Recipe for Pear and Quince Charlotte with Tonka Bean

Prepare a syrup with water, sugar, grated tonka bean, and scraped vanilla pod, then bring to a boil. Meanwhile, prepare a bowl half-filled with water and the juice of one lemon, peel the fruits, leave the pears whole and place them in the bowl. Cut the quinces into quarters, remove the seeds and core, and place the quince in the lemon water immediately after peeling to prevent oxidation.

Place all the fruits in the boiling syrup and let cook for about 15–20 minutes, watching closely as this will depend on the size and ripeness of your fruits. A knife or fork should be able to easily pierce them. Drain the fruits and set the syrup aside. Once the fruits have cooled, cut them into small cubes; you will need about 125 g of the two fruits to incorporate into the mousse.

Melt the gianduja with the chocolate in a double boiler, then add the crispy layer and mix well. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Bring the milk to a boil with the butter, and when the butter is completely melted, remove from heat and add the flour all at once, mixing vigorously with a spatula.

Put back on the heat and dry out over high heat, stirring continuously until the dough no longer sticks to your fingers. Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or into a mixing bowl with a spatula, and mix on medium speed to warm the dough. Gradually add the eggs and egg yolks; once the mixture is homogeneous, add the milk (you can mix 0.1 g of water-soluble coloring into this milk if you wish to color the biscuit; here, I kept it natural).

Beat the egg whites with lemon juice, gradually adding the sugar. Fold the egg whites into the previous mixture in several batches, gently mixing with a spatula. Using a spatula, spread the batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to a thickness of about 1 cm. Bake for 9 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

The day before, prepare the dulcey whipped ganache. Bring 135 g of cream to a boil, pour it over the chocolate while whisking. Once the mixture is homogeneous, add the remaining cold cream. Mix and cover directly with plastic wrap, then place it in the fridge. Bring the milk to a boil with the grated tonka bean and the scraped vanilla pod. Let it infuse for 20 minutes. Strain the milk, return it to the saucepan with the agar agar, and bring to a boil for 30 seconds.

In the meantime, whisk the sugar with the egg yolks, then pour the boiling milk over it while mixing with a spatula. Return to the saucepan and cook on low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 80°C or coats the spatula. The mixture should not boil. Set aside.

Whip the cream until it's not too stiff. As soon as the custard has cooled down and is barely warm, fold the whipped cream into it in three additions using a spatula. Once the mixture is homogeneous, stop mixing. Then add the well-drained fruit cubes and gently fold them in.

Plan for at least 6 hours of refrigeration before serving. The day before tasting, prepare the dulcey ganache and keep it in the fridge overnight. The Japanese sponge can be prepared the day before assembling the dessert, and the poached fruits can be made several days in advance and kept in the fridge in syrup. The Japanese sponge should be kept wrapped in a cloth after cooling, in the closed oven. So, the day before preparing the dessert or on the same day, prepare the sponge and let it cool. Prepare the crisp, line the ring with plastic wrap or parchment paper, and spread the crisp over the entire surface of the bottom of the dessert ring. Using a sharp paring knife, cut a disk of Japanese sponge and place it on the crisp, pressing down a bit to ensure it adheres. Then line the ring with a strip of Japanese sponge.