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For the final episode of season 7 we’re making a fancy-looking sweet treat that really is quite simple to make.
Perfect for the upcoming holiday season because you can also make them well in advance and freeze them, simply taking them out a few hours before and leaving in the fridge to be served when your guests or company arrive.
Inspired by watching French chocolatiers work their magic paired with my long-time love of the never-fail combo of chocolate and peanut butter, today we’re making Pavé Chocolat aux Amandes.
As will be shared in the introduction of the episode, the French will typically make this recipe with chestnuts or châtaignes, but since most of us are more likely to find almonds in our grocery markets, I chose to work with almonds/amandes (and I love almonds!). ☺️
A small nibble with a great big flavor.
45 mm/1.7″
How to present these special treats? With the help of a silicone demi-globe mold.
After using three different sizes of the demi-globes while practicing and tweaking this recipe, I quickly realized the smaller the better. So you will notice in the photos below and above, the Pavés are small approximately 1 1/2″ in diameter and for the decadence of all that ganache and almond praline purée that is inside, it is just perfect to satiate your sweet tooth.
In today’s episode you will notice there are some cut-aways to directions on screen to ensure you have the specific measurements and ingredients. What prompted this was a tweak to the recipe that I made in September, but the film/video had already been recorded in late July/early August. So I have edited it accordingly, included the updated measurements and approaches – we will be making praline right out of the gate for example. Rest assured the recipe is exactly what you will need with detailed and clear (and updated) instructions for you to have assured success making your own Pavés.
The most daunting part of this recipe might appear to be the removing of the Pavés from the silicone mold after they have set in the fridge/freezer, but as the recipe and the video share, so long as you make the ganache with 50 grams of butter, and then I go an extra step and wipe each dome with butter before I brush in the ganache, the Pavés will be easily removed and look shiny and professional.
Now let’s get to the episode!
Links shared during the episode:
- Silicone demi-globe molds – the small size seen in the photo – 45mm/1.7″, punched from BakeDeco
- Many other sizes are available at this online shop as well.
- The Season 7 digital Cookbook is now available! Click here to download!
- Full of all of the recipes shared in this season, you will also find the links to each of the videos to watch each episode while you cook and bake.
~Cook & Share! I would love to share your Simply Luxurious Kitchen inspired experiences from your kitchen. Tag me on Instagram with @thesimplyluxuriouslife #tslkitchen (or directly tag @tsllcookingshow) and your post could appear on my Instagram feed as well as on a future Show Notes post (see readers’ pics below). Many readers have already shared their meals inspired by recipes from TSLKitchen. Check out TSLL’s IG Story Highlights – titled, Viewers’ Recipes. Below are a few readers that have shared recipes and pics that caught their eye (and tastebuds ?) since last season concluded. Thank you to everyone who has shared!
Digital Cookbooks for Each Season of the Show are available (and they are free to everyone!). If you are looking for all of the recipes for each previous season in one easy to find place without having to click through each episode for each season, I now have available a Digital Cookbook for Seasons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6. Download here. Season 7’s cookbook is now available and you can download it directly here.
Pavé Chocolat aux Amandes
Equipment
- 45mm/1.7" silicone demi-mold globes
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted, roasted almonds chestnuts if available instead
- 200 g dark chocolate the best quality you can find
- 1 Tbsp amaretto liqueur or liqueur of your choice
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 50 g unsalted butter (for the ganache) best quality you can find
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter (for browning and adding to the praline purée
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 1/2 tsp fleur de sel
Chantilly Cream
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
Preparing the molds
- 1-2 Tbsp unsalted butter for rubbing inside of each Demi-globe to prevent any sticking
Instructions
Almond Praline Purée
- Pour the almonds on a 1/4-1/2 baking sheet lined with parchment.
- On the stove top in a small sauce pan, place the 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat and begin to caramelize (melting until liquified to a golden amber color). You will need to stir consistently to prevent any burning. I use a spatula.
