Recreate one of our desserts from High Tea at your next Christmas party

Following the success of our Annual High Tea event, we're sharing one of our favourite creations – our little but mighty, Nutty Lime. In preparation for our High Tea event, teachers and students were able to be as creative as they wanted to be with the support of Les verges Boiron. Boiron provided us with an array of frozen fruit, vegetable purees, and coulis. Integral to the menu we designed, these ingredients were a great and delicious option for produce that was out of season.

A heads up, this recipe is not for the faint-hearted, only for those who are ready to roll up their sleeves and summon their inner patisserie chef.

Here's how you can recreate our high tea at home!

Let's get started

We've grouped the six elements in this dessert, which includes the decorative paste, joconde sponge, olive oil sponge, hazelnut cream, lime crèmeux and hazelnut macarons. Each component will have its own sets of ingredients and directions.

Group 1: Decorative Paste
5 trays

1. Cream A together then add egg whites and flour alternately until just combined
2. Add colour.
3. Spread on a silicon sheet and create the desired pattern
4. Place in the freezer to set fast.

Group 2: Joconde Sponge
5 trays

1. Combine group A in a mixing bowl, add B and beat with a paddle until light and fluffy
2. Melt C and fold trough
3. Whisk D to a medium peak meringue and fold through
4. Spread evenly over the decorative paste about 5mm thick
5. Bake at 220°C until light golden brown in colour.

Group 3: Olive Oil Sponge
2 trays

1. Blend A together
2. Whisk group B together till light and fluffy
3. Add C slowly than A
4. Fold D through gently
5. Pour onto 2 trays and bake at 180C for 10-12 minutes

Group 4: Hazelnut Cream

1. Heat A to scalding point
2. Whisk B till combine
3. Pour A over B and make an anglaise
4. Mix C into the anglaise
5. Soak D in cold water, drain and melt into the hot anglaise
6. Cooldown to 37C
7. Fold D carefully into the anglaise and use straight away.

Group 5: Lime Crèmeux

1. Soak C in cold water then drain
2. Heat group A till the scalding point
3. Whisk group B together
4. Pour 1/3 amount A to B while whisking continually
5. Put mixture back to the pan and whisk continually until the mixture is thicker than an anglaise
6. Pour into a bowl to cool down
7. Melt in gelatine when the temperature reaches 50⁰C
8. Mix melted butter (below 40⁰C) and whisk till completely incorporated
9. Poor into half-sphere moulds and freeze until needed.

Part 6: Hazelnut Macarons

1. Sieve group A together
2. Mix group B together and pour onto A without mixing the ingredients together
3. Boil the sugar and water in group C to 118C and pour onto the half whipped whites to make an Italian meringue. Keep whisking till meringue reach 50C
4. Incorporate C into A and B with a spatula until the mix becomes shiny
5. Pipe mini macarons onto a tray lined with baking paper
6. Tap the tray very lightly on the bench to eliminate the points
7. Let the macaron shell dry for at least 20 minutes
8. Pre-heat oven at 180C and bake at 165C for 12-14 minutes
9. Open quickly the oven door once after 8 min of cooking and once at 10 min to eliminate steam thus drying the biscuits outer layer
10. Slide the macarons on the baking paper of the tray to stop them from cooking.

You're almost there!

1. Cut joconde sponge to fit 2/3 of the mould, fit tightly in each mould.
2. Cut the sponge base, fit in the bottom of each mould and pipe hazelnut cream halfway.
3. Lay a cremeux insert, pipe more cream on top, and smooth the top.
4. Garnish with a baby macaron, roasted hazelnut halves, candied lime zest and green sugar decoration.

Voila, you've done it! You've earned yourself a trophy, a glass of vino and endless praises that will last you until next Christmas!