Christmas Eve Disco Ball

It's up to you.

10 detailed steps, from preparation to service.

1. Prepare the mold and pears

   Tap the 18 cm bowl with two large film sheets that protrude. Drain carefully 150 g of pears, dab them with absorbent paper and cut them into 8 mm dice. Weigh 60 g of syrup in a hollow plate and add vanilla.

2. Make the chocolate base

   Chop 200 g of dark chocolate in a bowl. Brings 150 g of cream just to simmer, pour it on the chocolate, wait 2 minutes and then stir until the pieces disappear. Leave to cool for about 20 minutes; the preparation should remain flexible and not be hot on the finger.

3. Prepare the whipped cream

   Pour the remaining 200 g of cold cream into a cold bowl. Whisk 2 to 3 minutes until a soft cream that fits on the whisk. Incorporate a third into the warm chocolate, then the other two thirds by lifting with the spatula.

4. Line and garnish the dome

   With a tooth knife, cut the biscuits by spoon in half in thickness, keeping them flat. Quickly pass one side of each half-biscuit into the syrup, without soaking it. Line the inside of the bowl with about 120 g of biscuits, cutting the ends to adjust them. Pour half of the mousse, spread the pear dice, then cover with the rest of the mousse. Closes with the remaining 40 g of biscuits; fills the days with offcuts.

5. Let it take

   Turn the film down on the underside of the dome. Place a small plate on top without heavy weight and refrigerate at least 6 hours, ideally one night. The dessert must be firm before removing the salad bowl.

6. Make the white chocolate plate

   Melt 220 g of white chocolate in a dry bowl. Spread it between two sheets of baking paper about 27 x 27 cm and 2 mm thick. Smooth with a ruler placed on the top sheet, then leave 8 to 12 minutes in the refrigerator: the chocolate must be matte but still easy to cut.

7. Cut out the facets

   Remove the upper paper. With a ruler and a knife, marks a grid of squares of 1.5 cm side. Put 15 minutes back in the refrigerator. Then separate the tiles by hand; some irregular sizes are very suitable for the edge of the dome. Don't try to get an industrial mirror.

8. Unmold and prepare the glue

   Open the film from below, turn the bowl over the plate, lift it and then remove the film. Simply mix 100 g of mascarpone and 10 g of icing sugar per spoon. Spread this cream in a thin layer on the dome to hang the tiles.

9. Dressing the half-ball

   Place the white chocolate squares from the bottom to the top, leaving 1-2 mm between them. They are laid on the cream, without stems or structure. At the top, cut the smaller tiles if necessary. Refrigerate 30 minutes to set the decor.

10. Revealing the Heart

    Get the disco ball out 10 minutes before the service. Soak a large knife in hot water, wipe it and slice gently between the tiles. Wipe the blade between each part: the cup must show biscuits, chocolate and pear dice.