Chef Niklesh Sharma started out as an intern at The Oberoi Hotels in 1997. Although he initially worked in the hot kitchen and the bakery, he chose to pursue a career as a pastry chef. He says, “I was interested in the intrinsic details of dessert making.” In 2010, the chef took his passion a step further by setting up the Academy of Pastry Arts Group in Kuala Lumpur. In 2019, his team from the academy was awarded the World Pastry Cup (Coupe Du Monde De La Patisserie). When asked what’s his favourite ingredient to work with, he says it is chocolate. “I like experimenting with chocolates and fruits because it’s a beautiful blend of sweetness and acidity. The fruity flavour adds another dimension to chocolate and that’s what makes it interesting,” he says. The chef shares his favourite Chocolate Raspberry Tart recipe with us:
CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY TART
Preparation time - 30 minutes Cooking time - 35 minutes
INGREDIENTS FOR SUGAR DOUGH
Flour 250 g
Butter 175 g
Callebaut cocoa powder 25 g
Icing sugar 100 g
Eggs 50 g
PROCEDURE
Mix flour, butter, and cocoa powder until the flour reaches a sandy texture (rub-in-method)
Add icing sugar and eggs, and knead until it forms a dough
Let it rest in the fridge for 1 hour
Bake in a tart ring at 170°C for approximately 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS FOR FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE SPONGE
Egg yolk 150 g
Egg white 200 g
Sugar 240 g
Callebaut cocoa powder 75 g
PROCEDURE
Whip egg yolk and 60g of sugar until thick and fluffy
Make a meringue with the remaining sugar and egg whites
Fold cocoa powder into yolk mixture
Fold in meringue carefully and bake in a ring
Bake at 170°C for approximately 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS FOR RASPBERRY JAM
Raspberry puree 250 g
Sugar 125 g
Glucose 125 g
Sugar 50 g
Pectin 2.5 g
Lemon juice from 1/4 of a lemon
PROCEDURE
Boil raspberry puree, glucose, and 125g sugar
Mix another 50 g of sugar with pectin and pour over simmering raspberry mixture
Continue cooking until 104°C and add in lemon juice
Quickly transfer to another cold container
INGREDIENTS FOR CHOCOLATE CHIBOUST
Milk 200 g
Whipping cream 100 g
Egg yolk 140 g
Custard powder 16 g
Gelatin 9 g
Egg white 200 g
Sugar 200 gm
Callebaut Dark Chocolate Madagascar (67 per cent) 325g
PROCEDURE
Dissolve gelatin with cold water
Boil milk and cream, pour over the premixed yolk and custard powder and then mix well
Bring the mixture to boil again (to make pastry cream)
Add in gelatin into the warm pastry cream
Make a Swiss meringue with egg white and sugar (Bain-marie egg white and sugar until 65°C)
Fold meringue into pastry cream; lastly, fold in melted warm dark chocolate
FINISHING
Spray with a mixture of 50.50 per cent dark chocolate and cocoa butter with a small amount of red color Garnish with round choc décor disc
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