For Christmas, and more broadly for the holiday season, Olivia and I decided to offer you a very festive entremet as a change from the usual Yule logs.

It is a chocolate and matcha tea entremet, somewhat in the style of an “opéra”. Indeed, it features several layers of matcha Joconde biscuit (lightly soaked in a light matcha syrup) and dark chocolate ganache, all encased in a very light matcha mousseline cream.

It is a thoroughly indulgent entremet that will delight matcha tea lovers and chocolate lovers alike.

The recipe I am giving you is for a Christmas chocolate matcha entremet measuring 18 cm in diameter and 4.5 cm in height.

The Christmas chocolate matcha entremet recipe

Matcha Joconde biscuit

• 130g of organic whole eggs
• 50g of organic icing sugar
• 110g of organic ground almonds
• 25g of organic flour
• 25g of organic melted butter
• 80g of organic egg whites
• 25g of organic granulated sugar
• 13g of organic culinary-grade matcha

Matcha punch syrup

• 100g of water
• 25g of organic caster sugar
• 7g of organic premium matcha

Dark chocolate ganache

• 200g of organic 65% chocolate
• 200g of organic full-fat cream
• A pinch of salt

Matcha mousseline cream

• 255g of organic whole milk
• 50g of organic caster sugar
• 40g of organic egg yolks
• 20g of organic cornstarch
• 130g of organic beurre pommade (soft butter)
• 1 heaped teaspoon of organic premium matcha

Cocoa mirror glaze

• 165g of organic caster sugar
• 50g of water
• 8g of gelatin
• 50g of organic unsweetened cocoa powder
• 105g of organic full-fat cream

+ As much as needed of white chocolate, mini multicolored pearls, matcha, etc., for the decoration.

Christmas chocolate matcha entremet method

The dark chocolate ganache

Bring the cream to a boil and pour it gradually, in three additions, over the previously melted dark chocolate so as to obtain a perfectly smooth ganache. Add a pinch of salt, then press plastic wrap onto the surface of the ganache and set aside at room temperature while you make the matcha Joconde biscuit.

The matcha Joconde biscuit

Whisk the whole eggs with the icing sugar, the matcha and the ground almonds, add the flour, then the melted butter.

Meanwhile, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks, gradually adding the caster sugar, and gently fold them into the previous mixture. Then spread the batter evenly on a 30×40 cm baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for 7-8 minutes at 200°C.

Remove the biscuit from the baking tray as soon as it comes out of the oven and let it cool.

Matcha soaking syrup

Put all the ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer and set aside.

Assembling the matcha Joconde biscuit/chocolate ganache insert

Cut out three matcha biscuit rounds using a 16 cm ring (you can cut two “cleanly” and use the scraps for the third).

Place a first Joconde biscuit in a 16 cm stainless steel ring lined with acetate (I recommend starting with the biscuit reassembled from the scraps) and brush it lightly with matcha syrup using a pastry brush.

On top, pour 110g of dark chocolate ganache and repeat the operation so that you end up with three layers of biscuit as well as three layers of chocolate ganache.

Freeze for at least 4 hours.

The matcha mousseline cream

The pastry cream: Bring the milk to a boil with the matcha, whisk the yolks with the sugar and add the cornstarch. Pour the boiling milk little by little over the yolk-sugar-cornstarch mixture while whisking. Pour everything back into the saucepan and cook for one to two minutes at a boil.

Transfer the cream to a dish, press plastic wrap onto the surface and let it cool slightly before placing it in the fridge.

The mousseline cream: Start by working the butter, already well softened (pommade) a little in the mixer, then add the pastry cream and whisk at medium speed. Scrape down the bottom of the bowl several times so as to fully incorporate the butter. Let the cream aerate for 5 minutes in the mixer at medium speed. Once it looks light, that is the moment when you can move on to assembling the Christmas chocolate matcha entremet.

Assembling the Christmas chocolate matcha entremet

Line the inside of an 18 cm ring with matcha mousseline cream using a spatula (as shown in the photo below), place the Joconde biscuit/chocolate ganache insert in the center, fill with the remaining mousseline cream and smooth level with the top.

Set in the freezer for at least 7-8 hours.

The cocoa mirror glaze

Bring the sugar and water to a boil, off the heat add the rehydrated gelatin, then the cocoa and finally the cream. Blend, press plastic wrap onto the surface and keep in the fridge if you prepare it the day before.

When the Christmas chocolate matcha entremet is well frozen, unmold it, place it on a wire rack and coat it with the cocoa mirror glaze at 30°C. Run a spatula over the top, let the glaze drip off, then place the entremet on a serving platter/display board. You can decorate the base with a few sparkling pearls.

If you would like to create the same decoration as me (the Christmas tree): Melt a little white chocolate, let it cool at room temperature until it reaches a thick/almost paste-like texture, spread it on a guitar sheet, then cut out the tree using a template you will have made beforehand. Place it in the fridge for a few hours so that the chocolate crystallizes well, then dust it with organic premium matcha.

Let the Christmas chocolate matcha entremet thaw gently in the fridge for at least 7 hours before serving.