- As soon as the sugar is caramelized, remove it immediately from the stove and pour over the almonds as evenly as possible. Set aside to cool (or place in the freezer or fridge) for 15-30 minutes while you make the ganache.
- While the chocolate ganache is cooling slightly (instructions on how to make it are listed below), the praline should be cool, so take out a food processor, and break up the praline in rough shards, placing into the processor and pulse until a peanut-butter like paste is made. This will be about 3-5 minutes.
- Once you have almond purée made, add to a large mixing bowl and then add the brown sugar and the browned butter. To brown the butter, simply melt the 5 Tbsp in a small sauce pan for about 5 minutes until it begins to bubble and froth and the melted butter looks light brown. Mix all three together with a hand-mixer or a wooden spoon until combined.
- Now add the flour, salt, and vanilla. Now add 1/4 to a 1/2 of the ganache you have just made. Mix until combined. Taste. Adjust as your taste preference wishes.
Making the Ganache
- Using a double boiler or a small sauce pan filled with 1-2 inches of water (it shouldn't touch the mixing bowl you place on top of the water), bring the water to a boil and then keep at simmer. In the mixing bowl that is sitting on top of the simmering water, add the chocolate and the 50 g of butter along with the Amaretto liqueur. Stir consistently until all combined and a beautiful shine is seen. Remove from the stove top and let cool just momentarily before you brush the Demi-globe molds with chocolate.
- Prep the silicone demi-globe molds by rubbing butter inside each of the globes to ensure no sticking takes place.
- Using a silicone small brush (so that no bristles fall into the chocolate), brush each demi-globe mold with the ganache. Liberally add it making sure all of the surface is covered with chocolate. Immediately put into the freezer (or fridge) for 15 minutes at least (30 minutes in the fridge).
- Remove the ganache molds when the Almond Purée is ready. Fill each demi-globe mold with the almond purée, making sure it is packed full and then level off with the back of your spatula. Place back into the freezer for another 15-30 minutes or until ready to serve.
Chantilly Cream
- In a small/medium mixing bowl pour the heavy whipping cream, add the vanilla and the sugar and whisk with a hand-mixer the ingredients until soft peaks form – about 3-5 minutes. Set aside until ready to serve your Pavés.
Serving
- Remove the filled demi-globe molds from the freezer. Place dome-side up onto of parchment paper, and then carefully pull back each of the molds. You should see shiny round domes of chocolate. 🙂 Celebrate! You did it!
- Pair with a spoonful of Chantilly cream and sprinkles of grated chocolate made from the hardened ganache that is left over using a grater. Pair with a favorite dream or liqueur, and enjoy!
Episodes from the Past You Might Enjoy
Tian de Légumes Provençal, episode #5, season 7
Making Bûche de Noël at North Farm in the English countryside, episode #7, season 6
Triple Ginger Cake with Orange Drizzle, episode #9, season 4
~View more episodes of The Simply Luxurious Kitchen here.
Wow! What a great recipe for ending the season. Thank you for another great season of deliciousness.
Thank you Véronique for stopping by this season. 😌 This was a fun (and delicious) one to end on and I do hope you enjoy. 💛
Délicieux but I love it with chestnuts. Your guests will thank you.
Kameela😊
Kameela,
Yep, this is traditionally done with chestnuts! Be sure to watch the video as I walk through the backstory of this dish and why I chose almonds. 🙂
Dear Kameela, It’s so good to hear from you. Our chestnuts are seasonal. I have a friend at our local grocery store, and I will have him give me a call when they come in. I have never made anything like this, but I might give it a try. I hope you can enjoy a beautiful Autumn. Our trees are stunning this year. I hope yours are as well.
