Free Paris Pastry Club: A collection of cakes, tarts, pastries and other indulgent recipes by Fanny Zanotti Page B

in the metal ring.
    Lift one of the strips into the ring, with the sugared side facing out,and nestle it to fit snugly against the side of the ring. Arrange another biscuit strip inside the ring so that they join snugly. Roughly measure the length of the remaining gap and trim the third biscuit so that it is just slightly longer. Ease it into the gap so that you form a tight-fitting biscuit border around the inside of the ring. Set aside while you make the mousse.
    Soak the gelatine leaves in ice-cold water for about 20 minutes.
    Pour 400 g (14 oz) of the chilled raspberry purée into a large bowl.
    Put the remaining purée and sugar in a pan, and cook over a low heat until the sugar is melted. Squeeze the gelatine leaves and add to the hot purée. Stir until just dissolved.
    Pour onto the cold raspberry purée, whisking as you do so. Allow to cool slightly.
    Whip the cream to soft peaks in a large cold bowl. Scoop a third of the whipped cream into the purée and whisk it in to loosen the mixture. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream, at first with a whisk, then with a spatula, until just combined. Pour half into the biscuit-lined ring.
    Take the frozen peach ring out of the freezer, remove the metal ring and peel off the paper. Gently sit the peach ring on the raspberry mousse. Top with the remaining mousse, leaving a 1 cm (½ in) gap on top.
    Loosely cover with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
    When you are ready to serve, gently remove the ring, then arrange the raspberries and remaining peach halves, cut into quarters, on top of the mousse. Serve cold on its own or with a big scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

ALMOST-INSTANT
CHOCOLATE
FONDANT CAKE

    When it is hard to find time to make a cake – and really, a birthday can’t be without a cake – this fondant cake is here for you. It takes less than an hour from start to finish.
    In my notebook, I’ve called it ‘perfect chocolate cake’. And it is, trust me. A crisp, almost brittle, crust and a rich and dark crumb.
    It’s also pretty great for random days when chocolate is needed. Just saying …
    Serves 12
    100 g (3½ oz) 70% dark chocolate,
    chopped into chunks
    120 g (4¼ oz) butter, cubed
    4 eggs
    200 g (7 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
    60 g (2 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
    Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F) and generously butter a 20 cm (8 in) cake tin.
    Melt the chocolate and butter together in a pan over a low heat, stirring every now and then with a spatula.
    Whisk the eggs and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water for a few minutes. The aim is to bring the mixture to slightly above room temperature.
    Remove from the heat, pour the chocolate over the egg mixture and fold in with a spatula.
    Sprinkle the flour in and gently incorporate it until just smooth.
    Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 20–25 minutes until just set in the centre. Allow to cool slightly. Cut into wedges and serve with ice-cream – big fat scoops – and as many candles as you can fit.

CHERRY
CLAFOUTIS

    I can’t talk about this dish without an anything-but-subtle hint of delight in my voice. It is one of my favourite recipes ever. As you must have guessed from its name, it comes from my grandmother. An incredibly smooth batter enfolds pieces of slightly sour cherries. I usually make it on the very first days of June when the cherries turn into bright-red jewels waiting to be picked.
    It’s a bit of a bore to pit them and in fact there is a great debate in France whether the cherries used in a clafoutis should be pitted or not. But I use a small paring knife to pit them for easier eating. You could also use other fruits depending on the season. And if you want to know one of my best-kept secrets, finely sliced apples work like a charm in autumn.
    I like to eat clafoutis at any time of the day, but it does make a lovely dessert when served with some sharp yoghurt ice-cream or a dollop of crème