Pear and Chocolate Charlotte

• 3 eggs
• 80 g caster sugar
• 80 g flour
• 4 pears
• 150 g caster sugar
• 60 g silvered almonds
• 10 g butter
• 40 cl water
• 100 g caster sugar
• 25 ml single cream
• 90 g dark chocolate

*A delicate Charlotte combining the smoothness of chocolate mousse, the softness of pears and the crispiness of nougat.

*Stages :

*1 - Biscuit preparation:

*Preheat the oven to 220°C (Gas Mark 7). Using an electric whisk, beat the eggs until stiff and add sugar gradually. Add the sieved flour in several stages and gently mix. Then spread the dough on a plate lined with baking paper, cover it to remove the air bubbles and put in the oven at 220°C (Gas Mark 7) for 6 minutes.

*2 - Preparation of pears and nougat:

*Peel the pears, cut them in half and remove the hard parts, then cut them into cubes of around 1 cm. Caramelise the caster sugar in a frying pan with a heavy-bottomed saucepan until getting a consistent, golden colour. Then add the completely dry silvered almonds (heat in oven if necessary) and quickly mix. Pour the mixture on a silicone baking mat and cover with another baking mat, then spread using a rolling pin. In the same pan, add a knob of butter and fry the pear cubes: cook them for 6 to 8 minutes. Leave to cool.

*3 - Chocolate mousse preparation:

*Bring water to boil with the sugar in a saucepan, then leave to cool. Whisk the single cream into whipped cream. Melt the chocolate in the bain-marie and leave to cool. When the chocolate has cooled, add 1/3 of the whipped cream then mix and delicately add the rest. Set aside in the refrigerator.

*4 - Putting the Charlotte together:

*Remove the biscuit from the mould and cut sufficiently long strips to surround the moulds (or the stainless steel circles). Cut the rounds along the edges using a cookie cutter. Put the biscuit in a mould or stainless steel circle, and soak in syrup. Add a layer of chocolate mouse, then a layer of caramelised pears (cold or warm). Crush the nougat shards and sprinkle on, then cover it all with a layer of chocolate and smooth on top using a spatula. Chill the Charlotte for 1 hour.

*5 - The dressing:

*Take the Charlotte out then decorate with shards of nougat.

* Tips: This recipe can be made with regular sponge biscuits. For gourmets: serve this Charlotte with a chocolate sauce!