and stir it in. Add the orange purée and orange liqueur, if using
  28. 100ml of orange purée
  29. 4 tbsp of Cointreau
  30. Whisk everything together and pass through a fine sieve. Whip the cream and fold it in. Pour the mixture onto the chocolate delice, and chill for a couple of hours, until firm
  31. 250ml of whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks
  32. For the whisky truffle, put the cream into a heavy-based pan and bring to the boil. Cool. Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over simmering water
  33. 400ml of whipping cream
  34. 150g of dark chocolate, chopped
  35. Stir it into the cream with and whisky. Cool and then chill
  36. 45ml of whisky
  37. Divide into 25 and shape into balls. Roll them in the unsweetened cocoa powder
  38. 100g of cocoa powder
  39. For the cranberry kulfi bring the cranberries to a boil with 1 tbsp of the sugar and 70ml water
  40. 240g of cranberries
  41. 13g of granulated sugar
  42. Simmer for a couple of minutes until soft Remove from the heat and purée. Pass through a fine sieve and set aside
  43. Pour the milk and double cream into a heavy-based pan, add the cardamom pods and bring to the boil
  44. 2.5l full-fat milk
  45. 1.2l double cream
  46. 8 black cardamom pods
  47. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring constantly to prevent sticking, until the mixture has reduced to a third of its original volume
  48. Stir in the remaining sugar; discard the whole cardamom. Cool and then chill
  49. Whip the cream. Fold the cranberry purée and whipped cream into the milk base. Pour into the kulfi moulds. Freeze until firm
  50. 400ml of whipping cream
  51. To plate carefully remove the set delice and mousse mix from the baking tray
  52. Place on the edge of a plate, and balance a whisky truffle on top
  53. Gently loosen the kulfi from the moulds, and turn out three onto a plate next to the delice. Serve immediately