Cream cheese and lime entremet

I find a lot of inspiration on the web, from blogs to different pastry chefs, it makes me grow as a home baker and it gives me new ideas. This recipe is from a great blog with beautiful desserts and all kinds of creations. You can find it here.

While browsing the blog one dessert caught my eye immediately. It looked fabulous and the combinations of flavors seemed like a great idea. This dessert is Lime and cream cheese entremet. The pastry is especially interesting, it is actually a crumble that is frozen and then grated into circles and baked. It's something I have never done and the idea is genius. The base stays crunchy and delicious.

The cream cheese element is a Bavarian cream, It's a fluffy cream similar to pastry cream, but thickened with gelatin instead of cornstarch or flour. I made it for the first time and I will definitely make it again. It's light and delicious, similar to a mousse. The cream cheese flavor was present, but I would make it even more cheesy the next time.

After the Bavarian cream is done it's time to make lime curd. The recipe for the curd is simple but delicious. The acidity from the crud cuts through the cream cheese flavor. I absolutely love the combination of sweet and acidic in dessert and this one really delivers.
For a shiny finish I made a neutral lime glaze. The glaze is a combination of gelatin, sugar, water and lime zest. It's simple and it makes for a nice shiny topping.

I would suggest that you make all the components a day in advance because the crumble and both creams must be frozen before baking and assembly.

At first the dessert wasn't looking that amazing but with a few decorations I think it looked really good. I added meringue tears for decoration, you can find my recipe for meringues here. The meringues can be piped in any shape. I try to experiment with different piping tips and see which works the best. Anyway, the dessert was delicious and light which is surprising, because usually cream cheese desserts are heavy and rich. I hope you give it a try and enjoy this combination of flavors.

Cream cheese and lime entremet

(Makes about 12)

     Time:

Preparation: 1 hour

Cooking: 15min

Baking: 15min

Setting: overnight

For the Bavarian cream cheese:

• 4g gelatin sheets
• 50g milk (I used 1,5% fat)
• 40g egg (1 egg)
• 60g white granulated sugar
• 120g cream cheese
• 240g heavy cream

For the lime curd:

• 4g gealtin sheets
• 152g white granulated sugar
• 152g fresh lime juice
• zest of two limes
• 200g butter
• 100g egg yolks
• green food coloring (optional)

For the crumble discs:

• 100g all-purpose flour
• 100g brown sugar
• 100g butter
• 100g nuts (I used walnuts)

For the neutral glaze:

• 100g white granulated sugar
• 75g water
• 4g gelatin
• 1 zest from one lime

Making the Bavarian cream cheese:

Soak the gelatin in cold water and set aside.

Pour the milk in a saucepan and place on medium heat. Meanwhile mix the yolks with sugar. When milk reaches 90°C or it's just below boiling, remove from heat and pour over the yolk mixture while stirring constantly. 

Pour the mixture through a sieve in a small pot and place back on low heat. Stir until the mixture thickens slightly, be careful not to boil the mixture, the eggs will cook and the cream will curdle.

Squeeze excess water from gelatin and add it to the mixture. Stir until the gelatin is fully dissolved. Now it's time to add the cream cheese. Mix the two together with an immersion blender until you get a smooth consistency. 

Whip heavy cream to soft peaks and add a dollop of cream into the cheese mixture. Then add the rest gradually and fold until the mixture is combined.

Pour into a piping bag and pipe into silicon molds of your choice. Make sure to fill the molds only three quarters up and save room for lime curd. Wrap with cling film.

Place in the freezer until set.     

Making the lime curd:

Once the Bavarian cream cheese is frozen it's time to prepare the curd. Soak the gelatin in cold water and set aside.

Pour lime juice, sugar and zest in a pan and place on medium heat. Place the egg yolks in a bowl and whisk lightly with a fork.

Once the lime mixture is boiling take off the heat and slowly pour over the yolks, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back in a pan and cook until thick. Take off the heat and add gelatin. Stir and strain in a bowl. Cool to about 40°C. Cut the butter into cubes and start adding it one by one to the curd. Use an immersion blender to emulsify the butter. I added a drop of green food coloring (in a paste) for a greener effect. 

Pour in a piping bag and pipe over the frozen Bavarian cream. Place back in the freezer until completely frozen.

Making the crumble discs:
Place the walnuts in a food processor and blitz. Add all other ingredients and process until combined.
Place the dough in a bowl and kneed to form a ball. Wrap it in cling film. Place in the freezer overnight.

The next day grate the crumble into discs (using a circle mold) and press it together. It is important that you press the dough together so that it won't fall apart after baking.

Preheat oven to 150°C and bake for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool completely before assembly.

Making the neutral glaze:
Soak the gelatin in cold water and set aside.
Pour water and sugar in a pot and bring to a boil. Take off the heat and add the soaked gelatin. Grate the lime and add the zest into the glaze.

Set aside to cool.

Assembly:
Place the frozen cream cheese and lime entremet on a wire rack over a large bowl. Pour over the neutral lime glaze. Place the glazed piece on one of the crumble discs.

Place in the fridge to thaw completely. Decorate as you wish and serve.