Dear Lucy. Thank you. I thought of you recently as I hadn’t seen your comments but then I was away for awhile. I’m easing back slowly . Being suddenly thrown into a full time carer’s role doesn’t leave much time for’ me’ time but it’s important that I do carve out time. Now that’s a good friend. Here in France all along the roadside and hedgerows are chestnuts for the taking. I’m lycky that on the edge of my orchard I have enough for us and for friends. We often spend an afternoon gathering up the chestnuts and then preparing them oven an open fire( as the song says) and have them ready to have with an apéritif. So delicious and nutritious. I like them dipped in some fleur de sel. The rest will be stored in the freezer to make desserts and accompany roasts especially the festive turkey. Hope you enjoy making the pavés. The autum colours are glorious here. Maybe catch up with you on Cuppa moments. Kameela 😊
Hi Shannon, I can’t believe it’s already the final episode of the cooking show! Thank you for all the wonderful recipes you shared this season. And what a way to sign off – these pavé look absolutely divine! I am a HUGE fan of nuts and chocolate, but recently developed an allergy to nuts so I’m really happy to know that the alternative is chestnuts (which I also really love!) so thank you for including that bit of information in this episode as well 😊
Dani,
Thank you for tuning in each weekend to watch new episodes. 🙂 I am so tickled you enjoyed the season. Aren’t those two ingredients – nuts and chocolate – just a wonderful combination? Hard to beat. 🙂 And yep, chestnuts are what this dessert is traditionally made with, so if you have access to them, you are making the classic dish à la française! I do hope you enjoy and let me know if you have any questions.
Looks so delicious and I suspect the smell is heavenly 🤩. I would like to try making them, but I would need a nut substitute as my husband cannot eat nuts. It is not an allergy, but an intolerance to all nuts including chestnuts.
We normally just leave nuts out of recipes eg Christmas cake etc or in the case of some savoury recipes including nuts, we have substituted chick peas or other pulses, which work fairly well. However, with this particular recipe, nuts are a key ingredient and as it’s a ‘sweet’ recipe, I don’t think chickpeas would work here? However, I’m open to all ideas!
I must admit, I am stumped and will be curious to hear what anyone else might suggest. 🙂 You can always make them for yourself and the kids and save them in the freezer for your me-time days. I made a batch just this week again and saved the majority of them in the freezer as I will be having company later this month. Since I won’t have time to make them later due to a busier week’s schedule, these will be perfect and they do freeze well 😉
That sounds like a great plan Shannon! I do need a nutty snack now and then. Thank you 🤩
Hello Berni,
I would suggest Adzuki bean puree/ paste, taking inspiration from Japanese sweets. To mimic the nut texture, I would suggest some cookie crumbs or crackers. For flavouring: is almond essence tolerated? If not, I would go with vanilla, for a classic approach, or maybe orange peel for a bit more of an interest.
This all being said, I think chickpea puree would also be a good choice.
Good luck! 🙂
I must say that the cooking segments seem to fly by each year. This one is like an exclamation point for the finale. I’m not much of a candy maker; this would be tricky. Not that I wouldn’t try it because it would be a perfect little gift in a small tin to present to my friends at our Christmas luncheon. We have been together since college and have weathered many storms in our lives. Chocolate is the perfect little extra. Have you ever tried it with pecans? I am going to do a little practice before December. Thanks, Shannon.
So nice and so tempting!
Almond and chocolate is a classic that always tastes good, no matter what and it turned out so well. I always like to prepare all the recipes from Cooking Show, but I am not sure that I will be brave enough to try this one… (*insert here embarrassed expression…*). The little chocolate cups look pretty difficult to me, to get them right, I mean. You are a courageous lady! for my part, I might reserve this recipe for when I am in need of a challenge: “Facing Your Worst Baking Fear” 😉
It was a great season and a great finale! Thank you, Shannon. 🙂
Isabel,
Rest assured, the Demi globes are what make this recipe sooooo simple! Truly. It looks fancy, but it is easy to do. The key is to make a beautiful ganache, and wipe the insides of the globes just to ensure an easy release. I couldn’t believe how beautifully it appeared and I really just brushed them with the ganache, chilled well, stuffed full of the almond purée, chilled again and that was it! 🙂 You’ve got this. 🙂