Almond parfait

To prepare the almond parfait, start by making the first brittle that will be blended to be poured into the parfait. Pour 20 g of water and 40 g of sugar into a saucepan 1, then let them dissolve over moderate heat until reaching a temperature of 250°F 2. To measure the exact temperature, it is advisable to use a kitchen thermometer, but if you don't have one, you'll notice that the syrup is ready when white bubbles form on the surface. Meanwhile, slightly heat the almonds in the microwave or in a pan but without toasting them, and when the syrup has reached the temperature, pour them inside and stir continuously 3.

until they turn an amber color. At this point, add the butter 4, which will prevent the almonds from sticking together. Then pour them onto a silicone mat 5 (or a sheet of baking paper), spread them out with a spatula 6 and let them cool completely.

In the meantime, prepare the pâte à bombe which will serve to pasteurize the yolks. Pour the 65 g of sugar together with the 20 g of water into a saucepan 7 and, as done previously, let it simmer until reaching a temperature of 250°F 8. When it reaches around 240°F, start whipping the yolks with an electric mixer, and once the syrup has reached 250°F, pour it slowly into the yolks 9.

Continue beating 10 until completely cooled: you will obtain a fluffy and frothy mixture 11. At this point, place the now cold caramelized almonds into a blender 12

and blend until you get a crumbly mixture 13. Then pour the cream into another bowl and whip it with the mixer (make sure to clean the mixer blades well before whipping the cream) 14. At this point, pour the blended almonds into the pâte à bombe 15, mix

and also add the whipped cream little by little 16. Once you have a homogeneous mixture, pour it into a 7.5x3.5 inch mold 17, level the surface 18, and place it in the freezer for at least 12 hours.

About 30 minutes before serving the parfait, make the brittle for the final decoration. As done previously, make the syrup with water and sugar, bring it to a temperature of 250°F 19, add the almonds slightly heated in the microwave (or pan) 20, and stir until you get a brown color. Finally, add the butter 21 and transfer the almonds onto a silicone mat or a sheet of baking paper.

Using a spatula, quickly shape the brittle to match the mold of the parfait (22-23) and let it cool completely. At this point, also prepare the accompanying sauce: chop the chocolate 24,

pour it into a bain-marie bowl 25 and melt it over a bain-marie 26. If you prefer, you can do this using the microwave, setting it for 30 seconds at a time and stirring the chocolate each time. Once ready, transfer your chocolate sauce into a sauceboat, making it easier to pour over the parfait!

Once the sauce is ready, you should immediately proceed to unmold the almond parfait; to help you, you can immerse the base for a few minutes in boiling water or pass the blade of a small knife all around the inner edge of the mold 28. Invert it onto a serving plate 29, decorate the surface with the almond brittle 30, and serve your parfait accompanied by the chocolate sauce!