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Cherry Blossom Tree Dessert

 Symbolic of the transient nature of life, the emergence of cherry blossoms welcomes a season of renewal and change. This cherry blossom dessert is inspired by the beauty of the sakura season in both Japan and here in Edinburgh where I live.   In springtime the streets and parks near my apartment are lined with rows of cherry trees in bloom. i wanted to bring that experience and that feeling of hopeful optimism as the season change to a dish.

Ingredients
  

Chocolate Meringue

  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 100 g sugar
  • 24 g cocoa powder

Cherry Meringue

  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 100 g sugar
  • 2 tsp maraschino cherry juice
  • a few drops of cherry flavouring
  • a few drops red food colouring

Maraschino Cherry Cake

  • 250 g butter
  • 412 g sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 360 g flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 160 g milk
  • 225 g maraschino cherries
  • 50 g maraschino cherry juice

Whipped Chocolate Cremeux

  • 150 g milk
  • 305 g cream
  • 55 g golden syrup
  • 60 g egg yolks
  • 270 g dark chocolate

Garnish

  • dried rose petals
  • chopped, freeze dried sour cherries

Instructions
 

Chocolate Meringue

  • whip whites with pinch of salt.  Once soft peak, stream in the sugar. Once stiff peak add in the cocoa.  Pipe onto parchment lined dehydrator trays in the shape of a tree.

Cherry Meringue

  • whip whites with pinch of salt.  Once soft peak, stream in the sugar.  Once stiff peak add in the maraschino cherry juice, cherry extract and food colouring. Place in piping back with small flower tip and dot the flowers onto the chocolate tree base. Dehydrate for 4-6 hours on low.

Maraschino Cherry Cake

  • Cream together softened butter and sugar.  Stream in eggs one at a time.  Once emulsified add in almond extract.  In a separate bowl combine flour, salt and baking powder. Blitz up 225 g maraschino cherries and 50 g cherry juice and add this to 160 g of milk.  Alternate adding additions of the flour mix and the cherry/ milk mix into the batter until everything is well combined.  Add in some red food colour to give the cake a more vibrant appearance.  

Whipped Chocolate Crémeux

  • Heat milk, cream and golden syrup until simmering.  In a separate bowl add in the egg yolks.  Slowly temper the milk mix into the eggs so they don’t scramble and are heated gradually.  Once tempered pour this all back into the pot and set back onto the heat for a short time until a finger run through the custard on the back of a spoon leaves a trail.  Pour this over the chocolate that you have set aside in a separate bowl. Whisk all together until chocolate is melted and combined.  Set in the fridge to cool.  Once chilled.  Whip and place in piping bag. 

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