The recipe
Lore
Jasmine’s Showstopper treats chocolate as both dessert and furniture. A tree-shaped fondue display has to stand, pour, and invite interaction, while the chocolate remains fluid enough for dipping and attractive enough to sell the illusion. The verified record notes this as Jasmine’s first Hollywood handshake — a regular one for the Chocolate Tree fondue. The left-handed flourish came later, for her Meringue Week raspberry and passion fruit pies.
Source note
Public recreation / fan method — not the baker’s original formula. Paraphrased from Chocolate Praline Mousse Cups, Relaxed Recipes; this is not Jasmine Mitchell’s original formula.
Ingredients
- Shells: 1lb 70% dark chocolate
- Frozen hazelnut core: 1 cup whole hazelnuts; 1/4 cup sugar; 2 tbsp water; 2 tbsp hazelnut paste or Nutella; 1 tbsp butter; pinch of sea salt
- Praline garnish: 1/2 cup hazelnuts; 1/2 cup sugar; 2 tbsp water; pinch of sea salt
- Hazelnut caramel: 1/2 cup sugar; 2 tbsp water; 1/3 cup warmed double cream; 2 tbsp butter; 1/4 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts; 1/4 tsp salt; 1 tbsp hazelnut liqueur, optional
- Chocolate mousse: 1 1/2 tsp gelatine; 3 tbsp water; 8oz dark chocolate; 3 eggs, separated; 2 tbsp sugar; 1 1/2 cups double cream; 1 tsp vanilla; pinch of salt
- Ash: 2 tbsp Dutch-process cocoa; 1 tbsp black cocoa; 1 tsp icing sugar
Method
- Temper the dark chocolate by melting 12oz to 115°F, stirring in the remaining 4oz to cool it to 82°F, then gently warming to 89–91°F. Brush three thin coats inside eight small cup moulds, chilling between coats. Unmould when firm.
- Toast the core hazelnuts at 350°F for 10–12 minutes and rub away loose skins. Cook 1/4 cup sugar and water to deep amber, coat the nuts, and cool. Process the brittle with hazelnut paste, butter, and salt. Roll eight balls and freeze until solid.
- Toast the garnish hazelnuts, chop them, and coat them in a second caramel made from 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tbsp water. Cool and crush.
- Make the caramel: warm the cream. Cook sugar and water to amber, whisk in cream carefully, then butter, nuts, salt, and optional liqueur. Cool until thick but pourable.
- Bloom gelatine in 3 tbsp water and dissolve gently. Melt the 8oz chocolate and stir in the gelatine. Fold in yolks, whipped whites with sugar, and whipped cream with vanilla.
- Fill each shell halfway with mousse, press in a frozen hazelnut ball, and cover with more mousse. Chill 5–6 hours until firm.
- Spoon caramel over each cup, scatter praline, and dust with the mixed cocoa ash. Serve chilled.
Baker’s tips
Have the frozen cores ready before mixing the mousse, and unmould the chocolate shells gently only once they are fully set.
