Nutella Gateaux

My lifelong pursuit of 50 ways to eat Nutella continues with this super simple gateaux that recalls fond discoveries of Vongerichtenesque pudding cakes. Simple for the home cook and versatile for the restaurant chef, this style of sponge is pretty delightful.

250 grams Nutella (See Below)
15 grams MethylcelluloseK4M
125 grams Milk
100 grams Egg

Bring milk to a boil and add K4M. Blend for 2 minutes. Allow to cool to -4 Celsius, then vacuum seal and reserve overnight. The following day, delay your eggs in room temperature Nutella, then fold in your milk/methylcellulose mix, strain, and reserve at room temperature. Pipe into molds of your choosing and bake softly at 180 Celsius in a deck oven, or 150 in a convection oven until just set, which will vary according to the size of your mold.

For the Nutella:
200 grams Praline paste
100 grams Butter
75 grams Chocolate (64% cocoa)

Soften the butter and cream in a food processor. Add the praline paste at room temperature, and finally the warm, melted chocolate. This product is shelf stable for up to 1 year.

For the Praline paste:
200 grams Hazelnuts
120 grams Sugar
30 grams Water

Prepare a praline in the traditional style: dissolve the sugar in the water and cook to 121C (string sugar). Add the hazelnuts and “sablee,” or stir until white and cool and powdery. Remove the hazelnuts from the pan and place in a clean pan, cooking carefully over high heat until first colored, with a gradual reduction in heat until the nuts are reddish brown and no raw sugar lumps remain. Allow to cool, roughly chop with a knife, and process in food processor until creamy.